The guinea pig has literally journeyed over seas in order to be here today, as Europe or North America are not the original birth homes of these small, cute creatures.

Guinea Pig Origins



In trying to find out where guinea pigs originate from, it is incredible to think that the Inca tribes in Peru were the first to domesticate this animal, early in 5000 BC. Statues of guinea pigs have been found in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador dating from ca. 500 BC. The tribes used the guinea pigs for their fur as well as a source of meat and took great pride in trading with the European traders such as the Dutch.

Researching their origins, it is amazing to see how far they have come from the 14th century up until today, where they are found not only in Europe and in North America, but also in all corners of the world.

The guinea pig is a rather small rodent that hasn’t got a tail and it was originally very appreciated for its meat and fur. The hiding places of this animal were the hills and mountains of the South American Andes. The Inca tribes hunted guinea pigs and used them in fur trades as well as mentioned earlier, for food.

From the South American Andes where it is believed that the guinea originated from, it embarked in a sinuous and adventuresome world journey. It can most accurately be named a world traveler and what is more, the little rodent has caused people to fall in love with it everywhere. However, in today’s society they are no longer used for their fur or meat and are typically found in a cage or dwelling inside a loving family’s home.

Therefore, how this little animal come to be thought of as "pigs" is not clear. They are built somewhat like a pig, with a large head relative to the body, a stout neck, and a rounded rump with no tail of any consequence; some of the sounds they emit are very similar to those made by pigs, and they spend a large amount of time eating. They were transported to Europe by ships and this was possible because guinea pigs did well in small spaces therefore they survived the long trips.

Numerous languages have the same name for this animal, namely calling it a pig. The German word for them is Meerschweinchen, literally "little sea pigs" (sailing ships stopping to re-provision in the New World would pick up stores of guinea pigs, which provided an easily transportable source of fresh meat; Meerschwein = porpoise, another food source for sailors). The Welsh term is mochyn cwta ('little pig'), the French Cochon d'Inde (Indian pig); the Dutch used to call it guinees biggetje (Guinean piglet)

However it is backed up by it’s scientific name as well: is Cavia porcellus, "porcellus" being the Latin word for "little pig". Cavia is derived from Portuguese çavia (now savia) from the Tupi word saujá, meaning "rat".

The origin of "guinea" in "guinea pig" is a little bit harder to explain. One of the hypotheses is that because the guinea pigs were brought in Europe trough Guinea, it is there from where they were labeled as such. "Guinea" was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, and so the name may simply be a reference to the animal's foreignness.

Another theory suggests the "guinea" in the name is a corruption of "Guiana", an area in South America, though the animals are not native to that region. A common misconception is that they were so named because they were sold as the closest thing to a pig one could get for a guinea; this theory doesn't have a solid base because the guinea was first struck in England in 1663, and William Harvey is known to have used the term "Ginny-pig" as early as 1653. Others believe "guinea" may be an alteration of the word Coney; guinea pigs were referred to as "pig coneys" in Edward Topsell's 1607 treatise on quadrupeds.

Regardless of where it comes from, the guinea pig became a pet nowadays, and a very loved one too! If you talk to guinea pig owners you’ll see their satisfaction with this pet around. A rather busy schedule of today’s society can handle adding one more activity like keeping a guinea pig around. It is an easy-keeper.