Domestic Guinea Pig

Open encyclopedia reference

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as the domestic guinea pig, cavy or domestic cavy ( KAY-vee), is a species of rodent. It belongs to the genus Cavia, family Caviidae, and its closest wild relatives include the montane guinea pig. Domestic guinea pigs typically weigh between 700 and 1,200 g (1.5 and 2.6 lb) and measure between 20 and 25 cm (8 and 10 in) in length; most breeds have fur, and they have long front teeth that grow continuously, leading the animals to chew regularly to wear them down. They are social animals, and are skittish in response to noise or danger, evincing a freeze or flight strategy. Guinea pigs have been raised by humans as a meat source, as pets, as laboratory test subjects, and for ceremonial use. When guinea pigs are kept by humans, studies indicate the importance of social housing, environmental enrichment (like hides and structures), constant access to hay, and adequate space for healthy stress levels and well-being. Veterinary guidance recommends keeping males and females separate when breeding is not intended.

Wikipedia contributors, Guinea pig; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:16:31.104712+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Name authority

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name

Domestic Guinea Pig

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Caviidae

Genus

Cavia

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderHystricomorpha Brandt, 1855
13. infraorderHystricognathi Brandt, 1855
14. familyCaviidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
15. subfamilyCaviinae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
16. genusCavia Pallas, 1766
17. speciesCavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Cavia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 17 records assigned to Caviidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=584713 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:RY7S. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.