Guinea Pigs are not pigs but, rather, rodents. They are also not from Guinea; they originated in the Andes. The guinea pig was domesticated as early as 5000 B.C. in South America as a source of food. They were also used in religious ceremonies and in traditional medicine. Find out more!

Guinea pigs are not related to pigs, but may have been called pigs for several reasons. For example, they have a similar squeal to a pig’s. They are also somewhat built like a small pig, with a large head, stout neck, and no real tail. Males are called boars, females are referred to as sows, and young ones are called pups.

Guinea pigs can hear sounds of up to 40,000 to 50,000 Hz, and some guinea pig vocalizations are ultrasonic at above 20,000 Hz. If a female guinea pig is uninterested in a male during courtship, she will sometimes squirt a jet of urine at the persistent male.

If a female guinea pig does not give birth before she is 6 months old, her pubic bones will fuse. If she tries to give birth after this, the fused bones will prevent her from giving birth, which results in the death of the mother and the unborn pups.

Baby guinea pigs are born ready for the world. They are born with their eyes open and are covered in fur. Baby pups are able to drink from a water bottle and can eat hay within hours of being born.