Guinea Pig Lifespan In The Wild

Since guinea pigs are skittish creatures of prey they are constantly on alert for predators so they do not sleep very much.

Guinea pig lifespan in the wild. Hairless guineas are at risks most of the time. How long do guinea pigs live in the wild. They originated in the andes of south america. Although the young can scamper about and eat solid food the day they are born they are not fully weaned for about three weeks.

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig cavia porcellus also known as cavy or domestic cavy ˈ k eɪ v i is a species of rodent belonging to the family caviidae and the genus cavia. The domestication of guinea pigs started in south africa wherein they were used by tribes as a food source. These wild guinea pig relatives are quite common. The longer life span means more responsibility and a longer commitment especially if you want your guinea pig to live a healthy happy life.

Guinea pigs eat vegetation and do not require water to drink if supplied with sufficiently moist food but they must have water if fed dry commercial food they breed all year in captivity. How long do guinea pigs live in the wild. Predators like wolves snakes hawks owls coyotes easy prey on them cutting the guinea pigs lifespan short. Depends on the proper care a guinea pig s lifespan is between five and eight years.

The average guinea pig life span is around 4 6 years although some can live as long as 8 years. How long do guinea pigs live as pets. Living in the wild plays a vital role in how long they can live for considering the risks and dangers they are surrounded by. It s more on their vulnerability.

Females bear up to 13 young per litter 4 is average. When they do sleep it is more like power naps of 10 minutes or less at a time. And that s just naming a few. Gestation takes 68 days.

The actual precise number of the guinea pig lifespan is not known because the pet owner has their own assumption numbers. Guinea pigs have longer life spans than many other pet rodents. While your guinea pig could easily be around for five years or more mice and hamsters live just a couple of years. Wild guinea pigs can be a bit more aggressive than their tamed counterparts but overall they are passive rodents who gather in large groups.

However guinea pig life span in the wild is typically much shorter than those in captivity ranging from one to four years. The more they are vulnerable the more chance for them to die since they are not given proper care and attention they need. Guinea pigs average a about 4. On the other hand guinea pig life span as a pet may be a completely different story.

Although the guinea pigs that we all know today no longer exist in south america they have cousins out there who still live in the wild. This is much longer than most other small pets including other rodents such as mice 1 3 years gerbils 2 4 years and hamsters 2 3 years. With their small sizes guinea pigs are easy prey for other animals. When in their natural environment guinea pigs lifespan can last up to 4 years while some don t even live that long.

This is due to the fact that they are vulnerable to the continuous changes in the temperature.