Guinea pig
The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite
their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea. They
originated in the Andes,
and earlier studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggested they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida, or C. tschudii and, therefore, do not exist naturally in the wild. Recent studies applying molecular markers, in addition to studying the skull and skeletal morphology of
current and mummified animals, revealed
that the ancestor is most likely Cavia
tschudii.
The guinea pig plays an important
role in the folk culture of many Indigenous
South American groups,
especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies. Since the 1960s, efforts
have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.
In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a
household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century.
Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative
ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet.
Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are
cultivated by breeders.
Biological experimentation on
guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were
frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, resulting in the epithet "guinea pig" for a test subject,
but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research,
primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.
History
The common guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (present-day the southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia), some thousands of years after the domestication of the South
American camelids. Statues dating from ca. 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the
guinea pig in their art. From ca.
1200 AD to the Spanish
conquest in 1532,
selective breeding resulted in many varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which
form the basis for some of the modern domestic breeds. They continue to be a food source in the region; many households
in the Andean highlands raise the animal, which subsists off the family's
vegetable scraps. Folklore traditions involving guinea pigs are numerous; they are exchanged
as gifts, used in customary social and religious ceremonies, and frequently
referenced in spoken metaphors. They also play a role in traditional healing rituals by folk
doctors, or curanderos, who use the animals todiagnose diseases such as jaundice, rheumatism, arthritis, and typhus. They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick, and are seen as a supernatural medium. Black
guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses. The animal also may be cut open and its entrails examined to
determine whether the cure was effective. These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes,
where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted.
Spanish, Dutch, and English traders brought guinea pigs to Europe, where they quickly became popular as exotic pets among the upper classes and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I. The earliest known written account of the guinea pig dates from
1547, in a description of the animal from Santo Domingo;
because cavies are not native to Hispaniola, it was earlier believed that the
animal was likely introduced there by Spanish travelers. However, based on more recent excavations on West Indian islands,
it has become known that the animal must have been introduced by ceramic-making
horticulturalists from South America to the Caribbean around 500 BC, and it was present in the Ostionoid period, for example, on Puerto Rico, long before the advent of the
Spaniards. The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner. Its binomial scientific name was first used by Erxleben in 1777; it is an amalgam of Pallas' generic designation (1766) and Linnaeus' specific conferral (1758). The
earliest known illustration of a domestic guinea pig is a painting (artist
unknown) in the collection of the National
Portrait Gallery in London,
dated to 1580, which shows a girl in typical Elizabethan dress holding a
tortoise-shell guinea pig in her hands; she is flanked by her two brothers, one
of whom holds a pet bird. The
picture dates from the same period as the oldest recorded guinea pig remains in
England, which are a partial cavy skeleton found at Hill Hall (Essex),
an Elizabethan manor house, and dated to around 1575.
Name
The scientific name of the common species is Cavia
porcellus, with porcellus being Latin for "little pig". Cavia is New Latin; it is derived from cabiai, the animal's name in the
language of the Galibi tribes
once native to French Guiana. Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese çavia (now savia), which
is itself derived from the Tupi word saujá, meaning rat. Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo (pl. cuyes,
cuyos) in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Ironically, breeders tend to use the more formal "cavy" to describe the
animal, while in scientific and laboratory contexts it is far more commonly
referred to by the more colloquial "guinea pig".
How the animals came to be called
"pigs" is not clear. They are built somewhat like pigs, with large heads relative to their bodies,
stout necks, and rounded rumps with no tail of any consequence; some of the
sounds they emit are very similar to those made by pigs, and they also spend a
large amount of time eating. They can
survive for long periods in small quarters, like a 'pig pen', and were thus
easily transported on ships to Europe.
The animal's name carries porcine connotations in many European languages. The German word for them is Meerschweinchen,
literally "sea piglet", which has been translated into Polish as świnka
morska, into Hungarian astengerimalac and into Russian as морская
свинка. This derives from the Middle High German name "merswin". This originally meant "dolphin" and was used because of the
animals' grunting sounds (which were felt to be similar). There are
however many other, possibly less scientifically based explanations of the
German name. For example, sailing ships stopping to reprovision in the New World would pick up stores of guinea pigs, which provided an easily
transportable source of fresh meat. The French term is Cochon d'Inde (Indian pig) or cobaye; the Dutch call it Guinees biggetje (Guinean piglet) or cavia (while in some Dutch dialects it is
called Spaanse rat); and in Portuguese the guinea pig is variously referred to as cobaia, from the Tupi word via its Latinization, or as porquinho da Índia (little Indian pig). This is not universal; for example, the
common word in Spanish is conejillo de
Indias (little
rabbit of the Indies). The Chinese refer to them as Holland pigs (荷蘭豬, hélánzhū). The Japanese word
for guinea pig is "モルモット"(morumotto),
which derives from the name of another mountain-dwelling rodent, the marmot; this is what guinea pigs were called
by the Dutch traders who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843.
The origin of "guinea"
in "guinea pig" is harder to explain. One proposed explanation is
that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading
people to think they had originated there. "Guinea" was also frequently used in English to refer
generally to any far-off, unknown country, and so the name may simply be a
colorful reference to the animal's exotic appeal. Another hypothesis suggests the "guinea" in the name is
a corruption of "Guiana", an
area in South America, though the animals are not
native to that region. A common
misconception is that they were so named because they were sold for the price
of a guinea coin;
this hypothesis is untenable, because the guinea was first struck in England in
1663, and William Harvey used the term "Ginny-pig" as early as 1653. Others believe "guinea" may be an alteration of the word coney (rabbit); guinea pigs were referred to as "pig coneys"
inEdward Topsell's 1607 treatise on quadrupeds.
Traits and environment
Guinea pigs are large for
rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200 g (1.5–2.5 pounds), and
measuring between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 inches)
in length. They typically live an average of four to five years, but may live
as long as eight years. According
to the 2006 Guinness Book of
Records the
longest living guinea pig survived 14 years, 10.5 months.
In the 1990s, a minority scientific opinion emerged proposing that caviomorphs, such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus, are not rodents and should be reclassified as a separate order of mammals
(similar to lagomorphs). Subsequent research using wider sampling has restored consensus among
mammalian biologists that the current classification of rodents asmonophyletic is justified.
 |
| Guinea pigs "social groom" |
Natural habitat
Cavia porcellus is not found naturally in the wild; it is likely descendant from
some closely related species of cavies,
such as Cavia aperea, Cavia fulgida, and Cavia tschudii, which
are still commonly found in various regions of South America. Some species of cavy identified in the 20th century, such as Cavia anolaimae and Cavia guianae, may be
domestic guinea pigs that have become feral by reintroduction into the wild. Wild cavies are found on grassy
plains and occupy an ecological niche similar to that of the cow. They are social, living in the wild in small groups
which consist of several females (sows), a male (boar), and the young (which in
a break with the preceding porcine nomenclature are called pups). They move together in groups (herds)
eating grass or other vegetation, and do not store food. While they do not burrow or build
nests, they frequently seek shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as
in crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation.] They are crepuscular, tending to be most active during
dawn and dusk, when it is harder for predators to spot them.
 |
| Tri parti-colored (white, brown and black) guinea pig in its natural habitat. |
Domestic habitat
Domesticated guinea pigs thrive in groups of two or more; groups of sows, or
groups of one or more sows and a neutered boar are common combinations. Guinea
pigs learn to recognize and bond with other individual guinea pigs, and testing
of boars shows that their neuroendocrine stress response is significantly lowered in the presence of a
bonded female when compared to the presence of unfamiliar females. Groups of boars may also get along, provided that their cage has
enough space, they are introduced at an early age, and no females are present.
Domestic guinea pigs have developed a different biological rhythm from their
wild counterparts, and have longer periods of activity followed by short
periods of sleep in between. Activity
is scattered randomly over the 24 hours of the day; aside from avoidance of
intense light, no regular circadian patterns are apparent.
 |
| This cat has accepted this pair of guinea pigs. The success of this type of interspecies interaction varies according to the individual animals involved |
Domestic guinea pigs generally
live in cages, although some owners of large numbers of guinea pigs will dedicate
entire rooms to their pets. Cages with solid or wire mesh floors are
used, although wire mesh floors can cause injury and may be associated with an
infection commonly known as bumblefoot (ulcerative pododermatitis). "Cubes and Coroplast" (or C&C) style cages are
now a common choice. Cages are
often lined with wood shavings or a similar material. Bedding made from red
cedar (Eastern or Western) and pine, both softwoods, were commonly used in the past,
however these materials are now believed to contain harmful phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) and oils. Safer beddings include those made from hardwoods (such asaspen), paper products, and corn cob materials
are other alternatives. Guinea pigs tend to be messy within their cages; they
often jump into their food bowls or kick bedding and feces into them, and their urine sometimes
crystallizes on cage surfaces, making it difficult to remove. After its cage has been cleaned, a guinea pig will typically
urinate and drag the lower body across the floor of the cage to mark its
territory. Male
guinea pigs may also mark their territory in this way when they are taken out
of their cages.
Guinea pigs do not generally
thrive when housed with other species. Cohousing of guinea pigs with other
rodents such as gerbils and hamsters may increase instances of respiratory and other infections and such rodents may act aggressively toward the guinea pig.
Larger animals may regard guinea pigs as prey, though some (such as dogs) can be trained to accept them. Opinion
is divided over the cohousing of guinea pigs and domestic rabbits.
Some published sources say that guinea pigs and rabbits complement each other
well when sharing a cage. However, as lagomorphs, rabbits have different nutritional
requirements, and so the two species cannot be fed the same food. Rabbits may also harbor diseases (such as the respiratory
infections Bordetella and Pasteurella), to which guinea pigs are
susceptible. Even the dwarf rabbit is much stronger than the guinea pig and may cause intentional or
inadvertent injury.
Behavior
Guinea pigs can learn complex
paths to food, and can accurately remember a learned path for months. Their
strongest problem solving strategy is motion. While guinea pigs can jump small obstacles,
they are poor climbers, and are not particularly agile. They startle extremely
easily, and will either freeze in place for long periods or run for cover with
rapid, darting motions when they sense danger. Larger groups of startled guinea
pigs will "stampede", running in haphazard directions as a means of
confusing predators.[ When excited, guinea pigs may repeatedly
perform little hops in the air (known as "popcorning"), a movement
analogous to the ferret's war dance. They are also exceedingly good swimmers.
Like many rodents, guinea pigs
sometimes participate in social grooming, and they regularly
self-groom.[ A
milky-white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair
during the grooming process. Groups of
boars will often chew each other's hair, but this is a method of establishing
hierarchy within a group, rather than a social gesture. Dominance is also established through biting (especially of the
ears), piloerection, aggressive noises, head thrusts,
and leaping attacks. Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same-sex groups.
Guinea pig sight is not as good
as a human, but they have a wider angle of vision (about 340°) and see in
partial color (dichromacy). They have
well-developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch. Vocalization is the primary means of communication between members
of the species. The following are the most common sounds made by the guinea pig
·
Wheek – A loud noise, the name of which is onomatopoeic, also known as a whistle. An expression of
general excitement, it may occur in response to the presence of its owner or to
feeding. It is sometimes used to find other guinea pigs if they are running. If
a guinea pig is lost, it may wheek for assistance.
·
Bubbling or purring – This sound is made when the guinea
pig is enjoying itself, such as when being petted or held. They may also make
this sound when grooming, crawling around to investigate a new place, or when
given food.
·
Rumbling – This sound is normally related to dominance within a group,
though it can also come as a response being scared or angry. In these cases the
rumble often sounds higher and the body vibrates shortly. While courting, a
male usually purrs deeply, swaying and circling the female in a
behavior called "rumblestrutting". A low rumble while walking away
reluctantly shows passive resistance.
·
Chutting and whining – These are sounds made in pursuit
situations, by the pursuer and pursuee, respectively.
·
Chattering – This sound is made by rapidly gnashing the teeth,
and is generally a sign of warning. Guinea pigs tend to raise their heads when
making this sound.
·
Squealing or shrieking – A high-pitched sound of discontent,
in response to pain or danger.
·
Chirping – This less-common sound, likened to bird song, seems to be related to stress, or
when a baby guinea pig wants to be fed. Very rarely, the chirping will last for
several minutes.
Breeding
The guinea pig is able to breed
year-round, with birth peaks usually coming in the spring; as many as five
litters can be produced per year. The gestation period lasts from 59–72 days, with an average of 63–68 days.
Because of the long gestation period and the large size of the pups, pregnant
females may become large and eggplant-shaped, although the change in size
and shape varies. Unlike the offspring of most other rodents, which are altricial at birth, newborn pups are well-developed with hair, teeth, claws,
and partial eyesight; they are
immediately mobile, and begin eating solid food immediately, though they
continue to suckle. Litters yield 1–6 pups, with an average of three; the largest recorded litter size is 17.
In smaller litters, difficulties
may occur during labour due to over-sized pups. Large litters result in higher
incidences of stillbirth, but because the pups are delivered
at an advanced stage of development, lack of access to the mother's milk has
little effect on the mortality rate of newborns. Cohabitating females assist in mothering duties if lactating.
Male and female guinea pigs do
not differ in external appearance apart from general size. The position of the anus is very close to
the genitals in both sexes. Female genitals are distinguished by a Y-shaped
configuration formed from a vulvar flap; while the male genitals may look
similar with the penis and anus forming a like shape, the penis will protrude
if pressure is applied to the surrounding hair. The male's testes may also be
visible externally from scrotal swelling.
Males reach sexual maturity at
3–5 weeks; females can be fertile as early as four weeks and can carry litters
before they are adults. Females that have never given birth may develop
irreversible fusing of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, due to calcification which may occur
between 6 and 10 months of age. If they become pregnant after this has
happened, the birth canal will not widen sufficiently; this may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth. Calcification of the female's pubic symphysis (if not bred) is a common myth. The reason for potential
calcification is an Metabolic disease, like Ochronosis. A healthy,
normal female guinea pig's pubic symphysis does not calcify. Females
can become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a
female to be thus constantly pregnant.
Toxemia of pregnancy is common and kills many pregnant females. Signs of toxemia
include anorexia, lack of energy, excessive salivation, a sweet or fruity
breath odor due to ketones, andseizures in advanced cases. Pregnancy toxemia appears to be most common in
hot climates. Other
serious complications of pregnancy can include a prolapsed uterus, hypocalcaemia, and mastitis.
Diet
Grass is the guinea pig's natural diet. Their molars are particularly suited for grinding plant matter, and grow continuously throughout the animal's life. Most grass-eating mammals are quite large and have a long digestive tract; while guinea pigs have much longer colons than most rodents, they must also supplement their diet by coprophagy, the eating of their own feces. However, they do not consume all their feces indiscriminately, but produce special soft pellets, called cecotropes, which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion. The cecotropes (or caecal pellets) are eaten directly from the anus, unless the guinea pig is pregnant or obese. They share this behaviour with rabbits. In geriatric boars or sows (the condition is rarer in young ones), the muscles which allow the softer pellets to be expelled from the anus for consumption can become weak. This creates a condition known as anal impaction, which prevents the boar from redigesting cecotropes, though harder pellets may pass through the impacted mass. The condition may be temporarily alleviated by carefully expelling the impacted feces.
Guinea pigs benefit from feeding
on fresh grass hay, such as timothy hay, in addition to food pellets which
are often based from timothy. Alfalfa is also a popular food choice; most guinea pigs will eat large
amounts of alfalfa when offered it though
there exists some controversy over the feeding of alfalfa to adult guinea pigs.
Some pet owners and veterinary organizations have advised that, as a legume rather than a grass hay, alfalfa consumed in large amounts may
lead to obesity, as well as bladder stones due to excess calcium, in any but pregnant and very young
guinea pigs. However,
published scientific sources mention alfalfa as a source for replenishment of
protein, amino acids, and fiber.
Like humans, but unlike most
other mammals, guinea pigs cannot synthesize their own vitamin C and must obtain this vital nutrient from food. If guinea pigs do
not ingest enough vitamin C, they can suffer from potentially fatal scurvy. Guinea pigs require about 10 mg
of vitamin C daily (20 mg if pregnant), which can be obtained through
fresh, raw fruits and vegetables (such as broccoli, apple, cabbage, carrot,
celery, and spinach) or through dietary supplements. Healthy diets for guinea
pigs require a complex balance of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus,potassium, and hydrogen ions;
adequate amounts of vitamins E, A, and D are also
necessary. Imbalanced
diets have been associated with muscular dystrophy, metastatic
calcification, difficulties with pregnancy, vitamin deficiencies,
and teeth problems. Guinea pigs tend to be fickle eaters when it comes to fresh
fruits and vegetables, having learned early in life what is and is not
appropriate to consume, and their habits are difficult to change after maturity. They do not respond well to sudden changes in diet; they may stop
eating and starve rather than accepting new food types. A constant supply of hay or other food is generally recommended,
as guinea pigs feed continuously and may develop habits such as chewing on
their own hair if food is not present. Because guinea pigs' teeth grow
constantly, they routinely gnaw, lest their teeth become too large for
their mouth, a common problem in rodents. Guinea pigs will also chew on cloth, paper,
plastic, and rubber.
A number of plants are poisonous
to guinea pigs, including bracken, bryony, buttercup, charlock, deadly nightshade, foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, Lily of the Valley,mayweed, monkshood, privet, ragwort, rhubarb, speedwell, toadflax], and wild celery. Additionally, any plant which grows from a bulb (e.g., tulip and onion)
is normally considered poisonous,as well as Ivy and oak tree leaves.
Health
Common ailments in domestic
guinea pigs include respiratory
tract infections, diarrhea, scurvy (vitamin C deficiency, typically characterized by sluggishness), abscesses due to infection (often in the neck, due to hay embedded in the
throat, or from external scratches), and infections by lice, mites,
or fungus.[96]
Mange mites (Trixacarus caviae)
are a common cause of hair loss, and other symptoms may also include excessive
scratching, unusually aggressive behavior when touched (due to pain), and, in
some instances, seizures. Guinea pigs may also suffer from "running lice" (Gliricola
porcelli), a small white insect which can be seen moving through the hair;
the eggs of these lice, which appear as black or white specks attached to the
hair, are sometimes referred to as "static lice". Other causes of
hair loss can be due to hormonal upsets caused by underlying medical conditions
such as ovarian cysts.
Foreign bodies, especially small
pieces of hay or straw, can become lodged in the eyes of guinea pigs, resulting
in excessive blinking, tearing, and in some cases an opaque film over the eye
due to corneal ulcer. Hay or straw dust can also cause sneezing. While it is normal for guinea pigs
to sneeze periodically, frequent sneezing may be a symptom of pneumonia,
especially in response to atmospheric changes. Pneumonia may also be
accompanied by torticollis and can be fatal.
Because the guinea pig has a
stout, compact body, the animal more easily tolerates excessive cold than
excessive heat.[101] Its normal body temperature is 101–104 °F (38–40 °C), and so it’s ideal ambient air temperature range is similar to the human's, about
65–75 °F (18–24 °C). Consistent ambient temperatures in excess of 90 °F (32 °C) have been linked to hyperthermiaand death, especially among
pregnant sows. Guinea pigs are not well suited to environments that feature wind
or frequent drafts, and respond poorly to extremes of humidity outside of the range of 30–70%.
Guinea pigs are prey animals
whose survival instinct is to mask pain and signs of illness, and many times
health problems may not be apparent until a condition is severe or in its
advanced stages. Treatment of disease is made more difficult by the extreme
sensitivity guinea pigs have to most antibiotics, including penicillin, which kill
off the intestinal flora and quickly bring on episodes of diarrhea and in some cases,
death.[105]
Similar to the inherited genetic diseases of other breeds of animal (such as hip dysplasia in canines), a number of genetic abnormalities of guinea pigs have
been reported. Most commonly, the roan coloration of Abyssinian guinea pigs is associated with congenital eye disorders and problems with the digestive system.[106] Other genetic disorders include "waltzing disease"
(deafness coupled with a tendency to run in circles), palsy, and tremor conditions.[107]
Pets
If handled correctly early in
their life, guinea pigs become amenable to being picked up and carried, and
seldom bite or scratch.[61] They are timid explorers and often hesitate to attempt an escape
from their cage even when an opportunity presents itself.[54] Still, they show considerable curiosity when allowed to walk
freely, especially in familiar and safe terrain. Guinea pigs that become
familiar with their owner will whistle on the owner's approach; they will also
learn to whistle in response to the rustling of plastic bags or the opening of
refrigerator doors, where their food is most commonly stored.
Guinea pigs should be kept in
pairs or, preferably groups, unless there is a specific medical condition that
requires isolation. Lone guinea pigs are more likely to suffer from stress and
depression.[108] Domesticated guinea pigs come in many breeds, which have been developed since
their introduction to Europe and North America.
These varieties vary in hair and color composition. The most common varieties
found in pet stores are the English shorthair (also known as the American),
which have a short, smooth coat, and the Abyssinian, whose coat is ruffled with cowlicks, or rosettes. Also
popular among breeders are the Peruvian and the Sheltie (or Silkie), both straight longhair breeds, and the Texel, a curly
longhair.
Cavy Clubs and Associations
dedicated to the showing and breeding of guinea pigs have been established
worldwide. The American Cavy Breeders Association, an adjunct to the American
Rabbit Breeders' Association, is the governing body in the United
States and Canada.[109] The British Cavy Council governs cavy clubs in the United Kingdom. Similar organizations
exist inAustralia (Australian National Cavy Council)[110] and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Club).[111] Each club publishes its own Standard of Perfection and determines
which breeds are eligible for showing.
Cultural and media influence
As a result of their widespread
popularity in human domestic life, and especially because of their popularity
in households with children, guinea pigs have shown a presence in culture and
media. Some noted appearances of the animal in literature include the short story Pigs Is Pigs by Ellis Parker Butler,
which is a tale of bureaucratic incompetence. Two guinea pigs held at arailway station breed unchecked while humans argue as to whether they are
"pigs" or "pets" for the purpose of determining freight
charges.[112] Butler's story, in turn, inspired the Star Trek:
The Original Series episode
"The Trouble With
Tribbles", written by David Gerrold.[113] In the Golden Hamster Saga books, there are two guinea pigs named Enrico and Caruso who are
modern-day thespians (named after Enrico Caruso) who serve as secondary
characters, and often irritate the main character, Freddy Auratus who strongly dislikes their acting antics.
In children's literature
The Fairy Caravan, a novel
by Beatrix Potter,[114] and Michael Bond's Olga da Polga series for children,[115] both feature guinea pigs as the central protagonist. Another
appearance is in The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis: in the first (chronologically) of
his The Chronicles of
Narnia series, a
guinea pig is the first creature to travel to the Wood between the
Worlds.[116] In Ursula Dubosarsky's Maisie and the Pinny Gig, a little
girl has a recurrent dream about a giant guinea pig, while guinea pigs feature
significantly in several of Dubosarsky's other books, including the young adult
novel The White
Guinea Pig and The Game of the Goose.[117]
In film and television
Guinea pigs have also been
featured in film and television. In the TV movie Shredderman Rules, the main
character and the main character's crush both have guinea pigs which both play
a minor part in the plot. A guinea pig named Rodney, voiced by Chris Rock, was a
prominent character in the 1998 film Dr. Dolittle and Linny the Guinea pig is a co-star on Nick Jr.'s Wonder Pets. Guinea pigs were used in
some major advertising campaigns in the 1990s and 2000s, notably for Egg Banking plc,[118] Snapple, and Blockbuster Video.[119] The Blockbuster campaign is considered by some guinea pig
advocates to have been a factor in the rise of caging guinea pigs and rabbits
together.[57] In the South Park season 12 episode "Pandemic 2: The
Startling", giant guinea pigs dressed in costumes rampage over
the Earth.[120] The 2009 Walt Disney Pictures movie G-Force features a group of highly intelligent guinea pigs trained as operatives
of the U.S. government. A video game based on the movie, was also released.
Scientific research
A guinea pig being examined by a veterinary medical officer for general health and pulmonary condition
The use of guinea pigs in
scientific experimentation dates back at least to the 17th century, when the
Italian biologists Marcello Malpighi and Carlo
Fracassati conducted vivisections of guinea pigs in their examinations of anatomic structures.[121] In 1780, Antoine Lavoisier used a guinea pig in his experiments with the calorimeter, a device
used to measure heat production. The heat from the guinea pig's respiration
melted snow surrounding the calorimeter, showing that respiratory gas exchange
is a combustion, similar to a candle burning.[122] Guinea pigs played a major role in the establishment of germ theory in the late 19th century, through the experiments of Louis Pasteur, Émile Roux,
and Robert Koch.[123] Guinea pigs have been launched into orbital space-flight several times, first by theUSSR on the Sputnik 9 biosatellite of March 9, 1961 – with a successful recovery.[124] China also
launched and recovered a biosatellite in 1990 which included guinea pigs as
passengers.[125]
In English, the
term guinea pig is commonly used as a metaphor for a subject of scientific
experimentation, or any experiment or test in modern times. This dates back to
the early 20th century; theOxford English
Dictionary notes its
first usage in this capacity in 1913.[126] In 1933, Consumers Research founders F. J. Schlink and Arthur Kallet wrote a book entitled 100,000,000
Guinea Pigs, extending the metaphor to consumer society.[127] The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus
further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protectionmovement.[128] The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the
novel The Guinea
Pigs by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism.[129] Guinea pigs were popular laboratory animals until the later 20th
century; about 2.5 million guinea pigs were used annually in the U.S. for
research in the 1960s,[130] but that total decreased to about 375,000 by the mid-1990s.[61] As of 2007, they constitute approximately 2% of the current total
of laboratory animals.[130] In the past they were widely used to standardize vaccines and antiviral agents; they were also often
employed in studies on the production of antibodies in response to extreme allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis.[131] Less common uses included research in pharmacology and irradiation.[131]Since the middle 20th century, they
have been replaced in laboratory contexts primarily by mice and rats. This is
in part because research into the genetics of guinea pigs has lagged behind
that of other rodents, although geneticists W. E. Castle and Sewall Wright made a number of contributions to this area of study, especially
regarding coat color.[107][132] In 2004, the U.S.'s National
Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.[133]
The guinea pig was most
extensively implemented in research and diagnosis of infectious diseases.[131] Common uses included identification of brucellosis, Chagas disease, cholera, diphtheria, foot-and-mouth
disease, glanders, Q fever, Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, and various strains of typhus.[131] They are still frequently used to diagnose tuberculosis, since
they are easily infected by human tuberculosis bacteria.[130] Because guinea pigs are one of the few animals which, like humans
and other primates, cannot synthesize vitamin C but must obtain it from their diet, they are ideal for researching scurvy.[130] From the accidental discovery in 1907 that scurvy could be induced
in guinea pigs, to their use to prove the chemical structure of the
"ascorbutic factor" in 1932, the guinea pig model proved a crucial
part of vitamin C research.[134][135]
Complement, an important component for serology, was first isolated from the blood of
the guinea pig.[130] Guinea pigs have an unusual insulin mutation,[136] and are a suitable species for the generation of anti-insulin
antibodies.[137]Present at a level 10 times that
found in other mammals, the insulin in guinea pigs may be important in growth
regulation, a role usually played by growth hormone.[138] Additionally, guinea pigs have been identified as model organismsfor
the study of juvenile diabetes and, because of the frequency of pregnancy toxemia, of pre-eclampsia in human females.[71]
Guinea pig strains used in scientific research are primarily outbred strains. Aside
from the common American or English stock, the two main outbred strains in
laboratory use are the Hartley and Dunkin-Hartley; these English strains arealbino, although pigmented strains are also
available.[139] Inbred strains are less common and are usually used for very specific research,
such as immune system molecular biology. Of the inbred strains that have been
created, the two that are still used with any frequency are, following Sewall
Wright's designations, "Strain 2" and "Strain 13".[107][139]
Hairless breeds of guinea pigs
have been used in scientific research since the 1980s, particularly for dermatological studies. A hairless and immunodeficient breed was the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation in inbred
laboratory strains from the Hartley stock at the Eastman Kodak Company in 1979.[140] An immunocompetent hairless breed was also identified by the Institute Armand Frappier in 1978, and Charles River
Laboratories has
reproduced this breed for research since 1982.[141] Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet
hairless varieties are referred to as "skinny pigs".
As food
South American Food[
Guinea pigs (called cuy, cuye, curí) were originally domesticated
for their meat in the Andes.
Traditionally, the animal was reserved for ceremonial meals by indigenous
people in the Andean highlands, but since the 1960s it has become more socially
acceptable for consumption by all people.[142] It continues to be a major part of the diet in Peru and Bolivia, particularly in the Andes Mountains
highlands; it is also eaten in some areas of Ecuador (mainly in the Sierra) and Colombia.[143] Because guinea pigs require much less room than traditional livestock and reproduce extremely quickly, they are a more profitable source
of food and income than many traditional stock animals, such as pigs and cows;[144] moreover, they can be raised in an urban environment. Both rural
and urban families raise guinea pigs for supplementary income, and the animals
are commonly bought and sold at local markets and large-scale municipal fairs.[145] Guinea pig meat is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol, and is described as being similar
to rabbit and the
dark meat of chicken.[7][146] The animal may be served fried (chactado or frito), broiled
(asado), or roasted (al horno), and in urban restaurants may also
be served in a casserole or a fricassee.[147] Ecuadorians commonly consume sopa or locro de
cuy, a soup dish.[147]Pachamanca or huatia, a process similar to barbecueing, is also popular, and is usually
served with corn beer (chicha) in traditional
settings.[147]
Peruvians consume an estimated 65
million guinea pigs each year, and the animal is so entrenched in the culture
that one famous painting of the Last Supper in the main cathedral in Cuscoshows Christ and the twelve disciples dining on guinea pig.[7] The animal remains an important aspect of certain religious events
in both rural and urban areas of Peru. A religious celebration known as jaca tsariy ("collecting the cuys") is a major festival in many
villages in the Antonio Raimondi province of eastern Peru, and is celebrated in smaller ceremonies
in Lima.[148] It is asyncretistic event, combining elements of Catholicism and pre-Columbian religious practices, and revolves around the celebration of local patron saints.[148] The exact form that the jaca
tsariytakes differs from town to town; in some localities, a sirvinti (servant) is appointed to go from door to door, collecting
donations of guinea pigs, while in others, guinea pigs may be brought to a
communal area to be released in a mock bullfight.[148] Meals such as cuy
chactado are always
served as part of these festivities, and the killing and serving of the animal
is framed by some communities as a symbolic satire of local politicians or important figures.[148] In the Tungurahua and Cotopaxi provinces of central Ecuador, guinea pigs are employed in the
celebrations surrounding the feast of Corpus Christi as part of the Ensayo, which is
a community meal, and the Octava, where castillos (greased poles) are erected with prizes tied to the crossbars,
from which several guinea pigs may be hung.[149] The Peruvian town of Churin has an
annual festival which involves dressing guinea pigs in elaborate costumes for a
competition.[150]
Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat, and some ethnic restaurants
in major United States cities serve cuy as a delicacy.[151] Peruvian research universities, especially La
Molina National Agrarian University, began experimental programs in
the 1960s with the intention of breeding larger-sized guinea pigs.[152] Subsequent university efforts have sought to change breeding and
husbandry procedures in South America, in order to make the raising of guinea
pigs as livestock more economically sustainable.[153] In the 1990s and 2000s, the university began exporting the larger
breed guinea pigs to Europe, Japan,
and the United States in the hope of increasing human consumption outside of
these countries in northern South America.[7]
Sub-Saharan African Food
Many efforts have also been made
to promote guinea pig husbandry in developing countries of West Africa,[144] where they occur more widely than generally known because they are
usually not covered by livestock statistics. However, it has not been known
when and where the animals have been introduced to Africa.[154] In Cameroon, they are widely distributed.[155][156] In the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, they can be found both in peri-urban
environments[157] as well as in rural regions, for example, in South Kivu.[158][159] They are also frequently held in rural households in Iringa Region of southwestern Tanzania.[160][161]
Western culture
Nevertheless, as a food source
guinea pigs are generally considered taboo in other countries in America and Europe; in reality television,
guinea pig meat has been consumed as an exotic dish by such Western celebrity chefs as Andrew Zimmern (for his show Bizarre
Foods), Anthony Bourdain in No
Reservations and Jeff Corwin in his show Extreme
Cuisine.
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