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Caviidae
Caviidae, the cavy family (biology), family, is composed of rodents native to South America and includes the domestic guinea pig, wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the capybara. They are found across South America in open areas from moist savanna to thorn forests or scrubland, scrub desert. This family of rodents has fewer members than most Rodent#Standard classification, other rodent families, with 19 species in seven genera in three subfamilies. Characteristics With the exception of the Mara (mammal), maras, which have a more rabbit-like appearance, caviids have short, heavy bodies and large heads. Most have no visible tails. They range in size from the smaller cavies at 22 cm in body length, and 300 grams in weight, up to the capybara, the largest of all rodents at 106 to 134 cm in length, and body weights of 35 to 66 kilograms. Even larger forms existed in the Pliocene, such as ''Phugatherium'', which was about the size of a tapir. They are herbivo ...
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Cavia
''Cavia'' is a genus in the subfamily Caviinae that contains the rodents commonly known as the guinea pigs or cavies. The best-known species in this genus is the domestic guinea pig, ''Cavia porcellus'', a meat animal in South America and a common household pet outside that continent. Characteristics General characteristics The true guinea pigs are medium-sized rodents. They reach a head-body length of 20 to 35 centimeters (8 to 14 inches) and a weight of 500 to a maximum of 1,000 grams. The largest species of the genus is the greater guinea pig (''Cavia magna''). The species are very similar in habit and appearance, the long and relatively rough fur is usually grayish or brown to reddish-brown in color. The coloring can be variable, especially in species with a large distribution area and several subspecies. The head is relatively large in relation to the body, the eyes are large and the ears are small. The legs are short and strong, the front feet have four toes and the h ...
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Cavy (1)
Caviidae, the cavy family, is composed of rodents native to South America and includes the domestic guinea pig, wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the capybara. They are found across South America in open areas from moist savanna to thorn forests or scrub desert. This family of rodents has fewer members than most other rodent families, with 19 species in seven genera in three subfamilies. Characteristics With the exception of the maras, which have a more rabbit-like appearance, caviids have short, heavy bodies and large heads. Most have no visible tails. They range in size from the smaller cavies at 22 cm in body length, and 300 grams in weight, up to the capybara, the largest of all rodents at 106 to 134 cm in length, and body weights of 35 to 66 kilograms. Even larger forms existed in the Pliocene, such as '' Phugatherium'', which was about the size of a tapir. They are herbivores, eating tough grasses or softer leaves, depending on species. The d ...
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Capybara
The capybara or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') is the largest living rodent, native to South America. It is a member of the genus '' Hydrochoerus''. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (''Hydrochoerus isthmius''). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the nutria. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as one hundred individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin. Etymology Its common name is derived from Tupi , a complex agglutination of (leaf) + (slender) + (eat) + (a suffix for agent nouns), meaning "one who eats slender leaves", or "grass-eater". The genus name, ''hydrochoerus'', comes from Greek (' "water") and (' "pig, hog") an ...
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Galea (genus)
''Galea'' is a genus of South American rodents of the family Caviidae. 5-6 extant species are known, found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Brazil. They are: * Southern highland yellow-toothed cavy ('' G. comes'') * Brazilian yellow-toothed cavy (''G. flavidens'') * Lowland yellow-toothed cavy ('' G. leucoblephara'') * Common yellow-toothed cavy (''G. musteloides'') ** Muenster yellow-toothed cavy (''G. m. monasteriensis'' or ''G. monasteriensis''?) * Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (''G. spixii'') ''Galea'' has until recently been considered to have only three species; the Muenster yellow-toothed cavy was only described in 2004. ''G. flavidens'' is monotypic and ''G. musteloides'' and ''G. spixii'' are polytypic. ''Galea'' is in the family Caviidae and its members are described as cavies; they have sometimes also been called "guinea pigs". Cavies are widespread throughout South America. The high diversity of habitats of different species is paralleled by a high diversity ...
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Mara (mammal)
Maras, subfamily Dolichotinae, are a group of rodents in the family Caviidae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. There are two extant species, the Patagonian mara of the genus '' Dolichotis'' and the Chacoan mara of the genus '' Pediolagus''. Traditionally this species was also thought to belong to ''Dolichotis''; however, a 2020 study by the American Society of Mammalogists found significant difference between the two mara species to warrant resurrecting the genus ''Pediolagus'' for it. Several extinct genera are also known. Description Maras have stocky bodies, three sharp-clawed digits on the hind feet, and four digits of the fore feet. Maras have been described as resembling long-legged rabbits; while standing, they can also resemble a small ungulate. Patagonian maras can run at speeds up to . The Patagonian species can weigh over in adulthood. The average weig ...
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Rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are native to all major land masses except for Antarctica, and several oceanic islands, though they have subsequently been introduced to most of these land masses by human activity. Rodents are extremely diverse in their ecology and lifestyles and can be found in almost every terrestrial habitat, including human-made environments. Species can be arboreal, fossorial (burrowing), saltatorial/ricochetal (leaping on their hind legs), or semiaquatic. However, all rodents share several morphological features, including having only a single upper and lower pair of ever-growing incisors. Well-known rodents include Mouse, mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, Cavia, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Once included wi ...
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Dolichotinae
Maras, subfamily Dolichotinae, are a group of rodents in the family Caviidae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. There are two extant species, the Patagonian mara of the genus '' Dolichotis'' and the Chacoan mara of the genus '' Pediolagus''. Traditionally this species was also thought to belong to ''Dolichotis''; however, a 2020 study by the American Society of Mammalogists found significant difference between the two mara species to warrant resurrecting the genus ''Pediolagus'' for it. Several extinct genera are also known. Description Maras have stocky bodies, three sharp-clawed digits on the hind feet, and four digits of the fore feet. Maras have been described as resembling long-legged rabbits; while standing, they can also resemble a small ungulate. Patagonian maras can run at speeds up to . The Patagonian species can weigh over in adulthood. The average weig ...
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Rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are native to all major land masses except for Antarctica, and several oceanic islands, though they have subsequently been introduced to most of these land masses by human activity. Rodents are extremely diverse in their ecology and lifestyles and can be found in almost every terrestrial habitat, including human-made environments. Species can be arboreal, fossorial (burrowing), saltatorial/ricochetal (leaping on their hind legs), or semiaquatic. However, all rodents share several morphological features, including having only a single upper and lower pair of ever-growing incisors. Well-known rodents include Mouse, mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, Cavia, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Once included wi ...
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Caviinae
Caviinae is a subfamily uniting all living members of the family Caviidae with the exception of the maras, capybaras, and '' Kerodon''. The subfamily traditionally contained the guinea pig or cavy-like forms along with the cursorially adapted (running) ''Kerodon''. Molecular results suggest the Caviinae as so defined would be paraphyletic and ''Kerodon'' is more closely related to maras and capybaras than to other caviines.Rowe, D. L. and R. L. Honeycutt. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships, ecological correlates, and molecular evolution within the Cavioidea (Mammalia, Rodentia). Molecular Biology and Evolution, 19:263-277. This led Woods and Kilpatrick (2005) to unite ''Kerodon'' and capybaras into the subfamily Hydrochoerinae within the Caviidae. These studies also suggest '' Microcavia'' and ''Cavia'' are more closely related to one another than either is to '' Galea''. Genera and species *Subfamily Caviinae **†'' Cardiomys'' **†'' Allocavia'' **†'' Palaeocavia'' **†' ...
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Domestic Guinea Pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Animal fancy, Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the animal, but "guinea pig" is more commonly used in scientific and laboratory contexts. Despite their name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea (region), Guinea, nor are they closely related to suidae, pigs. Instead, they originated in the Andes region of South America, where wild guinea pigs can still be found today. Studies based on biochemistry and DNA Hybrid (biology), hybridization suggest they are domestication, domesticated animals that do not exist naturally in the wild, but are descendants of a closely related cavy species such as ''Montane guinea pig, C. tschudii''. Originally, they were domesticated as livestock (source of meat) in the Andean region and are still consumed in some parts of the world. In Western society, the guin ...
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Hydrochoerinae
Hydrochoerinae is a subfamily of Caviidae, consisting of two living genera, ''Hydrochoerus'', the capybaras, and '' Kerodon'', the rock cavies. In addition, a number of extinct genera related to capybaras should also be placed in this subfamily. The taxonomy of Hydrochoerinae is confused because, until 2005, living capybaras and their extinct relatives were placed in their own family, Hydrochoeridae.McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. 1997. ''Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level.'' Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pp.  Recent molecular phylogenetic studies recognize a close relationship between ''Hydrochoerus'' and ''Kerodon'', supporting placement of both genera in a subfamily of Caviidae Caviidae, the cavy family (biology), family, is composed of rodents native to South America and includes the domestic guinea pig, wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the capybara. They are found across South America in open areas from mo .... Paleontolog ...
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