Hello friends! How much do you know about guinea pig anatomy? Besides the fact that they’re furry potatoes with legs. Not much, you say? We will fix that with today's blog, where we learn five fun facts regarding guinea pig anatomy.
The leg bone's connected to the...
It’s impressive that over 50% of a guinea pig's bones are leg-based. Of the 256 bones in guinea pig anatomy, 43 are in each front leg, and each rear leg has 36. With so many leg-based bones, it’s easy for piggie to break a leg if they fall. Ensure their enclosure helps them keep all 4 paws securely on a surface. Additionally, when carrying your cavy, be careful to hold them carefully and securely.
A nose that knows...
One of the cavy's fave activities is munching. Whether yummy hay or veggies, piggies are designed to be eating machines. Guinea pigs have stellar senses of smell and hearing, which allows them to hear you opening the frig from the other side of the house.
200 chews a minute
Who doesn’t love watching piggies eat? It’s just the cutest. Those 20 teeth that never stop growing get to work on high-fiber foods. But, when cavies chew side-to-side, it’s 200 times per minute!!! This ensures all their foods are adequately chewed before swallowing AND helps keep their teeth at the proper length.
But they can't see what they eat
Like most rodents, guinea pigs’ close-up vision is terrible. Plus, they cannot bend their necks to see their food. However, their excellent distance vision is a must to protect themselves from predators. Additionally, while they can see colors, they cannot bend their necks to look down and see their food.
Hidden tails
Similar to humans, their seven tail bones are fused to the pelvis. Therefore, unlike other rodents, cavies appear to be tail-less. Check out this guinea pig anatomy diagram, and you'll see their hidden tail under #5, coccygeal.
We hope you enjoyed our five fun facts on guinea pig anatomy. All living beings have such impressive capabilities, no matter their size. Have a great day, and check back next Monday for more exciting blogs!
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