Guinea pig

Lore & Background

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art. Early accounts from Spanish settlers state that guinea pigs were the preferred sacrificial animal of the Inca people, supported by archaeological digs and transcribed Quechua mythology, indicating rituals for appeasing gods, accompanying the dead, or reading the future.

Reader's Guide

The guinea pig holds significance as one of the earliest domesticated animals in the Americas, serving as a vital food source in the Andean region for millennia. Its role expanded into folk medicine and community religious ceremonies among the Inca and other peoples. In Western society, after its introduction to Europe and North America by traders in the 16th century, it became a popular exotic pet among the upper classes and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I. The animal also became a standard laboratory model from the 17th century onward, so frequently used that 'guinea pig' became an epithet for human test subjects. Though largely replaced in labs by mice and rats, it remains used in research on human medical conditions. Today, guinea pigs are kept worldwide as pets, with specialized breeds developed through artificial selection, and organizations devoted to competitive breeding and exhibition have been formed globally.

Did You Know?

• The guinea pig is not native to Guinea and is not closely related to pigs; the origin of its name is unclear.
• The scientific name Cavia porcellus includes porcellus, Latin for 'little pig', and Cavia derived from the Galibi word cabiai.