What is the name of a guinea pig? Guinea pig animal. Description, features, care and price of guinea pigs. Guinea pig and other pets

Guinea pig (lat. Cavia porcellus), I would probably be very surprised if I found out about its Russian-language name, because it has nothing in common with either real pigs or the sea. Then why is it called that way?

Everything is very simple: it became “marine” because it was brought from America, i.e. from across the sea. Although it would probably be more correct to call it “overseas”. In Europe, it is most often called "Guinea pig", "pig mouse" or "Indian pig". As you can see, only the word “pig” does not cause controversy. Why? Because this animal sometimes makes grunting sounds, just like its big namesake.

The Andean tribes of South America were the first to domesticate guinea pigs 5 thousand years ago. True, then they were not just pets. People used them as a source delicious meat or in for various rituals and ceremonies. Since the 13th century AD. Indian tribes became seriously interested in breeding them and, before the conquest of the Inca Empire in 1533, managed to develop many different breeds.

Of course, modern breeders have gone even further. Today there are a huge number of varieties of guinea pigs that are completely... For example, in pet stores you can find both long-haired animals, as well as wire-haired, short-haired and even animals with no hair at all or with a little fluff.

In general, guinea pigs have a body length of 25 to 35 cm, they have a wide blunt muzzle with floppy ears, a large body with rounded shapes and no tail at all. Males weigh from 1 to 1.5 kg, females - from 0.8 to 1.2 kg. In wild individuals, the natural color of the upper body is brownish-gray, the belly and the inside of the paws are lighter.

These are quite cute pets with a good-natured and trusting character. They love to sit in their arms and play with their owner. However, during such activities you should be very careful, since a fall even from a small height can have very sad consequences for the animal.

Interestingly, guinea pigs, in addition to grunting, can make many other different sounds. For example, when they are happy, they may purr. Males sometimes purr when courting. Females, during pregnancy or in the absence of a male, begin to chirp like birds. They do this at night, continuing their “song” from 2 to 10 minutes. True, this happens extremely rarely.

Guinea pigs eat hay, grain feed, juicy vegetables and fruits. When feeding, it should be taken into account that fresh hay should be kept in the cage around the clock, since the animal uses it to grind down its teeth, in addition, it helps to normalize the functioning of the digestive system.

Sometimes the animal can be caught in a not very pleasant procedure - eating its own droppings. He got this habit from wild ancestors– it turns out that in this way guinea pigs are enriched with vitamins, since vitamins B and K are absorbed in the animal’s body only when they pass through the gastrointestinal tract again.

Guinea pig house

Your new friend definitely needs his own house. Any one-story cage or aquarium of sufficient size will do. Since guinea pigs have short legs, they do not need many attractions in the form of ladders, hammocks, etc.

However, there must be some kind of shelter in the cage so that the timid animal can hide if necessary. It's better if it is small design from the bark, then the rodent will grind its teeth on it.

Some veterinarians believe that the constant presence of a shelter for a rodent makes it less tame: it sits in the house all the time, gets scared of everything and does not want to play with its owner. If you notice this with your pet, place the house only at night - let the animal do without it during the day.

It is necessary to pour bedding on the floor: tyrsa, hay, straw, sawdust or wood filler. Make sure that the tyrsa is large, otherwise it may clog the animal’s nose. Choose fresh hay, not soaked and free from any signs of mold. Tyrsa or hay will have to be changed every 1-2 days, otherwise an unpleasant smell will begin to spread throughout the apartment.

There will be less hassle with wood filler: it absorbs liquid well, so it needs to be changed much less frequently (every 3-4 days). True, all these materials can serve as a source of dust, so a special corn or paper litter for rodents would be a good alternative.

Guinea pigs are often very clean and use the same place in the cage for toileting. Then the owner just needs to put a small tray with low sides there and pour in a little filler. It will be much easier to care for such a cage.

Drinker and feeder

In addition to the house, the guinea pig will need two feeders and a drinking bowl. It is better to buy a vertical ball drinker; with a simple bowl it will not be so convenient: filler may get into the water, which will make it unsuitable for consumption. The water needs to be changed every day, even if it seems that the animal is not drinking at all.

For dry and wet food, you should purchase two separate feeders. They must be quite heavy and stable, otherwise the mobile animal will constantly turn them over. You can even attach one of them to the cage, and put the second one (for wet food) from time to time.

Guinea pig nutrition

Since hay can contain a lot of dust, it must be fed to the rodent in special devices - hay feeders or hay balls. The hay feeder is similar to a simple scoop - it needs to be attached to the outside of the cage so that it fits snugly against the wall. A hay ball is a round mesh structure that is filled with hay. It is hung on the ceiling or fixed in the corner of the cage.

In addition to hay, guinea pigs need to be given straw, various dry herbs (these animals love dandelions and plantain most of all), cereals and legumes. In summer they are given twigs fruit trees and shrubs, as well as the bark and leaves of maple, oak or birch.

In general, about 80% of an animal's menu should consist of dry food. Pet stores sell specialized food intended for guinea pigs. If you have settled on this option, you should not change it too often, otherwise the animal may take a long time to get used to the new taste.

Only 20% remains for wet and soft food. If you exceed this norm and feed the rodent such food constantly, this can lead to health problems and tooth regrowth. However, there is also no need to deprive the animal of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Guinea pigs love apples, cucumbers, broccoli, white cabbage, lettuce, parsley and different fruits. Since all this is extremely tasty, they may specifically begin to beg for just such delicacies and ignore everything else. You should not follow their lead, otherwise it will end badly, and, above all, for the pet itself. To calculate the permissible amount of wet food, it is enough to use a simple formula: 5-7 g of wet food per 100 g of animal weight.

Although the ancient Incas fed guinea pigs food from their table, as there is plenty of evidence of in the form of drawings on vases and other utensils, do not try to repeat this experience: after all, a lot has changed since then, especially our food.

Remember: a healthy pet is one who has the right diet.

Do I need to give my animal extra vitamins?

Veterinarians often recommend giving guinea pigs vitamin C by adding it to the water bowl at the rate of 1 mg per 1 ml of water. However, in the light this vitamin quickly loses its properties, so the solution must be changed at least once a day.

The animal must receive the rest of the vitamins through food. It is curious that vitamins B and K are absorbed only the second time, so rodents sometimes eat their own droppings.

Features of caring for guinea pigs

From time to time they need to be let out of the cage so they can play. Just take care of their safety: lock cats or dogs in another room and do not take the pig to your sofa or table - it may accidentally fall and get injured.

Otherwise, caring for them is not particularly difficult; they do not need as much attention as a cat or dog, so even very busy people often take them into the house.

Like many other animals, guinea pig V different countries called differently. So, in England this rodent is called Indian little pig, restless cavy, guinea pig and domestic cavy. And in the dialect of the indigenous people of South America, a guinea pig is called “cavy”.

As for the origin of the English name guinea pig, it is most likely explained by the way in which Europeans learned about the existence of this rodent. The British probably had more trade relations with the shores of Guinea than with South America, and therefore are accustomed to looking at Guinea as part of India. Although there is another opinion: it is assumed that in Europe, as in its homeland, the guinea pig was originally used as food and sold in markets.

This explains the origin of the English name for pig - guinea pig, i.e. “pig for a guinea” (guinea is the main English gold coin until 1816, it received its name from the country of Guinea, where the gold necessary for its minting was mined). Some researchers attribute the origin of the name guinea pig to the fact that the word Guinea was used instead of the similar Guiana, since wild guinea pigs were exported from Guiana to Europe.

Residents of the Andes still breed guinea pigs on special farms and eat their meat.

The Spaniards living in America call this rodent a little rabbit, while other colonists continue to call it a little pig, that is, they use the name that was brought to Europe along with the animal. By the way, the guinea pig is called a small rabbit because before Europeans arrived in America, this rodent served as food for the indigenous Indians and all Spanish writers of that time referred to it as a rabbit.

There are more than 67 million domestic guinea pigs living on livestock farms in Peru. They produce more than 17,000 tons of nutritious meat per year. The Indians of the high Andes have been suppliers of guinea pig meat for centuries. It is highly valued in many countries and has a number of dietary and gastronomic qualities.

In France, the guinea pig is called cochon d'Inde - "Indian pig", and in Spain - Cochinillo das India - "Indian pig". The Italians and Portuguese also call this rodent the Indian pig - porcella da India and Porguinho da India - as do the Dutch, in whose language the animal is called Indiaamsoh varken. In Belgium, a guinea pig is called cochon des montagnes - “mountain pig”, and in Germany - Meerschweinchen, i.e. “guinea pig”.

Taking into account all of the above, we can make the assumption that the guinea pig spread in Europe from west to east, and the name that exists in Russia and Germany - “guinea pig” - most likely indicates that the pigs were brought from overseas (apparently , at first they were called overseas, and then sea).

The animal’s homeland is America, and it turned into an “overseas pig”, and then completely into a guinea pig. Many people are surprised why cute, furry, rather miniature animals are called pigs, and even sea pigs.

By appearance They don’t look much like piglets, and they can’t stand water treatments.

There is an explanation for this “philological riddle,” but to solve it you will have to take a trip into history.

The homeland of guinea pigs is South America. They are common in the Andes and live in groups in self-dug burrows, just like wild rabbits. The natural color of these rodents is modest and does not differ in variety; it has a gray-black tint.

Indians have long consumed guinea pig meat: it has a delicate and pleasant taste and is considered dietary.

Wild pig. In Peru, these animals are still raised in farms and is served in restaurants as a delicacy.

Of course, when breeding Special attention is not focused on obtaining new colors, as in decorative breeds, but on increasing the size of individuals. Some “meat” pigs reach a weight of 4 kg.

During the discovery and conquest of America, the Spaniards paid attention to funny plump animals with a body and head shape reminiscent of suckling pigs. We tried it and liked it. This is how guinea pigs came to Europe, and then to Asia and Africa. Gradually they began to play exclusively the role of pets.

Linguistic versions of the origin of the name

In Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, the guinea pig is called "Indian". Why? It’s simple, because at first America was considered and called India. English version- “Guinean” (possibly bought for a guinea; perhaps the British confused America with Guinea, which was closer and more understandable to them).

In Russia, things were even simpler. Why is the guinea pig called so - guinea pig? Was a foreign “unknown animal” brought from overseas? So she's overseas. Gradually, the prefix “for” lost its meaning, and the pig turned into a guinea pig. Obviously, the Germans had the same line of thinking; in Germany, the principle of phrase structure is identical to Russian.

Pigs on a ship - lucky?

With the development of navigation, pigs, living up to their name, began to travel on ships. They were used as food. This was convenient in many ways.

Animals were brought to Europe on ships. Unpretentious compact animals did not take up much space, special care They didn’t demand anything, they were flexible, but the meat was excellent.

In addition, they got along well with the permanent inhabitants of the holds - rats (relatives, after all), and in times of danger they made sharp and piercing sounds, warning the crew about a possible shipwreck.

In a word, comfortable and profitable “passengers” from all sides.

Tricks of cunning priests

In the time of Columbus, Catholic priests were distinguished by gluttony - they loved to eat delicious food and tried in every possible way to circumvent the strict requirements of fasting. With the discovery of America, they had new opportunities to circumvent the rules.

The “holy fathers” reasoned like this. Guinea pigs are brought on ships by sea. And with them - theirs distant relatives- the world's largest aquatic rodents - capybaras. This means that they can be classified as fish and, accordingly, eaten during fasting.

You got out of it, you can’t say anything!

Why pigs anyway? There are several reasons:

• They make sounds similar to grunting.
• They are similar in body structure - rounded head and body, short limbs.
• Delicious juicy meat, however, in guinea pigs it is more like rabbit meat.

In one children's film, a guinea pig resents the name given to it. She correctly claims that she is a rodent and complained that she gets motion sickness on the ship. There are several hypotheses about why a guinea pig is called that. They are all realistic and have real stories behind them.

From the point of view of zoologists, guinea pigs have nothing to do with pigs. These are rodents of the pig family, a genus of pigs. In the wild, the brown-gray rodent still lives in South America. The first drawings depicting this amazing rodent, discovered by scientists, date back to the 5th century BC, or more precisely, they are more than 25 centuries old.

The tribes living on the slopes of the Andes were the first to domesticate pigs. Now this territory belongs to several states:

• Peru;
• Colombia;
• Bolivia;
• Ecuador.

Peru played a special role in the appearance of guinea pigs; it was on its territory that scientists became acquainted with this animal. The first rodents came to Europe from the territory of this country. There, the Mochi tribe had a guinea pig among their idols and worshiped it. Figurines depicting this animal were found in places of ritual sacrifice.

The ancient Mochica Peruvians worshiped the guinea pig.

The Incas were the first to domesticate rodents. They still use them as a source dietary meat. But they called it coris, kevi. Nowadays in Bolivia, many restaurants serve Cuy. This is the name of the guinea pig that has changed over time.

Currently living in South America a large number of kevi. They are found in the mountains and plains, living in the sands and savannah. Their color differs slightly, mostly brown-gray with a light belly. The color options depending on the area are simple, with the predominance of one of the dominant tones on the back.

Pigs dig their own holes on their own, uniting 5 to 12 individuals into one team or conquering ready-made ones. Mainly lead night look life, leaving the shelter in the evening at dusk. They feed on herbs growing around, fruits and berries.

Guinea pigs eat grass, fruits, berries

During the barracks period, couples are not created. Pregnancy in a female lasts 60–70 days. Within a few hours after birth, babies move independently. The mother feeds them for a month and the young animals are ready for independent life, and the female mates again and bears new rodents.

Guinea pigs breed all year round. Their main food is always available; in large areas they do not exist.

Rodents have many enemies, therefore, despite the large number of offspring, the number is stable and does not increase. Domesticated animals, under human protection and in the presence of food, quickly increase in number and grow. Already at 2 months they reach the size adult. In addition to grass, they eat grain, vegetables, and mixed feed.

In Peru, some tribes still use guinea pigs for sacrifice. They believe that the gods should be given something pleasant. Their cult prohibits killing animals. They domesticated sheep and kui a long time ago and do not classify them as animals, since they raise them themselves.

By historical sources, from about 1200 AD until 1532, local aborigines began breeding domesticated Kui. This is how the name of rodents changed over time. When the first explorers came to America, guinea pigs were bred there in the thousands as a source of tasty meat. Selection was aimed mainly at producing larger animals. Now there are breeds whose males weigh up to 4 kg. The color and length of the coat were of secondary importance.

In the first description, guinea pigs were compared to small rabbits. The animals are grass-fed and have tender meat, similar to both rabbit and chicken. Males weigh 1–1.5 kg, females weigh less, up to 1.2 kg. The length of Kuya is 25 - 35 cm. The first name for the animal in Europe was given to the Indian rabbit. Then, together with India, America was a colony of England and did not have its own separate name.

The first name of a rodent in Europe is Indian rabbit

When traders brought the rodents, they were examined and given the scientific name Cavia porcellus, meaning small pig. The second meaning of Cavia comes from the modified cabiai - the name of the Galibi tribe.

Why were guinea pigs called that? Their body structure is very similar to that of a pig. Lack of a clearly defined neck and large head. The animals live in pig pens; they are also not picky about food and chew all day long. At the same time, they make sounds similar to the contented grunting of real pigs. If disturbed, they scream loudly, like piglets.

Dressed guinea pig carcasses differ from young piglets only in their paws. Cooked on a spit, they are very similar to little pigs. Peru currently eats 65 million Cuis per year. Serves local dietary dish and in restaurants in Ecuador and Brazil.

Cui guinea pigs are eaten in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil

In Europe, funny and cute rodents without a tail became pets, first among courtiers, then among the middle classes. Now they are widespread as pets, especially for children. Queen Elizabeth had Guinea pigs.

There are several hypotheses why the guinea pig is called a guinea pig. They were born in different parts Europe and it is possible that everyone has the right to exist, as a variant of the name of the pig. Moreover, all options refer to different areas, but approximately the same time - the 17th century. Scientists do not refute any of them as untenable. They also cannot single out the only true one.

Catholic version of the name

The most simple hypothesis, why the guinea pig was called guinea pig, is explained by the gluttony of Catholic priests and refers to the southern regions of Europe.

At the same time as guinea pigs, the largest rodents, the capybara, were brought from Brazil. They lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle and eat only grass. Capybaras reach up to 60 cm at the withers and can weigh more than 60 kg. It's like a large shepherd dog. They spend a lot of time swimming and lying in shallow water. Large rodents belong to the pig family and have tender meat.

At the same time as pigs, copybara was brought from Brazil - the large rodent in the world

Catholic priests classified Capybara and Guinea pigs - as they called the sea pigs back then - as fish. This allowed them to eat their meat during Lent.

Russian version

The rodents came to Russian territory under the name Guinea pig. This name itself has had several interpretations.

1. The pigs were imported from Guinea.
2. They were sold for 1 guinea.
3. At that time, Guinean meant everything that was brought from overseas, and was marvelous for local residents. Only sailors knew where the country with strange plants and fruits was located and what it looked like.

Gradually in Russia the animals began to be called Overseas Pig. Over time, the pretext disappeared, and the name Morskaya remained.

Port option

Sailors, making a long journey, took provisions with them. The British, who often found themselves in fog, also used pigs as sirens. The animal is capable of screaming piercingly for hours and not losing its voice. This made it possible to avoid ship collisions when nothing was visible. The rest used the omnivorous, unpretentious animal as a food supply. Back then, chickens and sometimes cows lived in the hold. There were no refrigerators; meat, milk, and eggs were kept alive and freshly laid.

Guinea pigs can scream for hours without losing their voice, which is why sailors used them as sirens

While traveling to America, sailors would release guinea pigs back into the pig pens. They made similar sounds and behaved like piglets, multiplying and growing quickly. Many people liked the tender meat. The rodents tolerated rocking well and did not come into conflict with ship rats. They were then called mainly Indian pigs.

This is how sea travelers got their name in ports Mediterranean Sea and became Guinea Pigs.

Linguistic hypothesis

Why did scientists call it a guinea pig? The name Cavia porcellus was translated in Europe to different languages. Wherever a cute animal came as a pet and entertainment, its name was pronounced in the local way. In Poland it became Swinka morska.

This is another hypothesis for the appearance of the name of the rodent. Considering that the pig is a good swimmer, the name is quite justified.

Domestic guinea pigs

In Europe, guinea pigs are kept exclusively as decorative pets. The animal is sociable and playful, lives on average 8 years. Already at the age of 2 months, rodents are ready to reproduce, but this moment must be postponed until the female reaches a year. To prevent the guinea pig from getting bored, there should be several of them. The optimal number for one large cage per 1 male is 2 - 3 females. If there is only one animal, it must be provided for.

There should be hay in the cage all year round. Animals chew it all day long. They not only eat, but at the same time grind down the teeth that rodents constantly grow. In addition to dry grass, they should be given:

• cereal grains;
• carrot;
• apple;
• cucumber;
• beets;
• fruits;
• branches of fruit trees.

Guinea pigs love cereal grains

The origin of the Russian name for the animal “guinea pig” apparently comes from the word “overseas”. Later, the word "overseas" became 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 overseas.” 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 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 British colony and a supplier of gold that went to England for the minting of 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.