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Animal Age

How old does a Guinea pig get? (age expectancy)

What is the maximal age a Guinea pig reaches?

An adult Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) usually gets as old as 14.75 years.

Guinea pigs are around 67 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 80 grams (0.18 lbs) and measure 20 cm (0′ 8″). As a member of the Caviidae family (genus: Cavia), a Guinea pig caries out around 3 little ones per pregnancy, which happens around 5 times a year. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 89 cm (3′ 0″).

As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.

A Guinea pig gets as old as 14.75 years

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as cavy or domestic cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely biologically related to pigs, and the origin of the name is still unclear. They originated in the Andes of South America, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild. They were originally domesticated as livestock, as a source of food, and continue to be.In Western society, the domestic guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a pocket pet, a type of household pet, since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, friendly responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them have made and continue to make guinea pigs a popular choice of pet. Organizations devoted to the competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds with varying coat colors and textures are selected by breeders.The domestic guinea pig plays an important role in folk culture for many indigenous Andean groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies. The animals are used for meat and are a culinary staple in the Andes Mountains, where they are known as cuy. A modern breeding program was started in the 1960s in Peru that resulted in large breeds known as cuy mejorados (improved cuy) and prompted efforts to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.Biological experimentation on domestic guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century. The animals were so frequently used as model organisms in the 19th and 20th centuries that the epithet guinea pig came into use to describe a human test subject. Since that time, they have been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. However, they are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy (like humans, they require dietary intake of vitamin C), and pregnancy complications.

Animals of the same family as a Guinea pig

Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Caviidae):

Animals that reach the same age as Guinea pig

With an average age of 14.75 years, Guinea pig are in good companionship of the following animals:

Animals with the same number of babies Guinea pig

The same number of babies at once (3) are born by:

Weighting as much as Guinea pig

A fully grown Guinea pig reaches around 728 grams (1.6 lbs). So do these animals: