GUINEA PIG HISTORY

The domestic guinea pig, as we know it today, originates from the South American wild cavy.

It was first domesticated about 2000 years ago by the tribes living in the Andean region of South America. (Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru), where it was, and still is, farmed for food.

It was the 15th century traders who first brought the Guinea Pig to Europe, where it quickly became popular as an exotic pet.

Why 'Guinea Pig'?

How the name 'Guinea Pig' actually came about is not known. One theory behind the reference to 'pig' is that some of the vocalisations reminded people of young piglets, another is to do with the appearance of the animal when served whole at a meal table. The reference to 'Guinea' is thought to have come about either because the animals were expensive to buy, and this high value led to the word Guinea being attached to the name. (This is unlikely as the first guinea coin was not made until 1663), or, more likely, because they were brought to Europe via Guinea, a small West African country which was often a 'stop off point' for restocking the supplies onboard ships travelling from South America to Europe.

The animal's name, in many languages, bears reference to a pig:

• German - Meerschweinchen = 'little sea pig'
• Russian - Morshaya svinka, and Polish - Swinka morska = 'shipping pig'
• Welsh - Mochyn cwta = 'little pig'
• Dutch - Guinees biggetje = 'Guinean piglet'
• Lithuanian - juros kioules = 'sea pig'
• and in Scandinavia - marsvin = a combination of the Latin 'mare' (ocean) and Norwegian/Swedish/Danish 'svin' which means 'pig'

The scientific name Cavia Porcellus also refers to the pig: the Latin word 'Porcellus' means 'Little Pig', Cavia is derived from the Portuguese word 'savia' which means 'rat'.