8 Crazy Facts About Guinea Pigs

Some are hairless wonders

You can cuddle up to 13 different breeds of guinea pig. While we either usually think about long- or short-hair pigs, there’s also a hairless guinea pig, which could either be a skinny pig or the Baldwin guinea pig.

Their name comes from afar

When Spanish explorers first brought guinea pigs from South America to Europe, in the 1500s, “the word guinea was sometimes used to describe things that were far across the sea.”

Their docile nature cuts two ways

The guinea pig’s gentle, docile, domesticated nature makes it an ideal pet, as many kids will attest.

Guinea pigs once roamed free

Though domesticated now, guinea pigs originally roamed free in the Andean region of South America. Like their modern descendants, wild guinea pigs were social beings.

Guinea pigs do have a wild side

While guinea pigs are known mostly as domesticated pets, these gentle herbivores do have cousins still found in the wilds of South America, “in forests, savannas, mountainous grasslands and bushy areas.”

More toes on the front than back

How many toes do guinea pigs have? They usually have four toes on their front paws, and only three on their hind paws.

One kind is in short supply

Both domesticated and wild guinea pigs are doing well and are in no danger of extinction. The one exception is the Moleques do Sul guinea pig, also known as Santa Catarina’s guinea pig.

Guinea pigs can see really early

Valley Veterinary Hospital tells us that guinea pigs “can open their eyes while in their mother’s womb 14 days before birth.”

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