Brazilian Guinea Pig
Brazilian guinea pigs are medium-sized animals. They have an almost non-existent tail, which length is only 2.4 mm. Their dorsal fur is dark olive-brown mixed with brown and black. The underparts are a pale grey or yellowish-grey. These pigs have four toes on their forefeet and three toes on their hind feet. Males in this species are larger than females. The length of adults are about 272 mm and a weight of 637 g.
Habitat
Brazilian Guinea pigs are found in South America. Their range extends from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela to northern Argentina. They inhabit open grasslands and savannahs and also may be found in the highlands of the Andes mountains.
Diet
Brazilian guinea pigs are herbivorous animals. They graze on grasses and other herbs. However, their diet may also include leaves, seeds, stems, and sometimes roots or tubers.
Breeding
Brazilian guinea pigs are polygynous. A single male mates with multiple females. Breeding takes place at any time of year but mostly in the austral summer. The gestation period is about 62 days and females can have five litters in a year. The average number of young is two but may range from one to five. Soon after birth pups can move on their own. They start eating solid food when they are 3 days old and are weaned by 25 days old. Young Brazilian guinea pigs are ready to breed at around 30 days of age.
Population
According to IUCN, Brazilian guinea pigs are locally common and widespread throughout their range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Threats
There are no major threats to Brazilian guinea pigs. They are sometimes hunted for food.
Conservation
It is present in a number of protected areas throughout its range.