Why are Guinea Pigs called Guinea Pigs?

One theory is that, when guinea pigs were transported to Europe on board ships, Guinea (on the West coast of Africa) was a classic stopping point on route. This misleadmany into thinking they originated from there.

Another theory is that actually, through time, the word 'Guinea' has been corrupted from the word 'Guiana' (rather like a long, drawn out game of Chinese whispers!). So in fact, the reference is to a place called 'Guiana' in South America which is far more likely a location to find guinea pigs hanging out than West Africa!

A common misconception is that guinea pigs were sold for a guinea (an old English coin, roughly equivalent to the modern day one pound sterling (£1)). There's really no evidence for this and in fact, the guinea pig was already being referred to as a 'guinea' pig at least a hundred years before the coin existed!

The word 'pig' comes from the scientific name; Cavia porcellus, with 'porcellus' being Latin for "little pig".  While guinea pigs are not actually related to pigs, they do have some similar traits; their "wheek! wheek!" sounds for example, are a bit like piglet squeals! They also have a similar body build to pigs, with large heads, a stubby neck and round body. And let's not forget their appetite! Just like pigs, guinea pigs love to eat and spend a lot of their time doing it! So you can see why people decided to call them pigs when they first saw them, particularly when they were often found in small pens just like their larger namesakes!

You may also hear a guinea pig called a 'CAVY'. This is the family group that guinea pigs belong to. It includes other native South American rodents such as the guinea pigs big cousin, the capybara, the largest rodent in the world. You may have seen one at your local zoo, they can grow up to 130cm in length and weigh as much as 65kg!