What habitat do guinea pigs live in?

What habitat do guinea pigs live in?

Cavies are found across the South American continent, in open areas ranging from moist savannas to thorn forest and scrub desert. They live in low elevations right up to 16,000 feet (5,000 meters).

What temperature is safe for guinea pigs?

Guinea pigs are very sensitive to both heat and cold. Keep them in temperatures between 60 and 85 °F to avoid putting their health at risk.

What does a guinea pigs natural habitat look like?

Habitat of the Guinea Pig Though these creatures do not live in the wild, their most recent ancestor lives in mountainous grasslands and meadows. Unlike many other rodents, they do not dig burrows or tunnels, but instead hide in rocky crevices and beneath vegetation.

How old do guinea pigs live in the wild?

Wild guinea pigs, just as cute as their domesticated counterparts, call the mountains and grasslands of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru home. Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, can live from one to four years.

What is the coldest temperature guinea pigs can live in?

Your Guinea Pig’s Preferred Climate Some rodents, like ground squirrels or Eastern chipmunks, hibernate when the weather turns cold, but guinea pigs don’t. Instead, guinea pigs are most comfortable in air temperatures of about 65°F to 75°F. Anything below about 60°F is probably too cold for your pig.

Should guinea pigs live outside?

Guinea pigs can live indoors or outdoors, so long as they have enough space and you can keep them at a comfortable temperature in the summer heat or bad winter weather. You can also keep your guinea pigs in their own heated outhouse, a car-free garage or a shed.

Are there guinea pigs that live in the wild?

Do guinea pigs live in the wild? Guinea pigs are so common as pets that it might seem strange to ask the question: are there wild guinea pigs? You might think that guinea pigs only exist domestically these days. But the short answer to the question is yes! Guinea pigs do still live in the wild, as well as in our homes.

Can a guinea pig be in an unheated room?

Guinea pigs cannot sweat when they become too warm and are particularly susceptible to heat stroke. Don’t put your guinea pig’s cage in an unheated room, breezeway, garage or other chilly location. Place the cages in a draft-free area (i.e. away from doors and windows and on an elevated surface). Guinea pigs don’t do well under humid conditions.

What’s the difference between a guinea pig and a domestic guinea pig?

Wild guinea pigs are also known as cavia aperea, whereas domestic guinea pigs are known as cavia porcellus. If you’re researching wild guinea pigs, you’ll need to make sure not to mix these two up.

Why do guinea pigs live in small groups?

The social interactions of wild guinea pigs in this study remained mostly within their own groups. This study suggests that smaller group sizes help wild guinea pigs adapt to pressure from predators, as smaller groups are harder to detect amongst the vegetation!