Morwen Galway, age 8, of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, for her question:
WHERE DID THE GUINEA PIG COME FROM?
One of today's most popular pets is the guinea pig. If you are thinking of getting one, you should know the animal must be kept in.a well ventilated cage and given dry grain, greens and hay to eat. Food and clean water must be available at all times. The animals are healthiest when the temperature is kept above 65 degrees Fahrenheit since they are sensitive to low temperatures and dampness.
The guinea pig is not really a pig. He is a rodent as are squirrels, beavers and rats. Originally the furry mammal came from South America and.there are about 20 different species in his guinea pig family.
Scientists have used guinea pigs in experiments that have led to the development of many drugs. The small animals also have been used in research in the fields of behavior, heredity and nutrition.
Guinea pigs make excellent pets because they are friendly and do not bite. In addition, they are extremely easy to care for.
A guinea pig measures from 10 to 14 inches in length and weighs about a pound. He has a large head, short legs and small ears. Guinea pigs bred by man can have either long or short fur of varying texture that is black, brown, red, white or a combination of these colors. In their natural South American surroundings they have long, course, brown or gray fur.
In the wilds, guinea pigs live in groups of from five to 10, animals. They live on grassy plains and at the edges of forests as well as in rocky areas and marshes. They dig burrows in soil or among the rocks and stay in them all day long. They become active as soon as it gets dark, and then they feed on plants. They make whi stlelike screams when they are frightened. This happens frequently because they are timid.
A female guinea pig will carry her young in her body for about 70 days before they are born. In the wilds, the mother will have from one to four babies, but the guinea pig in captivity may have as many as eight babies each year. A baby guinea pig will weigh about three ounces at birth. The mother will care for the youngster about three weeks, and the youngster can expect to live for up to eight years.
The Inca Indians of Peru domesticated the guinea pig many hundreds of years ago. Before that time they hunted the small animals and used them for food. When the Spanish explorers arrived in the New World during the 1500s, they found the domesticated guinea pig being used for food in large numbers. Later the Dutch traders introduced the small animals to the people in Europe.