Guinea pig (lat. Cavia porcellus) - a species of the cultivated rodents of family svinkovy. Were cultivated by monks and were used as a source of valuable meat, and also in the decorative purposes. On one of versions, occur from a kutlerovy mumps (Cavia cutleri), on another - from Cavia aperea tschudii. Both assumed ancestors live in Peru
History
Guinea pigs were cultivated in the 5th millennium BC by tribes of the Andes of South America (modern territories of the southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) for the use in food, through some thousands years after domestication verblyudovy South America. The statues dated by the period from 500 BC till 500 AD, representing guinea pigs, were found at archeological excavations in Peru and Ecuador. People of culture of a mochik worshipped to guinea pigs and represented them on objects of art. Since 1200 to the Spanish gain in 1532 was carried out the selection work, allowed to deduce is a lot of breeds of guinea pigs, some of which are bases for modern house guinea pigs.
Appearance
The length of a body from 25 - to 35 cm depends on breed, the tail is absent, at thoroughbred trailing ears, a wide stupid muzzle. The adult male of a guinea pig weighs 1000-1500 g, and a female - 800-1200 g. Natural coloring brownish-grayish, with more light paunch. Many breeds differing with structure, length and wool coloring are deduced. Breeds of house guinea pigs are subdivided into groups: short-haired (селфы, крестеды, sleek-haired), long-haired (a sheltie, тексели, Peruvian, a gelding, rozetchaty and other), wire-haired (Abyssinians, American тедди, рексы etc.), breeds without wool and with a small amount of wool (Baldwin, скинни). The structure of a body of house guinea pigs considerably differs from a structure of a body of their wild colleagues more roundish forms.
History
Guinea pigs were cultivated in the 5th millennium BC by tribes of the Andes of South America (modern territories of the southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) for the use in food, through some thousands years after domestication verblyudovy South America. The statues dated by the period from 500 BC till 500 AD, representing guinea pigs, were found at archeological excavations in Peru and Ecuador. People of culture of a mochik worshipped to guinea pigs and represented them on objects of art. Since 1200 to the Spanish gain in 1532 was carried out the selection work, allowed to deduce is a lot of breeds of guinea pigs, some of which are bases for modern house guinea pigs.
Appearance
The length of a body from 25 - to 35 cm depends on breed, the tail is absent, at thoroughbred trailing ears, a wide stupid muzzle. The adult male of a guinea pig weighs 1000-1500 g, and a female - 800-1200 g. Natural coloring brownish-grayish, with more light paunch. Many breeds differing with structure, length and wool coloring are deduced. Breeds of house guinea pigs are subdivided into groups: short-haired (селфы, крестеды, sleek-haired), long-haired (a sheltie, тексели, Peruvian, a gelding, rozetchaty and other), wire-haired (Abyssinians, American тедди, рексы etc.), breeds without wool and with a small amount of wool (Baldwin, скинни). The structure of a body of house guinea pigs considerably differs from a structure of a body of their wild colleagues more roundish forms.
