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| guinea pig | |
|---|---|
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| Two adult guinea pigs | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Caviidae |
| Genus: | Cavia |
| Species: | C. porcellus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cavia porcellus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) are a kind of rodent. They are not pigs and are not from Guinea. The reason for why this is the name is unclear. They are also called cavies. They are domesticated animals which originated in the Andes.
Studies on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are descendants of a closely related species of cavy. They do not occur naturally in the wild.
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