Within the kingdom of guinea pigs, perhaps the one that we most associate as such is the American guinea pig. It is the most common of all but also the oldest in the world and the most docile and affectionate.
If you want to know the characteristics of the American guinea pig its natural habitat and the care it needs as a pet, be sure to take a look at this information that we have compiled.
Characteristics of the American guinea pig
The American guinea pig, too known as the American guinea pig, or English guinea pig, It is a small rodent, between 25 and 30 centimeters in its adult stage. It will not weigh more than 1-1,5 kilos, although it depends on the diet and exercise you do.
Has a rounded and chubby body very similar to that of other guinea pigs, with short straight hair. This can be a single shade (white, brown, black... in different degrees of intensity) or bi- or tri-color, that is, with different shades.
As for its head, the neck can hardly be distinguished, since it seems more like a whole set. Its slightly elongated and flattened snout stands out, with small drooping ears and round, black and quite large eyes.
The personality of whose American
Regarding the personality of the American guinea pig, it must be said that it is one of the easiest to tame, as well as to tolerate humans. She is very docile and affectionate. Being able to get out of the cage and stay close to their owners.
She likes to play a lot and that is why, when she knows you are, she seeks your attention so that you spend time with her, be it to play, to caress her, etc.
Habitat of the American cuyo
The American guinea pig is one of the oldest rodents in the world. In fact, there are indications that In the Andes this species was domesticated around the year 5000 BC Therefore, although its name indicates that it comes from America, the truth is that it is not. But the species did migrate to America.
More specifically, he made it to South America in the year XVI and, from that date, they began to breed guinea pigs, combining them and crossing them with others, until they gave rise to the American guinea pig.
Something that few know is that the American guinea pig and the English guinea pig are the same, only that in some places it is called in one way, and in others in another.
The American guinea pig today is more of a domestic animal than a wild animal, although it can be found in the wild. However, it is not very common to see them, so the habitat focuses more on what the breeders and pet owners provide.
Care of the American guinea pig as a pet
Having a guinea pig as a pet right now is not unreasonable, on the contrary. More and more families are opting for this type of animal due to its small size, the little care it requires and the little monthly money that must be spent on it.
However, this does not mean that a series of factors should not be taken into account. essential care for the animal to live happily and not get sick. For this reason, we have compiled the most important ones below.
The American Whose Cage
An American guinea pig's cage, as it can be for any guinea pig, is its home. Therefore, it must be consistent with the size of the animal so that it does not feel overwhelmed by being in it, especially if it spends many hours.
El The minimum size of a cage for these rodents is 80 centimeters long and 40 centimeters both high and wide. But if you can afford a bigger one, it will always be better to be able to introduce toys into it or even establish different areas: rest, play, food...
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Apart from the cage, we recommend that you also have a park or an area where you can run around, play, etc. They tend to be larger and it helps them exercise daily, plus you can spend time with her and thus foster the relationship between the two.
American guinea pig feeding
The American guinea pig is one of the animals that eats practically everything. In your diet you should not miss hay, pellets and water, but you also have to provide fruits and vegetables so that they take the vitamins and nutrients that other foods do not have.
You have to be careful since it is an animal that tends to gain weight easily, so you have to control the food that is given to it in order to maintain its weight (something that requires daily exercise).
The hygiene of the American whose
The hygiene of the American guinea pig is not only for the cage. You also need to make time for her. And it is that, you must carry out a daily cleaning of the cage to remove food residues, dirt and droppings with which it could become ill if left to it. Also, every 3-4 days (or maximum once a week), you should do a thorough cleaning of the cage, scrubbing the bars, the floor, and the toys and accessories to remove any dirt.
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As for the guinea pig, you should brush its fur to prevent it from forming knots or making it look dirty and uncared for. With this, you will eliminate dead hair and encourage it to grow healthy and shiny. Being animals that like to clean a lot, it is important that you bathe them often. In summer, and whenever it's hot, you can put a bathtub or something similar in it and it's possible that it gets inside; but in winter, or if he is not in the habit of bathing, you will have to do it with a damp cloth to remove dirt from his body.
Remember to hit it well in the area of the ears and legs, especially the second ones, since they are the ones that are most in contact with food and the floor of the cage.
Reproduction of the American guinea pig
The American guinea pig is sexually mature at 2 months of age. However, when it comes to reproducing, it is recommended that she do so between 8 and 10 months, which is when she is most prepared for it. since two months, the heat of the females occurs every 16 days, and there is a better chance of getting pregnant in the first 12 hours of heat. For this reason, it is recommended to keep the couple separated if you do not want to constantly have pups.
Once mating takes place, and there is a gestation in process, it takes approximately 60-70 days to produce 2 to 4 pups. The female will be in charge of the pups for a month, when weaning will begin. And at that moment the pups will begin to eat on their own, as well as drink (although in reality after 10 days they can already do so but they need mother's milk to develop properly).