A black-and-white guinea pig sitting on a table. — Photo: Plath81, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Guinea Pig

Cavia porcellus

A chatty, tailless rodent that people in South America domesticated thousands of years ago.

🐭 Rodents 🐐 Farm Animals

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About the Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are 8 to 10 inches long and weigh 25 to 39 ounces. They were domesticated in South America around 5000 B.C. and probably come from a wild guinea pig of the Andes mountains. They eat grasses, herbs and hay. Guinea pigs are social and like to huddle together, and they are most active at dawn and dusk.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Cavia porcellus^[1]
Size: 8 to 10 inches long.^[1]
Weight: 25 to 39 ounces.^[1]
Lifespan: Usually 4 to 5 years; up to 8 in human care.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Grasses, herbs and hay.^[1]
Habitat: Domestic; its wild ancestors live in mountain meadows.^[1]
Where it lives: Domesticated in South America; wild ancestors live in the Andes.^[1]
Group life: Social. Most active at dawn and dusk.^[1]
Babies: 3 or 4 pups per litter.^[1]
Conservation status: Domesticated animal. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

Guinea pigs have no tails.^[1]
They sleep only about 6 minutes at a time.^[1]
Female guinea pigs are called sows and males are called boars.^[1]

Vocabulary

domesticated: Tamed and raised by people over many generations.
rodent: A mammal with front teeth that never stop growing, such as a mouse or squirrel.
crepuscular: Most active at dawn and dusk.
herbivore: An animal that eats only plants.
sow: A female guinea pig or pig.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · AmazoniaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Guinea pig.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/guinea-pig (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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