The guinea pig. Description, features, care and price behind marine pigs

Guinea pig or Kavia is a small rodent representing a numerous family of swine. The animal has a calm and friendly character, quickly gets used to the owner and leaving for training. It feeds the guinea pig with roots, grass, hay and various fruits, and in the content very undemanding and unpretentious.

The history of the domestication of the guinea pig has more than seven thousand years. Before the invasion of the Spaniards, the Inca tribes brought several home species, from which everything happened modern species and subspecies of Cavia. However, the main criterion of the past breeders was not at all the color and the mind, but the taste of meat and size. To this day, in Peru, Ecuador and China preserved the tradition to eat guinea pigs. In Europe and the United States, the Cavia meats include incredulously: cooks recognize that it is delicious and has a pleasant aroma, however refer it to exotic.

According to the information that has come down to this day, the European continent of Kavia got at the end of the sixteenth century.

They quickly gained popularity due to their cute appearance, intelligence and a wide variety of colors. They received their name for similar with the grunting sounds and squeal, as well as for the proportions of the body and head. Marine pigs were called due to the fact that the animals took the sailors into distant swimming. The animals take up little space, eat simple vegetation food and very prolific, plus are a source of valuable meat.

Surround appearance

A simple description of the guinea pig looks like this: a small animal with a cylindrical body, reaching no more than thirty centimeters in length. Adult male weighs no more than two kilograms, and the female is near a kilogram. Cavia's head is relatively large, the neck is bad noticeable, the paws are short. Distinctive features from the rodent squad appear in the way the guinea pig looks like, and in the lifestyle, in the duration of pregnancy. One of the most obvious distinctive features is a very short tail.

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, Klavi have a specific bite and pronounced long cutters. The cutters grow throughout life and it is very important to give them to gnaw solid food, as well as sprigs of trees in order for the teeth to be accomplished. Otherwise, excessive long teeth may damage the language, lips and sky. Even experienced breeders do not always know how many teeth have a guinea pig.

From birth in animal twenty teeth having a folded surface:

• two pairs of cuts,
• two pairs of premolars,
• three pairs of lower molars,
• three pairs of upper molars.

Different animals and color vision. They distinguish yellow, green, red and blue colorsHowever, guinea pigs are poorly seen and almost never rely on their eyesight. Wild or natural colors close to black. All the existing color forms today, as well as bald and short-haired rocks obtained artificially.

Pink-coprophages

Coprophages are called animals eating their excrement. The pigs eat their litter rather strangely: they are folded into a lump and cooled in the area of \u200b\u200bthe anal opening, where the cavalous pocket is located. Many breeders have a question - why guinea pigs eat their litter and is it not dangerous for health. Zoologists explain this behavior as follows: The body of the pig is not able to recycle all the amino acids contained in food. Part of important amino acids and vitamins of the group K and B are out of the body with feces. Even having vitamin feeding, the animal will continue to have particles of litter - there is no other way to get all the necessary amino acids.

In nature, the pigs eat their litter and for another reason: they are very vulnerable and strive to destroy any traces of their livelihoods in order not to attract the attention of predators.

Lifestyle pigs

In nature, guinea pigs show the greatest activity in the morning and in the evening twilight. They are promptly, they can quickly run and always on guard. You can see Kavii both in mountainous areas and in the forests. Mink guinea pigs do not dig, preferring to equip nests in a secluded place from dry grass, fluff and thin twigs.

Social lifestyle of guinea pigs implies accommodation on one territory of a large flock of animals. Each pack or family consists of one male and ten or twenty female. IN natural conditions Habitat The guinea pig eats roots and seeds of plants, leaves, fallen berries and fruits of trees. Life life of wild kavia no more than seven years.

At home, the guinea pig can live 12-15 years old.

Contain them in ordinary cells, but provide sufficient walking: the animal is very active and needs movement. The constant activity of animals causes some breeders a question: how much the guinea pigs are sleeping and they are sleeping at all. Sweet the animal is ten - fifteen minutes several times a day. Sleep young less than lasting. If the animal is concerned or feeling a threat, he can sleep with open eyes.

In the life of Kavia, four age-related stages are distinguished. The first is under the mother when the young drinks mother's milk. Young from the third day begin to try adult food, but without milk, the chances to survive are equal to zero. The second period begins at the moment when a young person goes to independent meals and begins to have all major adult foods. At home, giving out guidance pigs with pleasure eats alfice or clover hay, young shoots of dandelions and clover, various roots, fruits, greens. From rude feeds of pigs prefer to eat germinated oats or wheat, corn grains. The third period comes during half-breeding. The female are ready for fertilization at the age of eight weeks, males - twelve weeks. The fourth period is characterized by a decrease in activity and loss of reproductive function.

Breeders need to constantly monitor the diet of the animal and how much the pig is eating. Overbinding, as well as starvation, negatively affects health. Another important point that each breeder should know - which products categorically impossible to give cavities. These include:

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

Despite the fact that pigs are ready for reproduction in very early age, the first litter is recommended to receive from one year old animals. To this age, they manage to fully grow, grow up and form.

Interesting facts about guinea pigs are not limited only by their differences from rodents and attitudes towards coprophages:

• relative ancestors of the guinea pig weighed more than 600 kg,
• kavia have 64 chromosome (a person has only 46),
• animals publish many sounds. They can squeeze, snatch, rivet, twitter, purring, grumble,
• kavia do not tolerate loneliness,
• their intelligence is a little inferior to the intellect of dogs and cats.

Interesting is what the guinea pig is dreaming. According to the dreams, if the guinea pig has dreamed, it means that a person is not able to withstand the current circumstances, he has a self-esteem. However, the guinea pig, sitting in his arms, foreshadows joyful events and pleasant news.

Kavia relatives

Relatives of guinea pigs are both beavers, proteins, and even gophers, mice and rats. Such a large number of relatives is explained by the numerous rodent squad.

Among Klavi's relatives are a lot of familiar, and many unusual mammals:

• mara externally looks like a hare, but larger - weight up to 16 kg,
• aguti - the animal, similar to the rabbit simultaneously and at the ancient ancestor of modern horses,
• pak - careful and more similar to the rodent deer, weighing up to 12 kg,
• cabies - the largest representative of the detachment with a weight of up to 60 kg, grows up to 140 cm long, leads a semi-water lifestyle.

Like many other animals, guinea pig in different countries called unequal. So, in England, this rodent is called Indian Little Pig - "Little Indian Pig", Restless Cavy - "Mobile Pig", Guinea Pig - "Guinea Pig" and Domestic Cavy - "Home Pig". And on the adverbs of the indigenous people of South America, the guinea pig is called "Cavy".

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

This explains the origin of the English Pink Name - Guinea Pig, that is, "Pig for Guinea" (Guinea - the main English Golden Coin until 1816, the name received in the country of Guinea, where gold was obtained for its chasing). Some researchers bind the origin of the name Guinea Pig with the fact that Guinea's word was used instead of a similar guyana, since from Guiana Wild Guinea pigs were exported to Europe.

Residents of the Andes still breed guinea pigs on special farms and consume their meat in food

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

On livestock farms, Peru lives more than 67 million home guinea pigs. Per year they give more than 17,000 tons of nutrient meat. High Andes Days over the centuries are petrol pig meat suppliers. It is highly appreciated 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". Italians and Portuguese also refer to this rodent Indian pig - Porcella da India and Porguinho da India, - however, like the Dutch, in which the animal is called Indiaamsoh Varken. In Belgium, the guinea pig is called Cochon Des Montagnes - "Mountain Pig", and in Germany - Meerschweinchen, i.e., "Guinea Pig".

Considering all of the above, it is possible to make an assumption that the guinea pig has spread in Europe from the west to the East, and the name existing in Russia and Germany is the "Guinea Pig" - most likely indicates that the pigs were brought from behind the sea (apparently At first they were called overseas, and then sea).

In the temples of Limo cities and Cusco there are pictures "The Last Supper". On the canvases depicts the last meal of the Son of God in a circle of 12 apostles. On the table in front of Jesus and his disciples of dishes, among which there are fried guinea pigs.

In Peru, this is traditional food. Local artists, drawing plots for temples, and could not imagine that in other parts of the world, rodents are not only not eaten, but also do not know about the existence of a kui.

So the original name of guinea pigs sounds. By the way, they called Europeans. At first, they spoke "because of the sea", that is, from where the animals were brought from. Then, the phrase was transformed into an adjective "marine". The characteristic is hardly in the spirit of the pigs, because they do not like water and live in arid, highlands.

Description and features of the guinea pig

The guinea pig- The mammal family of swine, but does not have a relationship. The family is named so thanks to the characteristic sounds published by all his representatives. For rumor, this is not a complace, like in other rodents, and flickering.

The petty animal is at the beginning of the food chain. In nature, he has a lot of enemies. Hence the habits that inherited from wild relatives and domestic pigs. They are active at night, because in the dark less risk to be caught and eaten. In the afternoon, rodents are hiding in shelter, calm down, sleep.

Listen to the sounds of guinea pigs

As a shelter, representatives of the species choose cleaners in the rocks, or, build houses themselves - dig holes and fold "Shalashi" from the hay. In the houses, usually, the pigs are kept alone. Probably, they do not like it.

In nature, pet animals. In the community guinea pig, photoin a natural environment - confirmation of the leader obeys. He is a unquestioned leader in a flock of 10, 20 rodents.

Guinea pig to buypower cannot. The leader becomes not the most baking, but the strongest and aggressive individual. If you move the animal in the unfortunate, these qualities are not lost. Therefore, some pigs taken to the house from the street are surprised by militancy.

Surprise rodents and reproduction ability. Zologs easily provided guinea pigs videohis marriage games in nature. They are not seasonal. Pairing occurs all year round. 4-5 offspring in the litter - the average.

Only giving birth to one, the female is again ready for courtship. By the way, guinea pig careit does not particularly require, the male is enough to approach - and this is already a victory. In this regard, overseas rodents are similar.

Thanks to the continuous cycle, the reproduction, scientists consider, guinea pigs easily spread through the planet. Helped and not addiction in food. Eating vegetables, fruits, grains, grass, hay, dairy products.

Animals are not favorably for meat and citrus. Selection led to the emergence of several types of guinea pigs. Rodents are divided by length, color of wool and its peculiarities of its growth. For example, there are sockets. They grow their hair outlets, diving in a circle from central points.

Outlet guinea pig

There are just long-haired representatives of the species.

Long-haired guinea pig

There are shorthair - such as in nature.

Shorthair guinea pig

Recently brought bald pigs resembling tiny hippo.

On the photo bald guinea pig

At home, with proper care, representatives of the species live from 5 to 10 years. Standard camp - 90 to 40 centimeters. The height of the "Padon" is recommended from 38 centimeters. Such an area is sufficient for the 1st, 2 animals. The content of guinea pigsperhaps in the aquarium without a lid.

In the rodent house, the rider is hung. Pet may not use her. So, in the diet, many moisture-containing foods - vegetables, fruits. In this case, the water of the pig gets from food. But if the drink becomes missing, the animal will get from the drinker.

Homemade guinea pigsdo not differ in good manners. They cake and we run a lot and where they want. Clean convenient to the Socio. The best for cells - sawdust and compositions for feline toilets.

They absorb the impurities well, granulating them and facilitating cleaning. Suitable for filler and hay. Some linse newspapers, but typographic paint is harmful to rodents.

Harmful for representatives of the species and overheating. Some ask: - " Why guinea pigsuddenly died? " The reason just may be overheating, which caused a heart stop. True, the hypothesis of pets should not. Pigs - immigrants from warm edges. No heat, but moderate temperature without drafts.

A bright place for the cell is needed. In the twilight, some individuals develop rickets. The first signs of this and other ailments are the decline of appetite, the silence of animal, lethargy, diarrhea, washing wool, paralysis of the limbs.

Price of guinea pig

There are several factors for the price. Objective: - Porn pig or not, exhibited at exhibitions or not, has shortcomings in the exterior or not. Subjective factors: - Breeder's ambitions, master of pet store and then where the pig is.

For example, animals brought from abroad, often cost more than domestic. At the same time, the overseas individual can yield in the parameters of the Russian. We remember just for delivery and some prestige.

Sea pig breed"Peruvian" among the species most expensive. In the price tag, long-haired individuals compete with new-fashioned naked rodents. The latter is called guinea pigSkinny. The average price tag for them in the area of \u200b\u200b4,000-5,000 rubles. Shorthair and rosette animals are usually cheaper. They are asked from 600-rubles to 3,000.

If animals implements the famous nursery of guinea pig, prices, usually, divine. The most expensive animals are found from private owners and beginner breeders.

Having little individuals, they want to earn a lot on them. In large nurseries pigs thousands, reproduction is delivered to the stream, it is possible to reduce prices. Due to the number of transactions, income, anyway, decent.

Sea-pig

Long-haired Guinea pigs. Care and contentangoret is the most troublesome. Wool fell, if not to fake her at least once every 3 days. Under the cooked cover, the skin is crushed, bacteria multiply. With the rosette and short-haired individuals there are no such problems.

Angora Guinea Pig

Guinea pig at homethere are 2, 3 times a day. The same, but a year, you should trim the rodents of your nails on my paws. On their front 4, and on the hind limbs only 3 nail.

How many guinea pigs liveoften depends on the frequency of preventive inspections. Experts advise them once a week. This is an opportunity to notice adverse changes in the appearance and the behavior of the animal and turn to doctors.

Guinea pig (lat. Cavia Porcellus.) I would probably be very surprised if I learned about our Russian-speaking name, because it has nothing to do with these pigs, nor with the sea. Then why is it called that?

Everything is very simple: "Sea" she became because they brought her from America, i.e. Because of the sea. Although, probably, it would be more correct to call her "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 his big name.

The first guinea pigs domesticated the tribes of the Andes South America another 5 thousand years ago. True, then they were not just homemade pets. People used them as a source of delicious meat or in for various rituals and rituals. Starting from the 13th century AD. The Indian tribes were seriously interested in their breeding and before the conquest of the Empire Incas in 1533 managed to withdraw many different breeds.

Of course, modern breeders went even further. Today there is a huge amount of guinea pigs that are completely. For example, in pet stores can be found both long-haired animals and rigid-haired, short-haired and even animals completely without wool or with a small flush.

In general, guinea pigs have a body length from 25 to 35 cm, they have a wide stupid muzzle with hanging ears, a large body with rounded shapes and there is no tail. The males weigh from 1 to 1.5 kg, females - from 0.8 to 1.2 kg. In wild features, the natural color of the top of the body brown-gray, the stomach and the inner side of the paws are bright.

These are pretty cute pets with a good-natured and gullible character. They love to sit on their hands and play with the owner. However, during such classes it is worth being very careful because the fall even with a small height can have very sad consequences for the animal.

Interestingly, guinea pigs besides Khryukanya can make many other different sounds. For example, when they are satisfied, can pour. When caressing, males sometimes rush. Females during pregnancy or in the absence of male begin to tweet like birds. They do it at night, continuing their "song" from 2 to 10 minutes. True, it happens extremely rarely.

Sea pigs feed with seminal feeds, juicy vegetables and fruits. When feeding, it should be borne in mind that the fresh hay should be around the clock in the cell, since the animal with its help has the teeth to itself, it also contributes to the normalization of the digestive system.

Sometimes the animal can be found for not too pleasant procedure - eating their own litter. This habit of habit came from wild ancestors - it turns out that in such a way, the guinea pigs are enriched with vitamins, since the vitamins of the group B and K are absorbed in the animal body only during re-passing through the gastrointestinal tract.

Sitter for guinea pig

Your newly minted friend needs its own house. Any one sufficient one-story cell or aquarium is suitable. Since guinea pigs have short paws, they do not need to arrange a lot of attractions in the form of ladies, hammocks, etc.

However, in the cell must be some kind of asylum, so that the graceful animal can hide if necessary. Better, if it is a small design of the bark, then the rodent will negotiate her teeth.

Some veterinarians believe that the constant prevention for rodent makes it less manual: he is sitting in the house all the time, frightens everything in the world and does not want to play with the owner. If you have noticed such a pet, put the house only for the night - let the in the day of the animal go without it.

On the floor it is necessary to pour the litter: tyrsh, hay, straw, sawdust or wood filler. Watch the tyrisa to be large, otherwise she can score the beast of a nose. Hay choose fresh, not subjected and devoid of any signs of mold. Tyrsu or the hay will have to change once every 1-2 days, otherwise the apartment will begin to spread the unpleasant odor.

With wood filler, the trouble will be smaller: it absorbs fluid well, so it is necessary to change it much less often (once every 3-4 days). True, all these materials can serve as a source of dust, so a good alternative to them will be a special corn or paper filler for rodents.

Often, guinea pigs turn out to be very clean and used for the toilet the same place in the cage. Then the owner remains to put there a small tray with low sidelights and pour a little filler. Careful for such a cell will be much easier.

Drinking bowler and feeder

In addition to the house of the guinea pig, you will need two feeders and a drinking bowl. Drinking it is better to buy a vertical ball, with a simple mission will not be so comfortable: the filler can get into the water, which will make it unsuitable for use. You need to change the driver every day, even if it seems that the animal does not drink at all.

For dry and wet food, two separate feeders should be purchased. They should be sufficiently heavy and stable, otherwise the movable animal will constantly turn them over. You can even attach one of them to the cage, and the second (for wet feed) to set from time to time.

Power supply guinea pigs

Since the hay may contain a lot of dust, it needs to be supplied to rodent in special adaptations -ENDOPDOVers or hanged balls. The fashionatacer is similar to a simple scooping shovel - it must be attached outside the cell so that it lies tightly to the wall. Hay ball is a round design from the grid that is filled with hay. It is hanging on the ceiling or fix in the corner of the cell.

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

In general, about 80% of the animal menu should consist of dry feed. Pet shops sell specialized feeds intended for guinea pigs. If you stopped at this option, you should not change it too often, otherwise the animal can get used to the new taste.

Only 20% remain on wet and soft feed. If you exceed this rate and feed the rodent of such food constantly, it can lead to health problems and teeth rust. However, it is also no need to deny the animal of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Guinea pigs adore apples, cucumbers, broccoli, white cabbage, salad, parsley and different fruits. Since all this is extremely tasty, they can specifically begin to learn exactly such delicacies and ignore everything else. You should not go about them, otherwise it will end badly and, above all, for the pet itself. To calculate the permissible amount of wet feed, it suffices to use a simple formula: 5-7 g of wet feed per 100 grams of the animal weight.

Although the ancient Inca fed the guinea pigs from its table, about which there are many certificates in the form of drawings on vases and other utensils, do not try to repeat this experience: after all, many have changed since then, especially our food.

Remember: a healthy pet that who is correctly selected by the diet.

Do I need to additionally give the animal vitamins?

Often, veterinarians are recommended to give vitamin C by sea pigs by adding it to water with water 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 no less than once a day.

The remaining vitamins animal should get along with food. It is curious that the vitamins of groups B and K are absorbed only from the second time, so rodents sometimes eat their own litter.

Sex pigs care features

From time to time they need to be released from the cell so that they can play. Just take care of their safety: Close in another room of cats or dogs and do not take a pig to your sofa or on the table - she may inadvertently fall and injured.

Otherwise, care for them does not represent special difficulties, they do not need so much attention as a cat or dog, so they are often taken to the house even very busy people.

The origin of the Russian name of the animal "Guinea pig", apparently, comes from the word "overseas". Later, the word "overseas" turned into the word "maritime". The origin of the word "overseas" is associated with two moments. First, initially, the guinea pigs came to Russia mostly by sea on the ships, that is, "because of the sea." Secondly, they were taken mostly from Germany, where they are called Meerschweinchen. So our name of this animal, the "guinea pig" is likely to have a simple literal translation of its German name.

We see that the guinea pig has to the sea. The most indirect attitude towards the sea is, since her homeland is over the ocean, that is, as they said before, "over the sea." Yes, and she does not know how to swim, as it is a purely land animal and does not tolerate water. But, nevertheless, so far some unhappy animals have to pay for mistakes and ignorance of people. Cases are reliably known when new owners acquired for their children have been allowed in aquariums with fish or water tanks so that the animals are "flooded" there - they are "maritime"! And after these poor animals, weighing a swamp in the water, drowned, some of them called zoological stores and complained about the death of the acquisition.

But why was this glorious animal called "pig"? Apparently, this is due, firstly, with the appearance of the animal. As we remember, the Spaniards she resembled a milk pig. The identification of a pig with a home pig happened not only thanks to appearance Animal, but also by the way to prepare it in food by the Indians: they hung it with boiling water to clean the wool, as the Europeans was done to remove the bristle from the pig. Some historians suggest that in Europe, as in their homeland, the guinea pig originally served as a source of food. Secondly, apparently, this is due to the fact that they have a big head, a short neck and a thick torso and a peculiar structure of the fingers of the limbs. They are armed with elongated hoofs, ribbed curls, which our ancestors resemble smiwesters of piglets. And thirdly, if in the state of resting the pig makes bubble sounds, then when scared, it moves to a squeal, which is very similar to the piggy.

Until the middle of the XIX century, the guinea pig was very expensive and was only available to rich people. This is reflected in english name Animal Guinea Pig - "Pig for Guinea". Until 1816, Guinea was the main gold coin in the British Empire. Guinea received its name by the name of the African country of Guinea, which at that time was a British colony and a supplier of gold, which went to England for the chasing of gold coins.

There is another translation - "Guinea pig", which mentions some authors. The name "Guinea Pig" M. Kumberland explains 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 titles of the guinea pig was the "Indian Pig".

It should be noted that at present the British are more often called its Cavy or Cui. In addition to the above names, in England, so far, you can meet other, less common names of this cute animal: Indian Little Pig - Little Indian Pig, Restles Cavy - Troubled (Movable) Pig, Gvinea Pig - Guinea Pig and Domestic Cavy - Home Pig.