vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Guinea pig
If handled correctly early in life , guinea pigs become amenable to being picked up and carried , and seldom bite or scratch . They are timid explorers and often hesitate to attempt an escape from their cage even when an opportunity presents itself . Still , they show considerable curiosity when allowed to walk freely , especially in familiar and safe terrain . Guinea pigs that become familiar with their owner will whistle on the owner 's approach ; they will also learn to whistle in response to the rustling of plastic bags or the opening of refrigerator doors , where their food is most commonly stored . In Switzerland , owning a single guinea pig is considered harmful to its well - being and forbidden by law .
Guinea pig
Domesticated guinea pigs occur in many breeds , which have been developed since their introduction to Europe and North America . These varieties vary in hair and color composition . The most common varieties found in pet stores are the English shorthair ( also known as the American ) , which have a short , smooth coat , and the Abyssinian , whose coat is ruffled with cowlicks , or rosettes . Also popular among breeders are the Peruvian and the Sheltie ( or Silkie ) , both straight longhair breeds , and the Texel , a curly longhair . Grooming of guinea pigs is primarily accomplished using combs or brushes . Shorthair breeds are typically brushed weekly , while longhair breeds may require daily grooming .
Guinea pig
The guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America ( the present - day southern part of Colombia , Ecuador , Peru , and Bolivia ) , some thousands of years after the domestication of the South American camelids . Statues dating from circa 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador . The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art . From about 1200 AD to the Spanish conquest in 1532 , selective breeding resulted in many varieties of domestic guinea pigs , which form the basis for some of the modern domestic breeds . They continue to be a food source in the region ; many households in the Andean highlands raise the animal , which subsists on the family 's vegetable scraps . Folklore traditions involving guinea pigs are numerous ; they are exchanged as gifts , used in customary social and religious ceremonies , and frequently referenced in spoken metaphors . They also play a role in traditional healing rituals by folk doctors , or curanderos , who use the animals to diagnose diseases such as jaundice , rheumatism , arthritis , and typhus . They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick , and are seen as a supernatural medium . Black guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses . The animal also may be cut open and its entrails examined to determine whether the cure was effective . These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes , where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted .
Feral pig
Established populations of wild boar occur in the Forest of Dean , Gloucestershire . These are often active during the daytime ( diurnal behavior ) and are less wary of people . This is in contrast to populations in East Sussex , which are nocturnal and wary of people .
Guinea pig
Domestic guinea pigs generally live in cages , although some owners of large numbers of guinea pigs dedicate entire rooms to their pets . Cages with solid or wire mesh floors are used , although wire mesh floors can cause injury and may be associated with an infection commonly known as bumblefoot ( ulcerative pododermatitis ) . `` Cubes and Coroplast '' ( C&C ) style cages are now a common choice . Cages are often lined with wood shavings or a similar material . Bedding made from red cedar ( Eastern or Western ) and pine , both softwoods , were commonly used in the past , but these materials are now believed to contain harmful phenols ( aromatic hydrocarbons ) and oils . Safer bedding materials made from hardwoods ( such as aspen ) , paper products , and corn cob materials are other alternatives . Guinea pigs tend to be messy within their cages ; they often jump into their food bowls or kick bedding and feces into them , and their urine sometimes crystallizes on cage surfaces , making it difficult to remove . After its cage has been cleaned , a guinea pig typically urinates and drags its lower body across the floor of the cage to mark its territory . Male guinea pigs may also mark their territory in this way when they are taken out of their cages .
Guinea pig
Spanish , Dutch , and English traders brought guinea pigs to Europe , where they quickly became popular as exotic pets among the upper classes and royalty , including Queen Elizabeth I . The earliest known written account of the guinea pig dates from 1547 , in a description of the animal from Santo Domingo ; because cavies are not native to Hispaniola , the animal was earlier believed to have been introduced there by Spanish travelers . However , based on more recent excavations on West Indian islands , the animal must have been introduced by ceramic - making horticulturalists from South America to the Caribbean around 500 BC , and it was present in the Ostionoid period , for example , on Puerto Rico , long before the advent of the Spaniards . The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner . Its binomial scientific name was first used by Erxleben in 1777 ; it is an amalgam of Pallas ' generic designation ( 1766 ) and Linnaeus ' specific conferral ( 1758 ) . The earliest known illustration of a domestic guinea pig is a painting ( artist unknown ) in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London , dated to 1580 , which shows a girl in typical Elizabethan dress holding a tortoise - shell guinea pig in her hands ; she is flanked by her two brothers , one of whom holds a pet bird . The picture dates from the same period as the oldest recorded guinea pig remains in England , which are a partial cavy skeleton found at Hill Hall , an Elizabethan manor house in Essex , and dated to around 1575 .
Guinea pig
Guinea pigs are large for rodents , weighing between 700 and 1,200 g ( 1.5 and 2.6 lb ) , and measuring between 20 and 25 cm ( 8 and 10 in ) in length . Modern breeding of cuy guinea pigs has resulted in animals weighing 2,700 grams ( 6.0 lb ) . They live an average of four to five years , but may live as long as eight years . According to the 2006 Guinness World Records , the longest living guinea pig survived 14 years , 10.5 months .
Guinea pig
Guinea pigs are prey animals whose survival instinct is to mask pain and signs of illness , and many times health problems may not be apparent until a condition is severe or in its advanced stages . Treatment of disease is made more difficult by the extreme sensitivity guinea pigs have to most antibiotics , including penicillin , which kill off the intestinal flora and quickly bring on episodes of diarrhea and in some cases , death .
Guinea pig
Andean immigrants in New York City raise and sell guinea pigs for meat , and some ethnic restaurants in major United States cities serve cuy as a delicacy . Peruvian research universities , especially La Molina National Agrarian University , began experimental programs in the 1960s with the intention of breeding larger - sized guinea pigs . Subsequent university efforts have sought to change breeding and husbandry procedures in South America , to make the raising of guinea pigs as livestock more economically sustainable . In the 1990s and 2000s , the university began exporting the larger breed guinea pigs to Europe , Japan , and the United States in the hope of increasing human consumption outside of these countries in northern South America .
Guinea pig
The scientific name of the common species is Cavia porcellus , with porcellus being Latin for `` little pig '' . Cavia is New Latin ; it is derived from cabiai , the animal 's name in the language of the Galibi tribes once native to French Guiana . Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese çavia ( now savia ) , which is itself derived from the Tupi word saujá , meaning rat . Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo ( plural cuyes , cuyos ) in the Spanish of Ecuador , Peru , and Bolivia . Ironically , breeders tend to use the more formal `` cavy '' to describe the animal , while in scientific and laboratory contexts , it is far more commonly referred to by the more colloquial `` guinea pig '' .
Guinea pig
A `` wheek '' is a loud noise , the name of which is onomatopoeic , also known as a whistle . An expression of general excitement , it may occur in response to the presence of its owner or to feeding . It is sometimes used to find other guinea pigs if they are running . If a guinea pig is lost , it may wheek for assistance . listen ( help info ) A bubbling or purring sound is made when the guinea pig is enjoying itself , such as when being petted or held . It may also make this sound when grooming , crawling around to investigate a new place , or when given food . listen ( help info ) A rumbling sound is normally related to dominance within a group , though it can also come as a response to being scared or angry . In the case of being scared , the rumble often sounds higher and the body vibrates shortly . While courting , a male usually purrs deeply , swaying and circling the female in a behavior called `` rumblestrutting '' . A low rumble while walking away reluctantly shows passive resistance . listen ( help info ) Chutting and whining are sounds made in pursuit situations , by the pursuer and pursuee , respectively . listen ( help info ) A chattering sound is made by rapidly gnashing the teeth , and is generally a sign of warning . Guinea pigs tend to raise their heads when making this sound . Squealing or shrieking is a high - pitched sound of discontent , in response to pain or danger . listen ( help info ) Chirping , a less - common sound , likened to bird song , seems to be related to stress or discomfort , or when a baby guinea pig wants to be fed . Very rarely , the chirping will last for several minutes . listen ( help info )
Guinea pig
Because the guinea pig has a stout , compact body , it more easily tolerates excessive cold than excessive heat . Its normal body temperature is 101 -- 104 ° F ( 38 -- 40 ° C ) , so its ideal ambient air temperature range is similar to a human 's , about 65 -- 75 ° F ( 18 -- 24 ° C ) . Consistent ambient temperatures in excess of 90 ° F ( 32 ° C ) have been linked to hyperthermia and death , especially among pregnant sows . Guinea pigs are not well suited to environments that feature wind or frequent drafts , and respond poorly to extremes of humidity outside of the range of 30 -- 70 % .
Guinea pig
In Western societies , the domestic guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet , a type of pocket pet , ever since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century . Their docile nature ; friendly , even affectionate responsiveness to handling and feeding ; and the relative ease of caring for them continue to make guinea pigs a popular choice of pet . Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide , and many specialized breeds with varying coat colors and textures are selected by breeders .
History of West Africa
The Guinean region is a traditional name for the region that lies along the Gulf of Guinea . It stretches north through the forested tropical regions and ends at the Sahel . The Guinean Forests of West Africa is a belt of tropical moist broadleaf forests along the coast , running in the west from Sierra Leone and Guinea through Liberia , Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana and Togo , ending at the Sanaga River of Cameroon in the east . The Upper Guinean forests and Lower Guinean forests are divided by the Dahomey Gap , a region of savanna and dry forest in Togo and Benin . The forests are a few hundred kilometres inland from the Atlantic Ocean coast on the southern part of West Africa .
Guinea pig
Males reach sexual maturity in 3 -- 5 weeks , while females can be fertile as early as 4 weeks old , and can carry litters before they are adults . The female guinea pig is able to breed year - round , with spring being the peak . A sow can have as many as five litters in a year , but six is theoretically possible . Unlike the offspring of most rodents , which are altricial at birth , newborn cavy pups are well - developed with hair , teeth , claws , and partial eyesight . The pups are immediately mobile and begin eating solid food immediately , though they continue to suckle . Females can once again become pregnant 6 -- 48 hours after giving birth , but it is not healthy for a female to be constantly pregnant .
Guinea pig
Guinea pigs do not generally thrive when housed with other species . Housing guinea pigs with other rodents such as gerbils and hamsters may increase instances of respiratory and other infections , and such rodents may act aggressively toward the guinea pig . Larger animals may regard guinea pigs as prey , though some ( such as dogs or cats ) can be trained to accept them . Opinion is divided over the cohousing of guinea pigs and domestic rabbits . Some published sources say that guinea pigs and rabbits complement each other well when sharing a cage . However , as lagomorphs , rabbits have different nutritional requirements , so the two species can not be fed the same food . Rabbits may also harbor diseases ( such as respiratory infections from Bordetella and Pasteurella ) , to which guinea pigs are susceptible . Even a dwarf rabbit is much stronger than a guinea pig and may cause intentional or inadvertent injury .
Guinea pig
Domestic guinea pig Two adult guinea pigs Conservation status Domesticated Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Rodentia Family : Caviidae Genus : Cavia Species : C. porcellus Binomial name Cavia porcellus ( Linnaeus , 1758 ) Synonyms Mus porcellus Cavia cobaya Cavia anolaimae Cavia cutleri Cavia leucopyga Cavia longipilis
Guinea pig
Like many rodents , guinea pigs sometimes participate in social grooming , and they regularly self - groom . A milky - white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair during the grooming process . Groups of boars often chew each other 's hair , but this is a method of establishing hierarchy within a group , rather than a social gesture . Dominance is also established through biting ( especially of the ears ) , piloerection , aggressive noises , head thrusts , and leaping attacks . Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same - sex groups .
Guinea pig
How the animals came to be called `` pigs '' is not clear . They are built somewhat like pigs , with large heads relative to their bodies , stout necks , and rounded rumps with no tail of any consequence ; some of the sounds they emit are very similar to those made by pigs , and they also spend a large amount of time eating . They can survive for long periods in small quarters , like a ' pig pen ' , and were thus easily transported on ships to Europe .
Caenorhabditis elegans
C. elegans is notable in animal sleep studies as the most primitive organism to display sleep - like states . In C. elegans , a lethargus phase occurs shortly before each moult .
Guinea pig
Common ailments in domestic guinea pigs include respiratory tract infections , diarrhea , scurvy ( vitamin C deficiency , typically characterized by sluggishness ) , abscesses due to infection ( often in the neck , due to hay embedded in the throat , or from external scratches ) , and infections by lice , mites , or fungus .
Rapid eye movement sleep
Although it manifests differently in different animals , REM sleep or something like it occurs in all land mammals as well as in birds . The primary criteria used to identify REM are the change in electrical activity , measured by EEG , and loss of muscle tone , interspersed with bouts of twitching in phasic REM . The amount of REM sleep and cycling varies among animals ; predators enjoy more REM sleep than prey . Larger animals also tend to stay in REM for longer , possibly because higher thermal inertia of their brains and bodies allows them to tolerate longer suspension of thermoregulation . The period ( full cycle of REM and non-REM ) lasts for about 90 minutes in humans , 22 minutes in cats , and 12 minutes in rats . In utero , mammals spend more than half ( 50 -- 80 % ) of a 24 - hour day in REM sleep .
House sparrow
House sparrows sleep with the bill tucked underneath the scapular feathers . Outside of the reproductive season , they often roost communally in trees or shrubs . Much communal chirping occurs before and after the birds settle in the roost in the evening , as well as before the birds leave the roost in the morning . Some congregating sites separate from the roost may be visited by the birds prior to settling in for the night .
Feral pig
In the early 2000s , the range of feral pigs includes all of the U.S. south of 36 ° N. The range begins in the mountains surrounding California and crosses over the mountains , continuing consistently much farther east towards the Louisiana bayous and forests , terminating in the entire Florida peninsula . In the East , the range expands northward to include most of the forested areas and swamps of the Southeast , and from there goes north along the Appalachian Mountains as far as upstate New York , with a growing presence in states bordering West Virginia and Kentucky . Texas has the largest estimated population of 2.6 million feral pigs existing in 253 of its 254 counties . Outside mainland U.S. , Hawaii also has feral pigs introduced to Oahu soon after Captain Cook 's discovery of Hawaii in 1778 , where they prey on or eat endangered birds and plants . The population of feral pigs has increased from two million pigs ranging over 20 states in 1990 , to triple that number 25 years later , ranging over 38 states with new territories expanding north into Oregon , Pennsylvania , Ohio , and New Hampshire . Some of these feral pigs have mixed with escaped Russian boar that has been introduced for hunters from the early 1990s .
Guinea pig
A number of plants are poisonous to guinea pigs , including bracken , bryony , buttercup , charlock , deadly nightshade , foxglove , hellebore , hemlock , lily of the valley , mayweed , monkshood , privet , ragwort , rhubarb , speedwell , toadflax ( both Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica ) , and wild celery . Additionally , any plant which grows from a bulb ( e.g. , tulip or onion ) is normally considered poisonous , as well as ivy and oak tree leaves . A guinea pig may or may not eat poisonous material .
Feral pig
The natural habitats of wild boar are woodlands ; however , feral populations root and forage in areas where they conflict with human activities , such as in picnic areas , on golf courses , football pitches , village greens , etc . In the UK , wild boar can be farmed under licence . However , to release them into the wild is illegal .
Guinea pig
The animal 's name alludes to pigs in many European languages . The German word for them is Meerschweinchen , literally `` little sea pig '' , which has been translated into Polish as świnka morska , into Hungarian as tengerimalac , and into Russian as морская свинка . This derives from the Middle High German name merswin . This originally meant `` dolphin '' and was used because of the animals ' grunting sounds ( which were thought to be similar ) . Many other , possibly less scientifically based explanations of the German name exist . For example , sailing ships stopping to reprovision in the New World would pick up stores of guinea pigs , which provided an easily transportable source of fresh meat . The French term is cochon d'Inde ( Indian pig ) or cobaye ; the Dutch call it Guinees biggetje ( Guinean piglet ) or cavia ( while in some Dutch dialects it is called Spaanse rat ) ; and in Portuguese , the guinea pig is variously referred to as cobaia , from the Tupi word via its Latinization , or as porquinho da Índia ( little Indian pig ) . This is not universal ; for example , the common word in Spanish is conejillo de Indias ( little rabbit of the Indies ) . The Chinese refer to them as 豚鼠 ( túnshǔ , ' pig mouse ' ) , and sometimes as Netherlands pig ( 荷蘭 豬 , hélánzhū ) or Indian mouse ( 天竺鼠 , tiānzhúshǔ ) . The Japanese word for guinea pig is `` モルモット '' ( morumotto ) , which derives from the name of another mountain - dwelling rodent , the marmot ; this is what guinea pigs were called by the Dutch traders who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843 .
Feral pig
Groups of wild boar have been reported in the Scottish Highlands including Invermoriston , near Loch Ness , and between Newtonmore and Laggan . A group believed to be a mix of wild boar and domestic pig that escaped from a farm , have been seen in the Strathnairn area near Inverness . Wild boar occur elsewhere in the UK according to the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs . It said between 100 and 200 were estimated to be in Kent and East Sussex , and about 20 - 30 in West Dorset .
Guinea pig
In the 1990s , a minority scientific opinion emerged proposing that caviomorphs , such as guinea pigs , chinchillas , and degus , are not rodents and should be reclassified as a separate order of mammals ( similar to lagomorphs ) . Subsequent research using wider sampling restored the consensus among mammalian biologists regarding the current classification of rodents as monophyletic .
Guinea pig
Allergic symptoms , including rhinitis , conjunctivitis , and asthma , have been documented in laboratory animal workers who come into contact with guinea pigs . Allergic reactions following direct exposure to guinea pigs in domestic settings have also been reported . Two major guinea pig allergens , Cav p I and Cav p II , have been identified in guinea pig fluids ( urine and saliva ) and guinea pig dander . People who are allergic to guinea pigs are usually allergic to hamsters and gerbils , as well . Allergy shots can successfully treat an allergy to guinea pigs , although treatment can take up to 18 months .
Barn swallow
In winter , the barn swallow is cosmopolitan in its choice of habitat , avoiding only dense forests and deserts . It is most common in open , low vegetation habitats , such as savanna and ranch land , and in Venezuela , South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago it is described as being particularly attracted to burnt or harvested sugarcane fields and the waste from the cane . In the absence of suitable roost sites , they may sometimes roost on wires where they are more exposed to predators . Individual birds tend to return to the same wintering locality each year and congregate from a large area to roost in reed beds . These roosts can be extremely large ; one in Nigeria had an estimated 1.5 million birds . These roosts are thought to be a protection from predators , and the arrival of roosting birds is synchronised in order to overwhelm predators like African hobbies . The barn swallow has been recorded as breeding in the more temperate parts of its winter range , such as the mountains of Thailand and in central Argentina .
Guinea pig
The gestation period lasts from 59 days ( 1.9 months ) to 72 days ( 2.4 months ) , with an average of 63 -- 68 days . Because of the long gestation period and the large size of the pups , pregnant females may become large and eggplant - shaped , although the change in size and shape varies depending upon the size of the litter . Litter size ranges from one to six , with three being the average ; the largest recorded litter size is 17 . The guinea pig mother only has two nipples , but she can readily raise the more average - sized litters of 2 to 4 pups . In smaller litters , difficulties may occur during labour due to oversized pups . Large litters result in higher incidences of stillbirth , but because the pups are delivered at an advanced stage of development , lack of access to the mother 's milk has little effect on the mortality rate of newborns .