Guinea pig scientific name. Do you know why a guinea pig is a pig? Guinea pig breeds

Origin of the Russian name of the animal " guinea pig“, apparently, comes from the word “overseas”. Later, the word “overseas” turned into the word “sea”. The very origin of the word “overseas” is connected with two points. Firstly, guinea pigs originally came to Russia for the most part by sea on ships, that is, “from beyond the sea.” Secondly, they were mostly brought from Germany, where they are called Meerschweinchen. So our name for this animal, "guinea pig", is most likely a simple literal translation of its German name.

We see that the guinea pig has the most indirect relation to the sea, since its homeland is located overseas, that is, as they used to say, “overseas.” And she does not know how to swim, since she is a purely land animal and does not tolerate water. But, nevertheless, some unfortunate animals still have to pay for mistakes and ignorance of people. There are reliably known cases when new owners allowed a guinea pig purchased for their children into aquariums with fish or containers with water so that the animals could “swim” there - they are “sea” after all! And after these poor animals, exhausted from floundering in the water, drowned, some of them called zoological stores and complained indignantly about the death of their acquisition.

But why was this glorious animal nicknamed “pig”? Apparently, this is connected, firstly, with the appearance of the animal. As we remember, to the Spaniards she resembled a suckling pig. The identification of the pig with the domestic pig occurred not only due to the appearance of the animal, but also due to the way the Indians prepared it for food: they poured boiling water over it to clean it of wool, as was done by Europeans to remove the bristles from a pig. Some historians suggest that in Europe, as in its homeland, the guinea pig originally served as a food source. Secondly, apparently, this is due to the fact that they have a large head, a short neck and a thick body and a peculiar structure of the fingers of the limbs. They are armed with elongated, hoof-shaped, ribbed claws, which somewhat resembled the hooves of piglets to our ancestors. And thirdly, if at rest the pig makes gurgling sounds, then when frightened it switches to a squeal, which is somewhat very similar to a pig’s.

Until the mid-19th century, guinea pigs were very expensive and were available only to rich people. This is reflected in English name animal guinea pig - "pig for a guinea." Until 1816, the guinea was the main gold coin in the British Empire. The guinea got its name from the African country of Guinea, which at that time was a British colony and a supplier of gold that went to England for minting gold coins.

There is another translation - “Guinea pig”, which is mentioned by some authors. M. Cumberland explains the name “Guinea pig” by the fact that the British had more trade relations with their colony than with South America, and therefore were accustomed to looking at Guinea as part of India. And as we remember, one of the early European names for the guinea pig was “Indian pig”.

It should be noted that nowadays the British more often call it Cavy or Cui. In addition to the above names, in England you can still find other, less common names for this cute animal: Indian little pig, restles cavy, restless cavy, Gvinea pig and domestic cavy.

Guinea pig is what this animal is called in Russia and in two or three other countries. But why a pig, and why a guinea pig? Where did this cute rodent get such a strange name?

Why a pig, it will become clear to you as soon as the pet gets used to the new place, begins to recognize you and understands where the “goodies” come from. An immediate demanding sound, like a grunt or squeal, will provide the answer.

According to another version, the pig owes its name to the Spanish conquerors, who thought they looked like suckling pigs.

Another idea why the guinea pig is called a pig is because the lower parts of the limbs of these rodents are shaped like hooves. In addition, some say that this animal is similar to pigs due to the structure of the head and rather elongated body. In addition, they were bred for meat, just like ordinary pigs in Europe.

And it is not called seafaring because it loves to swim in the sea. Obviously, this word has lost the prefix “for”. The pig was overseas, that is, brought from overseas.

They still live in Peru wild ancestors our domesticated pigs. Cavy - this is what guinea pigs are called in other countries. Another name for these animals is Cuinea Pig - “pig for a guinea.” Either such pigs cost one guinea, or they were equated in price to one guinea and were used to pay for goods.

While in our country guinea pigs are known as popular pets, in their homeland in Central and South America these small rodents have been bred in large numbers for thousands of years not to be kept as pets. In Peru, guinea pigs have always been bred and are still bred today as food. A special large specimen was even bred here, called Cuy - kui, which means “big”. Such “fodder” pigs can weigh up to four kilograms. Their meat is said to be similar to tender pork. But pigs are not only suppliers of meat for Peruvians; their skin is used to produce clothing and shoes. In addition, no trip to the local healer is complete without this black rodent. For example, it is believed that if a pig is simply applied to a sore stomach, the animal will take the pain upon itself. The local doctor usually takes payment for his services in food. Of course, there are ordinary doctors in the country, but the indigenous people, with their more than modest incomes, cannot afford them. It is interesting that, despite such strange treatment, the local population does not know what oncology and heart attacks are, and they are not familiar with asthma. By local residents This animal is highly valued and is even considered the best wedding gift for a newlywed.

Each of us, at least once, has wondered where the names of certain objects, animals, plants and, in general, everything that surrounds us came from. It happens that explanations are found very quickly and simply, but it also happens that you have to dig around. Today we propose to figure out together why a cute fluffy rodent is called a guinea pig, and what this small animal may have in common with a cloven-hoofed animal.

What is a guinea pig called in different languages?

The name of the animal in other countries is different languages sounds like this:

• German - Meerchwein (mershwein) - guinea pig;
• English - guinea pig (Genie pig) - Guinean pig, domestic cavy (domestic cavy) - domestic pig;
• Spanish - conejillo de Indias (conejiyo de Indians) - Indian pig;
• Polish - swinka morska (sea pig);
• French - сochon d'Inde (koshun dadnde) - Indian pig;
• Ukrainian - guinea pig, cavya guinea.

Despite the fact that in English-speaking countries the animal is called a Guinea pig, it also remains a pig, just like in Spanish and French, where it is called an Indian pig. Now we also use one of the English-language names and call the animal kevi.

Did you know? The duration of sleep for furry rodents is only 10 minutes, but at least several times a day.

Origin of the name

The fact that in some languages ​​a land rodent that cannot swim is called a sea rodent is actually very simply explained: the animals’ homeland is South America and, accordingly, they were brought from overseas and therefore called overseas.

Due to appearance

No matter how strange it may sound, if you look closely at the rodent, you can find a certain resemblance to pigs. For example, the fact that they have a disproportionately large head relative to the body, like pigs. The short neck and legs also indicate a certain resemblance to piglets. Undomesticated rodents have rather coarse fur that resembles pig bristles. The claws on small paws look like miniature hooves. The similarity is also usually attributed to the absence of a tail in kevi.

Important! Zoologists classify the rodent as a member of the Pig family (Half-ungulates), their closest relatives are squirrels, rabbits and beavers.

Because of the habitat

In ancient times, when transported on ships, rodents were kept in compartments intended for pigs. The small animal is as voracious as artiodactyls, but it does not require too much space to raise it, so it was very convenient to keep them on ships. Perhaps it was then that the sailors noticed certain similarities with piglets, and this played a certain role in the origin of the name of the rodent.

Important! In Peru, these rodents are common food, not pets; up to 65 million rodents are eaten there every year.

It should also be noted that kevi meat is dietary; it is somewhat reminiscent of rabbit meat. In South America, rodents are still raised for food. They are kept in special utility rooms, similar to how we raise pigs. Naturally, such animals are larger in size than their domesticated relatives.
Before preparing a dish from such meat, the carcasses are scalded with boiling water in order to more easily separate the wool; the same is done with pork in order to get rid of bristles.

Because of the sounds it makes

Kevi are very sociable, they are able to make a large number of sounds, each of which means what they want now. In terms of melody, some of the sounds that this rodent makes are strongly reminiscent of artiodactyls, perhaps this is why the animals were called pigs.

In moments of pleasure and complete calm, guinea pigs grunt or snort through their noses. And if a rodent is afraid of something, it begins to squeal, such a squeal is very similar to a pig’s and signals that the animal is experiencing discomfort. When an animal wants to eat or just wants someone to pay attention to it, it whistles.

Did you know? Some believe that Catholic priests have something to do with why the guinea pig got its name. After all, it turns out that due to the fact that it is from the sea, rodent meat is not meat at all, but fish, which means it can be eaten even during fasting.

Because of origin

Regarding the English version, there are several theories about why the pig was called Guinea. The first is due to the fact that trade with the Guinea coast at the time of the appearance of gilts in Europe was much more developed than with South America, and Guinea was mistakenly classified as part of India. The second version of the origin of the name is that initially rodents were not used as pets, but were eaten as food.

Accordingly, such meat was sold in markets, and they paid for it in English coins, which were called guineas (until 1816). Perhaps that is why the literal translation sounds like “a pig for a guinea,” that is, for a coin. The rodents were exported to Europe from Guiana, and perhaps there was simply confusion in the names, and the rodent was called "Guinean" by mistake.

Now you know what kewi is called in other countries, and also that there are still certain similarities in the appearance and behavior of piglets and rodents. We will not undertake to state unambiguously where the name of the small furry animal came from; let everyone choose the theory that seems more plausible to him.

Video: why guinea pig, guinea pig

By birth guinea pig from South America. The Spanish conquistadors saw many of these rodents in Indian villages. The Incas fried them and ate them holidays. And now guinea pigs still live in some Indian settlements; during the day they run freely around houses and come to huts to spend the night.

Guinea pigs were brought to Europe in the 16th century, 60 years after Columbus discovered America. In Conrad Gesner's book on animals, published in 1554, they are already mentioned.

Why was this purely land animal, which has nothing to do with pigs, given such a strange name? A pig, obviously, for the pig's squeal with which this animal expresses its fear. Perhaps also for the “grunting”, similar to the gurgling of water. This is the voice of a calm, peaceful guinea pig.

The origin of the epithet “sea” is more complicated. If they called it “overseas”, everything would be clear; brought from overseas. But it is still called sea. Maybe because in those distant times, sailors loved to keep guinea pigs on their ships for fun.

Pigs have a peaceful disposition, they never bite, children can play with them calmly. In many foreign countries, guinea pigs are slaughtered and eaten. But the main purpose of this rodent is not children's play, not gastronomic use, but service in the medical field. The guinea pig was and remains one of the best laboratory animals. She is very sensitive to various infectious diseases. Therefore, experiments are carried out on it to diagnose infectious diseases of humans and farm animals (diphtheria, typhus, tuberculosis, glanders, etc.).

Physiologists, geneticists, allergists, virologists, and bacteriologists are experimenting with it. In short, in all areas of medicine and related sciences, the guinea pig serves as an experimental animal.

In a relatively short period of time, amateur breeders developed different breeds of guinea pigs.

The Himalayan one is especially beautiful. The coloration is completely analogous to the Russian ermine rabbit: ears, muzzle, legs are black, everything else is white. Instead of black, let's use dark chocolate color. All other color deviations are rejected. This coloring appears in young pigs only at four months of age. Newborn Himalayan pigs are completely white.

Dutch pig. Bred in Holland and improved in England. Its color is also two-tone. The front of the body and head are white. The back half of the body, ears, cheeks are black, brown or gray.

Agouti. There are two varieties of this breed: the golden agouti (golden brown with a tan belly) and the gray agouti (with a light silver belly).

All three breeds mentioned above are smooth-haired. But there are also long-haired and wire-haired guinea pigs. They are infertile (rarely produce more than one baby and are not suitable for laboratory purposes).

Angora guinea pig. Her fur is long and silky. The color is different: black, white, red, agouti and blue. Because of this magnificent coat, the Angora pig requires special care.

Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)

And here she is, a guinea pig, only with long hair. That's why she looks so disheveled.

Wire-haired rosette guinea pig. Although it is often called Abyssinian or Japanese, its homeland is England. It is called rosette because its long and coarse hair diverges in rosettes in different places of the body - from the center to the periphery, like on our crown. Color black, white and red.

Unfortunately, there are few purebred guinea pigs; most are crosses of different breeds. The most common of them are piebald guinea pigs: black and white, red and white or tri-colored (tri-colored) - red, black and white. There are also black or white with red eyes (albinos). These are the most susceptible to various diseases.

For laboratory purposes, breeders developed breeds of guinea pigs whose sensitivity to allergens and pathogens knew no bounds. They got sick and died from almost everything. It became impossible to conduct experiments on such animals.

And in general, guinea pigs are highly sensitized animals by nature, allergy sufferers, who have almost no equal in this regard. Especially the so-called Brazilian varieties of pigs. Argentine ones are more persistent. But it is difficult to work with both of them because of their high sensitivity and poor - let's say - health. There is a light breeze in the room, and the guinea pig is already sneezing: it has a cold. It’s a hot day - she lies stretched out, breathing quickly: she’s overheated. And a very nervous animal! Can die of fear if roughly taken from its cage.

Guinea pigs live well in laboratories, and in the homes of various hobbyists, and among young naturalists. And you still need to remember that every guinea pig is susceptible to colds, and therefore the room where it is kept must be warm, bright, dry and without drafts.

One guinea pig can live in a simple box (which often happens). But for breeding purposes, special cages are needed - cages, which have two floors: the lower solid (sloping back) and the upper slatted. The cage size is approximately: 70 centimeters in length, 50 in width and 40 in height. The cage is closed on all sides, except for the front wall, which is made up of a door covered with wire mesh.

Such cages usually contain five adult females and one male. Pregnant females before lambing are either placed in special uterine cages or not. In the latter case, lambing occurs in common cage. The male does not harm the newborn cubs, but, on the contrary, protects them, driving away other females. If two or more lambings occur at the same time, the cubs often confuse their mothers with other nursing females. They willingly accept the babies and feed them along with their own.

Puberty in guinea pigs occurs in about two to three months. But they should not mate before four months. Pregnancy - 60-70 days. Typically, females give birth to two to four cubs, which are born fully developed. Once dry, they stand firmly on their legs and run after their mother. On the 3-4th day they begin to try tender grass and other foods. But milk is the main food, and their mother feeds them for about a month. Guinea pigs, which are given succulent herbs and root vegetables for food, do not need water at all. But pregnant females are thirsty two to three days before lambing, and they need to provide a drinking bowl with warm water or milk.

The best food for guinea pigs is wheat bran, oats, carrots, beets and good hay, and in summer - root vegetables and freshly cut grass. The bran should be given slightly moist. Guinea pigs also eat vegetable kitchen waste and even mushrooms. But everything must be fresh. Musty hay, rotten vegetables, and sun-warmed grass cause stomach diseases and the death of animals.

The guinea pig or cavy is a small rodent representing the large family of pigs. The animal has a calm and friendly character, quickly gets used to its owner and can be trained. The guinea pig feeds on root vegetables, grass, hay and various fruits, and is very undemanding and unpretentious in its maintenance.

The history of domestication of the guinea pig goes back more than seven thousand years. Before the Spanish invasion, the Inca tribes developed several domestic breeds, from which all modern views and subspecies of cavia. However, the main criterion for breeders of the past was not color and intelligence, but the taste of meat and size. To this day, the tradition of eating guinea pigs has been preserved in Peru, Ecuador and China. In Europe and the USA, cavy meat is viewed with distrust: culinary specialists admit that it is tasty and has a pleasant aroma, but classify it as exotic.

According to information that has survived to this day, cavias arrived on the European continent at the end of the sixteenth century.

They quickly gained popularity due to their cute appearance, intelligence and wide variety of colors. They got their name for sounds and squeals similar to grunting, as well as for the proportions of the body and head. Guinea pigs were named because sailors took the animals with them on long voyages. The animals take up little space, eat simple plant foods and are very fertile, plus they are a source of valuable meat.

Appearance of pigs

A simple description of a guinea pig looks like this: a small animal with a cylindrical body, reaching a length of no more than thirty centimeters. An adult male weighs no more than two kilograms, and a female weighs about a kilogram. The head of the cavy is relatively large, the neck is poorly visible, and the legs are short. Distinctive features from the rodent order are manifested in the way the guinea pig looks, in its lifestyle, and in the duration of pregnancy. One of the most obvious distinctive features- very short ponytail.

In nature, they do not dig minks, but live on the surface, and pregnancy lasts up to seventy days.

However, like all representatives of rodents, caviae have a specific bite and pronounced long incisors. Incisors grow throughout their lives and it is very important to give them hard food to chew on, as well as tree branches so that the teeth can be worn down. Otherwise, excessively long teeth can damage the tongue, lips and palate. Even experienced breeders do not always know how many teeth a guinea pig has.

From birth, the animal has twenty teeth with a folded surface:

• two pairs of cuts,
• two pairs of premolars,
• three pairs of lower molars,
• three pairs of upper molars.

The animals also differ in color vision. They can distinguish yellow, green, red and blue colors, but guinea pigs have poor vision and rely little on their vision. The wild or natural color of pigs is close to black. All color forms existing today, as well as hairless and short-haired breeds, are obtained artificially.

Coprophagous pigs

Animals that eat their own excrement are called coprophages. The pigs eat their own droppings in a strange way: they curl up into a ball and swarm in the anal area, where the fecal pocket is located. Many breeders have a question: why do guinea pigs eat their litter and is it dangerous to health? Zoologists explain this behavior as follows: the pig’s body is not able to process all the amino acids contained in food. Some important amino acids and vitamins K and B leave the body along with feces. Even with vitamin supplements, the animal will continue to eat particles of droppings - there is no other way to obtain all the necessary amino acids.

In nature, pigs eat their droppings for another reason: they are very vulnerable and strive to destroy any traces of their vital activity so as not to attract the attention of predators.

Lifestyle of pigs

In nature, guinea pigs are most active in the mornings and evening twilight. They are agile, can run fast and are always on the alert. You can see kavi in ​​both mountainous areas and forests. Guinea pigs do not dig minks, preferring to build nests in a secluded place from dry grass, fluff and thin twigs.

The social lifestyle of guinea pigs involves living in one territory with a large flock of animals. Each pack or family consists of one male and ten or twenty females. In its natural habitat, a guinea pig eats roots and seeds of plants, leaves, fallen berries and tree fruits. The lifespan of wild cavy is no more than seven years.

At home, a guinea pig can live 12-15 years.

They are kept in ordinary cages, but are provided with sufficient walking: the animal is very active and needs movement. The constant activity of the animals raises the question among some breeders: how much guinea pigs sleep and whether they sleep at all. The animal sleeps for ten to fifteen minutes several times a day. The cubs sleep for less time. If the animal is worried or feels threatened, it may sleep with its eyes open.

There are four age stages in the life of Kavya. The first is under the mother, when the cub drinks the mother's milk. From the third day, the cubs begin to try adult food, but without milk the chances of survival are zero. The second period begins at the moment when the young individual switches to independent feeding and begins to eat all the basic adult food. At home, a grown guinea pig happily eats alfalfa or clover hay, young shoots of dandelions and clover, various root vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Of the roughage, pigs prefer to eat sprouted oats, wheat, and corn grains. The third period occurs during puberty. Females are ready for fertilization at the age of eight weeks, males at twelve weeks. The fourth period is characterized by a decrease in activity and loss of reproductive function.

Breeders need to constantly monitor the animal's diet and how much the pig eats. Overeating, like fasting, has a negative impact on health. Another important point that every breeder should know is what foods should absolutely not be given to cavy. These include:

• red cabbage,
• sweets,
• meat products,
• fish products,
• eggs,
• dairy products.

Despite the fact that pigs are ready to breed at a very early age, it is recommended to get the first litter from one-year-old animals. By this age, they have time to fully grow, become stronger and take shape.

Interesting facts about guinea pigs are not limited to their differences from rodents and their relationship to coprophages:

• the distant ancestors of the guinea pig weighed more than 600 kg,
• Cavias have 64 chromosomes (humans have only 46),
• animals make many sounds. They can squeal, snort, grunt, chirp, purr, grumble,
• Kavyas cannot stand loneliness,
• their intelligence is slightly inferior to that of dogs and cats.

What is also interesting is what a guinea pig dreams about. According to dream books, if you dream about a guinea pig, this means that a person is not able to withstand the current circumstances and has low self-esteem. However, a guinea pig sitting in your arms portends joyful events and good news.

Relatives of Kavya

Relatives of guinea pigs include beavers, squirrels, and even gophers, mice and rats. So big number relatives is explained by the large number of rodents.

Among the relatives of Cavia there are many familiar and many unusual mammals:

• mara looks like a hare, but larger - weight up to 16 kg,
• agouti is an animal that looks like both a rabbit and ancient ancestor modern horses,
• paka - a cautious and more deer-like rodent, weighing up to 12 kg,
• capybara is the most major representative detachment weighing up to 60 kg, grows up to 140 cm in length, leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle.