general information
Before proceeding to the question of whythe guinea pig is called this way, and not otherwise, let's find out where the birthplace of these little animals is and why they were tamed. Indians in South America began breeding guinea pigs, and this was still in the 7th century BC. er At home, the rodents then called gui, or aporea. Their reproduction in nature occurs all year round, pregnancy lasts a little more than 2 months, and within a few hours after giving birth the little animal is ready to reproduce again! For this reason, the Indians and rodents were bred, using them as farm animals. Guinea pigs served as their main source of meat, and they were also sacrificed and used for other similar rituals. By the way, still in some countries these rodents are eaten, and Peruvians used to breed a very large guinea pig for this, it weighed about 2.5 kg. They were first brought to Europe in the 16th century, only rodents were very expensive, not everyone could afford to play with a funny animal.
Why guinea pig - pig. First version
Yes, there are several regarding this issue.versions. One of them says that when the Spaniards first landed in South America and saw these rodents, they seemed to them very similar to dairy pigs. Therefore, they began to be eaten without hesitation. After all, if you take a closer look at the guinea pig, then you can see some similarities with the grunting animal. For example, such as short legs, a rather large head on a short neck and a plump body.
Second version
Согласно другим источникам, следующая версия as to why the guinea pig, the mumps, appeared because of the behavior of the animal. The fact is that when a rodent is anxious, wants to eat, is strongly dissatisfied with something, or, on the contrary, is in a great mood, is happy to see its owner, it makes peculiar sounds that look like grunting or whining. Which of these two versions is reliable, nobody knows for sure. We can only say one thing - the Guinea pig owes its name to the Spaniards. Why is the name of the animal, we found out, but not completely. It remains to understand why the pig is just sea.
Overseas animal
In this regard, there is an assumption that in Europethese rodents spread from west to east, and the name that exists today with us indicates that the animals were brought on ships from overseas, that is, from the very beginning there were overseas pigs. These cute little animals, which are unpretentious to maintenance and nutrition and are easily trained, were the favorite companions of sailors. And in fact, guinea pigs can not tolerate water, so do not try to teach your pet to swim, it will simply drown.
Another interesting mystery
Guinea pig - so called in Englishcavy. And regarding the translation, there are two versions. According to one assumption, the animal is called in translation "Guinean" because in English. Guinea - Guinea. Perhaps this version was formed due to the incorrect fact that African Guinea is the birthplace of guinea pigs. According to the second version, when the animals were brought to Europe, they were very expensive, respectively, hence the name (probably) of the guinea pig - “a pig for a guinea”. This price was high for the vast majority of the population. It is difficult to give preference to one of these versions. However, in any case, the animals are still paying for the speculations of the pioneers.
Cute pets
We tried to figure out why the seapiggy - piggy, and where did the name come from. One thing is certain: if you buy such a pet, you will be guaranteed a lot of positive emotions. It is desirable to live in guinea pigs at home, preferably in a high cage with a deep pallet, and sawdust, hay or specific fillers, which are sold in specialty stores, can be used as bedding. Rodents feed on grass, hay, and cereals with pleasure. A very important condition for their normal vital activity is a sufficient amount of clean water to drink, preferably with the addition of vitamin C. In general, animals are sociable, inquisitive, intelligent. Within a few days they will respond to the nickname and will be able to calmly sleep in your arms. They will become a real and valuable member of your family.
