Guinea pigs
come from South America but are kept as pets all over the world. Some
people breed them so they can re-sell the young ones to earn money.
Guinea pigs
have a greenish-grey or brown fur normally, but because people have bred
them you will find white, brown, black and mixed colours.
In the wild they live in forests, savannas and swamps. They burrow and come out
mainly at night for feeding. They will enjoy greens, fruits and vegetables.
Their eyes are beautiful, but with all their charm it has not stopped Scientists from using
this creature for Scientific purposes, like medical research.
Guinea pigs have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot. Wild
guinea pigs can run very fast.
Those bred in cages are a lot slower. When you listen to a guinea pig you can
hear the squeaky talking noises they make.
Captive guinea pigs breed throughout the year and the female gives birth to three
or four young after two months gestation.