Brazilian guinea pig Cavia aperea
For many years, the Brazilian guinea pig was thought to be the primary ancestor of domestic guinea pigs. Recent molecular study of the guinea pigs pointed to the montane guinea pig (Cavia tschudii) being the actual ancestor. The Brazilian guinea pig differs from domestic guinea pigs by the monotonous grey or brown colour of its coat, rougher and longer hair, and smaller size. The Brazilian guinea pig is one of the smallest cavylike rodents: its body length is about 20 cm and weight ranges from 700 to 1,500 grams. Brazilian guinea pigs are distributed though most of South America (except for Columbia, Venezuela, Amazonian lowlands, and southernmost part of the continent). They are found in many habitat types, including highlands of the Andes mountain range where they occur at elevations of over 4,000 meters above sea level. These animals are mostly crepuscular. They live in small groups of 5 to 10 individuals and prefer sheltering in the burrows. Brazilian guinea pigs’ eye sight is quite poor but they have highly developed olfactory and hearing senses. Their life span in the wild is 5 to 8 years.
