Origin of the Guinea Pigs

Nowadays the popular pocket pet we know as the guinea pig can be found in homes right across the globe. But it wasn’t always this way. The story of how guinea pigs became one of the world’s favorite pets began nearly 3000 years ago in the highlands of South America.

Guinea pigs originate from the Andes regions of South America. Originally domesticated as a food source over 3000 years ago they became a popular pet, especially in Europe, after arriving there on ships in the 16th century. Today they are used as pets, food & in medical & scientific research.

That’s only the beginning. The plight of the humble guinea pig and it’s a centuries-long rise in popularity is almost as fascinating as the little creatures themselves.

Where does the guinea pig originate from?

Contrary to its name, the guinea pig does not hail from Guinea but is originally from the Andes region of South America, in what is today known as Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Columbia, Argentina, and parts of Chile.

A map of the Andes region of South America. Wild guinea pigs were common in all but the southernmost areas.

The small, popular critter most people know today as the guinea pig is actually a species of ‘cavy’ called ‘Cavia porcellus’ and is a domesticated descendant of the wild guinea pig species from the Andes. Cavia porcellus is a hybrid of domesticated guinea pig species, bred over centuries to produce the colors and qualities we associate with today’s pets.

While there are still species of native guinea pig living in the wild in South America, Cavia porcellus is a purely domesticated breed, hence there are no wild populations on them living anywhere in the world.

Much like the modern guinea pig, the wild ancestors of the cavy adapted to many different landscapes. They lived in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Andes, from savannas and grasslands to forests, swamps, and rocky areas. Sharing the same social traits as their descendants, wild cavies preferred to live in small herds, of around 10 or more animals.

In their natural habitat, wild guinea pigs are an important part of the food chain, being a common prey animal for many predators and contributing to the processing and regeneration of plant and grass species through their large numbers.

The homes of wild guinea pigs consisted of small burrows, or dens, which they occasionally dug themselves, but most often borrowed from other animals who had abandoned them. Thick clumps of vegetation or piles of the brush also made good homes for cavies. In the wild, cavies are diurnal creatures, meaning they are most active during the day, but to avoid predators they would also forage at night.

Early domestication of the guinea pig

The story of the domestication of the wild cavy begins about 3000 years ago, when nomadic Andean tribes, including the Inca, began to transition towards a more agricultural lifestyle, which included keeping and farming wild guinea pigs for meat.

It wasn’t long before guinea pigs began to be used for other purposes as well. Keeping guinea pigs for pets became more popular over time (it’s not hard to understand why…such cute little creatures), as did the use of guinea pigs for medicinal and ritual purposes by some tribes.

Folk doctors believed that rubbing a guinea pig against the body of a sick person could cure disease or identify the source of an ailment. Black guinea pigs were especially regarded for this purpose, as they were viewed as having rare and supernatural powers. Occasionally the body of the guinea pig would be cut open and its insides examined to determine if the cure had been effective.

The Moche people of Peru also held a special place for the guinea pig, worshiping it and displaying it prominently in their artwork.

Guinea pigs remained isolated to their South American homeland until around the 16th century, when Europeans began to arrive on the continent, bringing their newly discovered cavies back to Europe with them.

The rise of the guinea pig in the West

It is most likely that the humble guinea pig first made its appearance on the European continent via the ships of Spanish, English, and Dutch explorers, returning home from their exploits in South America.

This probably began to occur in the 1500s, on the back of Spanish exploration.

While likely considered a novelty at first, over the next 200 years guinea pigs became a widely popular pet among Europeans. Unlike their South American counterparts, guinea pig as a food source did not take off in Europe and the furry critters remained largely popular as a pet only.

Guinea pigs became popular in Europe in the 16th century, as depicted in this painting from 1580.

Historical image

There are several different stories about why the guinea pig became so popular. One theory proposes that guinea pigs were initially only accessible as an exotic pet for the upper classes, leading them to become desired among the lower class. Queen Elizabeth the First is also said to have kept guinea pigs as pets and this may have contributed to the increase in their popularity at the time.

The rise in popularity of the imported guinea pig in Europe lead many owners and guinea pig merchants to begin cross-breeding the animals to produce pets with the size, shape, colors, and furs that were considered desirable. This saw the beginning of the new species of guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, which is the pet breed most widely found in the world today.

Over time, as guinea pigs became more and more popular, they began to spread around the world. Today guinea pigs are among the most popular pocket pets on Earth.

How did guinea pigs get their name?

We do know that guinea pigs aren’t from Guinea, and they’re definitely not related to pigs, but what is not certain is exactly how they got their name.

There’re a few theories floating around history books and folk culture, some more fanciful than others. One of the most common theories is that sailors returning from South America would sell the guinea pigs they brought home with them for 1 ‘guinea’ – the name given to the old English coin at the time.

The issue with this theory is that the term ‘guinea’ didn’t appear until around 1663, by which time the guinea pig trade had been operating for nearly 100 years.

Other theories propose that the name came from the term ‘guinea’, which was a colloquial designation for something that came from far across the sea, or that ships stopping at Guinea on their return from South America gave rise to a false belief that the animals actually came from Guinea.

As for where ‘pig’ fits into the name, the most common theory is that the delightful little squeals given out by guinea pigs sound a lot like the squeals of a little pig and hence the comparison. Some also suggest that the stout body of the guinea pig resembles the shape of a tiny pig.

None of these theories have been confirmed and there is much conjecture about the real origins of the name. It’s likely that we may never know the true origin of the name guinea pig.

And in case you’re wondering – the term ‘cavy’, which is often used to refer to guinea pigs, which is derived from a shortened version of the guineas pigs scientific taxonomic name ‘Cavia porcellus‘.