How did the guinea pig get its name? Origin of name. Angora guinea pig

Like many other animals, the guinea pig 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 English name guinea pig, then 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 coast of Guinea than with South America, and therefore were accustomed to look 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”.

Considering 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).

This cute animal is a favorite not only of many children, but also of adults. He doesn't bite, quickly gets used to your hands, and doesn't require any special care. However, even with such a cute little animal in the house, not everyone thinks about why a guinea pig is a pig? After all, it is clear that she has no regard for dairy grunting animals. direct relationship. On the other hand, why is a guinea pig a guinea pig? After all, neither she nor her wild relatives can swim. Let's find out these questions, for this we will have to plunge into history.

general information

Before we get down to the question of why a guinea pig is called this way and not another, let’s find out where the homeland of these animals is and why they were domesticated. The Indians started in South America, and this was back in the 7th century BC. e. In their homeland, rodents were then called gooi, or aporea. Their reproduction in nature occurs all year round, pregnancy lasts a little more than 2 months, and just a few hours after giving birth the little animal is ready to reproduce again! It was for this reason that the Indians bred rodents, using them as household pigs, serving as their main source of meat, and they were also sacrificed and used for other similar rituals. By the way, in some countries these rodents are still eaten, and the Peruvians once bred a breed of very large guinea pig for this purpose; it weighed about 2.5 kg. They were first brought to Europe in the 16th century, but rodents were very expensive, and not everyone could afford to play with a funny animal.

Why is a guinea pig a pig? First version

Yes, there are several versions regarding this issue. One of them says that when the Spaniards first landed in South America and saw these rodents, they seemed very similar to them, so they began to eat them without hesitation. After all, if you take a closer look at the guinea pig, you can see some similarities with the grunting animal. For example, such as short legs, a rather short neck and a plump body.

Second version

According to other sources, the next version as to why a guinea pig is a pig appeared due to the behavior of the animal. The fact is that when a rodent is anxious, wants to eat, is very dissatisfied with something, or, on the contrary, is in a great mood and is glad to see its owner, it makes peculiar sounds that look like grunting or squealing. No one knows for sure which of these two versions is reliable. We can only say one thing - the guinea pig owes its name to the Spaniards. We have found out why the animal is called this way, but not completely. It remains to figure out why the pig is a guinea pig.

Overseas animal

In this regard, there is an assumption that in Europe these rodents spread from west to east, and the name that we have today indicates that the animals were brought on ships from overseas, that is, there were overseas pigs from the very beginning. These cute animals, which are unpretentious in maintenance and nutrition and are easy to train, were favorite companions of sailors. But in fact, guinea pigs hate water, so don’t try to teach your pet to swim, he will simply drown.

Another interesting riddle

Guinea pig is exactly what a guinea pig is called in English. And regarding the translation, there are two versions. According to one assumption, the animal is called “Guinean” in translation because in English. Guinea - Guinea. Perhaps this version was formed due to the incorrect fact that African Guinea is the birthplace of guinea pigs. According to the second version, when the animals were brought to Europe, they were very expensive, which is where (possibly) the name guinea pig came from - “pig for a guinea.” This price was high for the vast majority of the population. It is difficult to give preference to one of these versions. However, in any case, the animals are still paying for the speculations of the pioneers.

Cute pets

We tried to figure out why a guinea pig is a pig, and where the name came from. One thing is certain - if you buy one pet, then the mass positive emotions you are guaranteed. It is advisable for guinea pigs to live at home in a high cage with a deep tray, and sawdust, hay or specific fillers that are sold in special stores can be used as bedding. Rodents enjoy eating grain crops. A very important condition for their normal functioning is a sufficient amount clean water for drinking, preferably with the addition of vitamin C. But in general, animals are sociable, inquisitive, and intelligent. Within a few days they will begin to respond to their nickname and will be able to calmly fall asleep in your arms. They will become a real and full-fledged member of your family.

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: golden agouti(golden brown with a reddish belly) and 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 her long and coarse hair is different places the bodies diverge in rosettes - from the center to the periphery, like on the top of our heads. Color black, white and red.

Unfortunately, there are few purebred guinea pigs; most are crossbreeds. 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 a 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 - wheat bran, oats, carrots, beets and good hay, and in the 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.

Guinea pig or cavy - small rodent, representing a 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 of the breeders of the past was not color and intelligence, but taste qualities 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 and 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 distinguish between yellow, green, red and blue colors, however, 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. Pigs eat their droppings in a rather strange way: they curl up into a ball and swarm in the anus 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.

In the life of kavia there are four age stages. 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, which every breeder should know - what products should absolutely not be given to kavias. These include:

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

Despite the fact that pigs are ready for breeding in a very early age, the first litter is recommended to be obtained 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. Such a large number of 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.

Natural habitat of guinea pigs - South America. Rodents were first described by Christopher Columbus. These small animals with brownish fur looked like rabbits, and local residents willingly ate their tasty meat. Motherland wild pigs— Peru and Chile, over time the area of ​​their settlement on the mainland expanded greatly. Now these rodents can be found in many countries of the continent, such as Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia. The animals live in forests, savannas, sandy and rocky areas, where they hide behind rocks to escape predators.

Real name

In biology, guinea pigs wear Latin name Cavia, which includes several subspecies of South American rodents. The closest species to the domesticated ornamental pig is called kui. - this is what the Germans called the cute, pig-like animals brought from overseas, then the Poles adopted this name, and from them the Russians. The British call guinea pigs “Guinea” - this is a common noun for any phenomenon from exotic countries.

Appearance

Wild guinea pigs are slightly different in appearance from the usual proportions of their domesticated relatives. The cavy's body is smaller and lighter, looks more elongated, and its legs are also longer. , so they rarely get fractures even after falling from a height. Wild cavias are strong, agile, run fast, are able to jump, even climb onto ledges and dig shelters in the sand. This is a lively and nimble animal, instantly takes off at the sound of danger, and has sufficient endurance to cover long distances.

The color of the fur of wild pigs differs most noticeably - forest inhabitants cannot boast of such bright coats as their domesticated counterparts. Cavia's fur is brownish or grayish with red, this color helps them hide from enemies in the savannah and remain unnoticed even by a keen eye birds of prey. The peculiarity of the wool allows animals to carry extreme heat up to 45 degrees, and also survive cold snaps.

REFERENCE: Kavias are able to withstand even slight frosts, usually low temperature leads to the death of only weakened, sick animals.

How do wild guinea pigs live?

Cavias are herbivores; most of their life consists of searching for and absorbing plant food. Therefore, guinea pigs usually live in nature in areas where there is plenty of food suitable for them:

• seeds and cereal plants;
• various types of wild herbs, flowers;
• roots, branches of bushes;
• leaves, tree bark, their fruits.

If the food runs out or is not enough to feed the flock, the cavities go in search of best place sometimes moving long distances. The life of guinea pigs in the wild is a constant movement forward, exploration of new terrain. , small rivers, but not very fond of water. Only some subspecies of cavia settle on the banks of water bodies, feeding on aquatic plants.

IMPORTANT: Wild guinea pigs do not require constant proximity to a body of water to quench their thirst. They have enough moisture obtained from juicy fruits, herbs, as well as dew and raindrops collecting on plants.

Rodents move in small flocks of 10-15 adult females, the leader is always the male. Some females look after the cubs during the day, others look for food and guard the territory, then they change roles. The ability to make high-pitched sounds allows pigs to communicate over fairly long distances, warning each other about the approach of an enemy.

When males from a new generation grow up, an inevitable struggle for power occurs, after which the strongest takes the place of leader, and defeated males leave the pack. Conflicts with other populations are also common when there is a struggle for territory rich in food. But for the most part, kavias are peaceful; clashes within the flock rarely occur; usually, showdowns are limited.

Enemies of guinea pigs in nature

Cavias do not have any means of defense against predatory animals and birds, so their only salvation is to hide well and quickly run away. To hide from view, a rodent can dig a shelter for itself, but kavias cannot really be called burrowing animals. They prefer to use ready-made shelters - caves and crevices in rocks, empty burrows and tree hollows.

REFERENCE: One of the effective means of protection in conditions wildlife- no smell. That’s why cavias take such careful care of themselves and their habitat - the smell can show the enemy the path to the pig’s hiding place.

To avoid death, furry rodents come out of hiding mainly at night and at dawn, when most predators are sleeping. Also, the eyes often remain slightly open. A sleeping pig remains in full readiness to escape, so it can instantly take off at any sound that indicates danger.

Due to the abundance of enemies, wild guinea pigs live much shorter than domestic ones. The lifespan of cavy varies from one to five years, but due to their high reproductive capacity, population sizes do not decrease. Each year, each female brings up to four litters, each of which has up to eight cubs. Little pigs achieve independence very quickly - after just a few days they begin to look for food on their own, and after two weeks they become completely independent.

Video: wild guinea pig

Habitat and lifestyle of guinea pigs in the wild

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