Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) belong to the order Roden- tia, suborder Hystricomorpha, superfamily Cavioidea, and family Caviidae. For a brief period, taxonomists proposed that guinea pigs were not within the order Rodentia, but that classification has lost favor.

Within Caviidae, other closely related members are capybaras, wild cavies, and Patagonian “hares” (maras). The guinea pig, also called cavy or cuy, was domesticated over 7000 years ago from wild cavies (Cavia aperea, Cavia fUlgida, and Cavia tschudii).

Initially raised for food and for use in religious ceremonies by the Incas in South America, both domesticated and free-ranging wild cavies are still found on that continent. Guinea pigs were apparently introduced into Europe by sea­farers sometime in the 16 th or 17 th century, where they were raised as pets and, later, as laboratory ani­mals. Guinea pigs are popular as pets because of their ease of maintenance and docile temperament. There are approximately 16 breeds of guinea pigs recognized by guinea pig fanciers in the world today, which origi­nated from the basic hair coat varieties known as short­hair (also known as English shorthair), Abyssinian, Peruvian, and Sheltie (Silkie). The outbred albino short­hair guinea pig, which was developed by Dunkin and Hartley, is the most commonly used guinea pig for research. Other laboratory breeds have been developed, such as hairless guinea pigs and a small number of valid inbred strains, including strains 2 and 13. The use of guinea pigs as research animals in recent decades has significantly declined. Unlike some of the smaller rodents, guinea pigs have relatively few clinically sig­nificant viral infections. In general, hypovitaminosis C (either clinical or subclinical), bacterial respiratory tract infections, and enteric diseases are the major diagnostic problems seen in this species.

More on the topic Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) belong to the order Roden- tia, suborder Hystricomorpha, superfamily Cavioidea, and family Caviidae. For a brief period, taxonomists proposed that guinea pigs were not within the order Rodentia, but that classification has lost favor.: