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The Wonderful World of Guinea Pigs 
By: John Savage
When was the last time you visited with a friend only to have their children frog march you out to the back yard to view their latest acquisition which you knew little about, their pet guinea pig?
They are adorable creatures that make excellent pets, but they have not always been a family pet, so what is their history and where were they first discovered?
A cavy is the proper name for the guinea pig, and they are a member of the rodent family.
Now although they have only come into prominence in the past few decades, they have actually been around for a very long time, and in fact a number of fossils have been found which indicate that guinea pigs were around as far as 18 million years ago. Who said they were a new pet?
Now for something else to surprise you, they used to be much larger than they are today, averaging around 9 feet long. That's a sizeable pet.
The first people to domesticate the guinea pig were the Incas, and South America is where they were first discovered. They were, and still are revered as both an Icon, and a source of food, in many South American countries.
Nevertheless they are also held in very high esteem in parts of Peru, and are believed to have healing powers for those who are sick, and they are also believed to be 'helpers' for those people who are dying, helping them move effortlessly into the next world.
These lovely creatures came to Europe and America courtesy of the sailors who brought them to sell for, guess what, a guinea, and that is where part of their name came from.
The second part of their name, pig, comes from their likeness, at the rear end, to pigs, and also to the fact that they tend to squeal a bit like pigs.
They have also been used quite a bit over the years in the field of research, and you have probably heard and used the expression "we are using him as a guinea pig"
Medical science has benefited greatly from the use of guinea pigs in their laboratories but of course although they have saved many a human life, the cost in the lives of the guinea pigs has been high.
Even today they are still used for research but in a more humane way which we are told does not cause any distress to the animal.
Today in Peru, guinea pigs still play a prominent role in various ceremonies, and quite often a person will give one as a present when they are trying to impress.
You may be surprised to learn that a rodent could be so well loved, but a recent survey placed guinea pigs just behind dogs, cats and rabbits in the popular pet league.
Next time you look into a friends cage at their pet I think you will appreciate all the more what you are looking at.
Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles
Next thing check out John Savages great resource on guinea pigs where you can pick up some free articles and detailed descriptions on these fantastic animals
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