Where do guinea pigs live in the wild

A. Guinea pigs originate from Central and South America. It was the Incas who first kept them as pets. They�still live in the wild in�the mountains and grasslands of Central and South America and they tend to hang around in groups of five to ten.�

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Q. Why are they called guinea pigs

A. Guinea pigs have actually no relation to the pig species, their closest relation is the chinchilla. The species' formal name is cavy or cavies in the plural and they are actually a member of the rodent family.

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Q. So where does the name guinea pig come from

A. No one is certain. There are a few explanations:

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• They are thought to have been been first sold in Britain for a guinea.
• They were first introduced to Europe by sailors from a South American country called Dutch Guiana.
• Spanish explorers who landed in South America saw skinned�guinea pigs being prepared for food. They decided that the skinned animals looked like tiny pigs.
• They make grunting and squeeking sounds, which is where the pig part of the name comes from.

Q. How many species of guinea pig are there

A. There are around 20 known species, but only nine pure breeds these�are: Peruvian silky, Rex, Texel, Dutch, Satin, Peruvian, English crested, American crested and American Satin.

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Q. What do guinea pigs do

A. Not a great deal. They are most active at night when they munch on their staple diet of green plants and root vegetables. Guinea pigs have two pairs of incisor teeth at the front of�the mouth, these never stop growing so the animal has to continually knaw on things to keep them filed down.

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Q. How long do they live for

A. Guinea pigs can live for up to eight years.

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By Anna Tobin