Why are guinea pigs called pigs?

Guinea pigs originated from the Andes mountains of Peru and are actually rodents, not pigs like the name implies. Many also believe the "pig" portion of the name comes from their squeaking noise that reminded people of baby piglets. read more

It’s time to explore the origins of the names guinea pig and cavy. Guinea Pig Origins. The origin story for pet guinea pigs begins in South America. It’s believed that people domesticated guinea pigs about 3,000 years ago around areas of the Andes Mountains, specifically those that include present-day Peru, Bolivia, and other countries. Guinea pigs were raised mainly as livestock. In Peru, guinea pigs are now called cuy. read more