How long do guinea pigs live?

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) is a small rodent of the domestic type belonging to the Caviidae family. This adorable rodent, native to the Andes region in South America, is the result of the crossing of multiple species belonging to the genus Cavia.

The life expectancy of guinea pigs ranges from 4 to 8 years of age.

Guinea pig lifespan

Guinea pigs have become many people's favorite exotic pet. However, the life expectancy of these rodents is very well determined. For this reason, and regardless of the good care it receives, it is difficult to exceed 9 or 10 years of life at best.

How long do guinea pigs live in the wild?

There is no noticeable difference between the life expectancy of one guinea pig in the wild and that of another in captivity.

However, being more exposed to diseases and predators in the wild, the life expectancy of a guinea pig in the wild varies from 4 years to 8 years of life (being more common that they die near the 4 years that of the 8 years).

How long do guinea pigs live in captivity?

A guinea pig lives on average 6 years in captivity. However, this will depend on the care they receive from the rodent owner, because they need a good diet, based on fruits, vegetables and vitamin C, as well as enough physical activity.

Depending on the care it receives, a guinea pig can exceed 6 years of life and even reach 10 years of life in captivity.

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Where do guinea pigs live?

Guinea pigs' habitat spans much of South America, especially along the axis of the Andean mountain range in countries like Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

The guinea pig lives below 4500 meters above sea level, its preferred biomes being the coast and the high jungle.

What do guinea pigs eat?

The diet of guinea pigs is quite extensive, although its main food is broadly grass. However, this rodent enjoys eating all kinds of leaves, fruits, seeds, vegetables and even its own feces (from which they obtain B vitamins, fiber and bacteria that help them with their digestive process).

Guinea pigs, like humans, are unable to produce vitamin C, so they must obtain this vitamin directly from the food they eat.

On the contrary, scurvy could end the life of the guinea pig due to the low or no consumption of vitamin C. It is recommended to supply at least 10mg of vitamin C per day and 20mg in case it is a guinea pig pregnant.

Recommended foods for a guinea pig

• Broccoli.
• Apple.
• Cabbage.
• Carrot.
• Celery.
• Spinach.
• Hay of Fleo.
• Alfalfa.

Interesting facts about guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are very social animals

These rodents enjoy sharing with their congeners, so it is normal to observe them sharing with five or more individuals of their species in the wild.

For this reason, if you want to buy a guinea pig as a pet, it is recommended that you provide another companion of its kind with whom you can socialize.

His teeth do not stop growing

Because their diet is mainly made up of grass and seeds in the wild, guinea pig teeth grow throughout their lives.

Guinea pigs are coprophages

Although for us, humans, coprophagy - voluntary ingestion of feces - is a disgusting act, for guinea pigs this activity is essential because from their feces they obtain multiple vitamins, minerals and bacteria of utmost importance for their digestive process.