# Guinea pig (*Cavia porcellus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/guinea-pig  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also called the Cavy, is a mammal in the rodent family Caviidae, order Rodentia. It is a small, terrestrial, crepuscular herbivore with an adult body mass of 728 g, and reported values from 639.1 g to 813 g. Gestation lasts 67.5 days, litters average 3.45 young, and there are 5 litters per year; sexual maturity comes at 72.49 days. Its lifespan is given as 12 years, with values up to 14.8 years reported.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 639.1 g – 813 g |
| Length | 20 cm – 25 cm |
| Lifespan | 12 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 14.8 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 67.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3.45 |
| Age at maturity | 68.5 days – 76.5 days |
| Litters or clutches a year | 5 |
| Active | At dawn and dusk (crepuscular) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Rodentia
- family: Caviidae
- genus: Cavia
- species: *Cavia porcellus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Mus porcellus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a guinea pig?

The guinea pig is a mammal and a rodent in the family Caviidae, order Rodentia.

### How much does a guinea pig weigh?

An adult Guinea pig weighs 728 g, with reported values from 639.1 g to 813 g.

### What does a guinea pig eat?

The guinea pig is a herbivore.

### How long does a guinea pig live?

The guinea pig's lifespan is given as 12 years, with values up to 14.8 years reported.

### How many young does a guinea pig have?

A guinea pig litter averages 3.45 young, with 5 litters per year after a gestation of 67.5 days.

### When does a guinea pig reach sexual maturity?

A guinea pig reaches sexual maturity at 72.49 days, with reported values from 68.48 to 76.5 days.

### What is the scientific name of the guinea pig and who named it?

The guinea pig's scientific name is Cavia porcellus, with the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the guinea pig active by day or night?

The guinea pig is crepuscular and lives a terrestrial lifestyle.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/guinea-pig