1. Guinea Pigs
Mr. “The Man” Chapman

2. Classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Rodentia
• Family: Caviidae
• Genus: Cavia
• Species: porcellus

3. History
• Their proper name is a Cavy
• The domesticated guinea pig has been bred
in South America for 3,000 years
– Still a food source for people of Ecuador, Peru
and Bolivia

4. History
• Mid 1800’s  used by Labs for research
– Use by Louis Pasteur in research on rabies
• Origin of name not known; maybe
because
– Means “little pig” in Latin
– Grunt and squeal and have fat bellies
– Sold for 1 Guinea in England

5. Characteristics
• Upper lip split (like all members of the
rodent order)
• Long whiskers (same function as cat’s
whiskers)
• Short ears with little fur

6. Characteristics
• Sensitive hearing (hear beyond the range
of humans)
– Communicate by making sounds
• Developed sense of smell (recognize
individual humans)
• Excellent peripheral vision (spot enemies
from all directions)
• When threatened  hair stands up on
neck, chatter teeth

7. How they live in the Wild
• In the wild they live in colonies
– 1 dominant male
– 5-10 females
– 2 adult males cannot exist together
– So, younger males may live on the edge of
the colony

8. Major Types
• Abyssinian – rough,
wiry hair coat; made
up of swirls and
cowlicks  rosettes
• American – most
common; short,
glossy hair

9. Major Types
• Peruvian – longhaired
(up to 20 inches!);
takes time and effort to
keep clean; doesn’t
have a tail
• Satin – Luxurious,
shiny fur; it is also fine
and dense

10. Major Types
• Silkie – longhaired;
has a mane that
sweeps back from its
head
• Teddy – short, kinky
fur; whiskers are
kinked too

11. Major Types
• White crested –
resembles the
American shorthair
except for crest
(rosette)  white and
in the center of the
forehead