Guinea Pig

The Biology of Guinea Pigs: Behavior

Possibly related to, or derived from grooming and perhaps also involving an element of aggression is one animal grasping the hair of another in its teeth and pulling it out; the mouthful is often ingested. Hair pulling is a common...

Year Published: 1976Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Harper, L. V. 1976. Behavior. In: The Biology of the Guinea Pig. Wagner, J. E. , Manning, P. J. (eds), 31-51. Academic Press, New York, NY.

Endogenous opioids and social behavior

Evidence for the hypothesis that brain-opioids mediate social affect and social attachments is summarized. Opiates and opioids are very effective in reducing social separation-induced distress vocalizations (DVs), in puppies, young guinea pigs and chicks, while opiate antagonists can increase DVs....

Year Published: 1980Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken, Dog, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Panksepp, J., Herman, B. H., Vilberg, T. et al. 1980. Endogenous opioids and social behavior. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 4(4), 473-487.

Sound and its significance for laboratory animals

Several methods of varying accuracy have been used to assess what sounds small laboratory animals such as rodents are capable of hearing. Most rodents can detect sounds from 1000 Hz (the frequency of the Greenwich Time Signal) up to 100000...

Year Published: 1982Animal Type: Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mole Rat, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Gamble, M. R. 1982. Sound and its significance for laboratory animals. Biological Reviews 57, 395-421.

The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals (6th ed): The Guinea Pig

Brief outline of species-adequate housing for guinea pigs. Outbreaks of fur chewing may occur when hay is not fed.

Year Published: 1987Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Sutherland, S. D. , Festing, M. F. W. 1987. The guinea-pig. In: The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals (6th ed). Poole, T. B. (ed), 393-410. Churchill Livingstone, New York, NY.

Guinea pig husbandry and medicine

Guinea pigs of lower social rank may exhibt hair loss form chewing by more dominant membres of the groups and juveniles may pull hair from their mothers.

Year Published: 1987Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Anderson, L. 1987. Guinea pig husbandry and medicine. The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 17, 1045-1060.

Guinea pigs

Initial attempts to provide the animals a covered area for refuge showed that the guinea pigs adopted the shelter very quickly and would dart under cover when startled. ... We soon realized that this was a most useful behaviour when...

Year Published: 1988Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Gray, G. 1988. Guinea pigs. Humane Innovations and Alternatives in Animal Experimentation 2, 48-49.

Use of cage space by guinea pigs

Guinea pigs do not evenly use the space of a barren cage, which contains neither bedding or any structure. The animals spent most of the time at the periphery, close the walls of such a cage rather than in the...

Year Published: 1989Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: White, W. J., Balk, M. W., Lang, C. M. 1989. Use of cage space by guinea pigs. Laboratory Animals 23, 208-214.

Influence of new housing conditions on physiological and endocrine parameters in male adult guinea pigs

Year Published: 1990Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Fenske, M. 1990. Influence of new housing conditions on physiological and endocrine parameters in male adult guinea pigs. Zoologische Jahrb?cher 94, 43-53.

Improved housing of mice, rats and guinea pigs: a contribution to the refinement of animal experimentation

It is suggested that the housing of laboratory rodents should be improved by the use of larger and moreappropriate cage types, as well as by reducing the monotonyof conventional housing systems... Guinea pigs readily chew softwood sticks.

Year Published: 1991Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Scharmann, W. 1991. Improved housing of mice, rats and guinea pigs: a contribution to the refinement of animal experimentation. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals [ATLA] 19, 108-114.

Social experience, behavior and stress in guinea pigs

Guinea pigs require considerable socialisation to acquire the skills necessary to build up stable social structures. If rearing conditions are inadequate this creates conditions of social instability and extreme endocrine changes occur.

Year Published: 1991Animal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Sachser, N., Lick, C. 1991. Social experience, behavior and stress in guinea pigs. Physiology and Behavior 50, 83-90.