Inca

Inca is a part-colored Abyssinian guinea pig. He came to us as a very young pup and has become a real favorite with staff and visitors alike. Inca spends most of his days greeting visitors to our Nature Center. If his enclosure is empty when you visit, it's a safe bet that he's traveling to one of the many schools, preschools or other children's groups that he visits each year as part of our Fur, Feathers & Scales, or Care For Critters programs. Inca is a very important part of the World Bird Sanctuary. A young child's first instinct is to touch things, and since our birds are not touchable, Inca satisfies this urge. He is also an example of an animal that makes a good pet, versus the ones that don't. And, lastly, he helps to demonstrate the differences between birds, reptiles and mammals in terms that a young child can understand. The next time your child visits our Nature Center, he or she may recognize Inca from a presentation at their school. Your adoption fee with help feed, house and care for Inca.

 

Adoption Fee $50
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Guinea Pig

Cavia porcellus

Description large for rodents; large heads relative to their bodies; rounded rumps; no tail of any consequence; this appearance may have led to being thought of as pigs
Sex difficult, but not impossible, to distinguish male from female
Age 4-5 years in the wild; up to 8 years in captivity; oldest known guinea pig was 14 years, 10.5 months
Length 8-10"
Wingspan
Weight 1.5-2.5 lbs.
Habitat grassy plains; seeks shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation
Status least concern; kept extensively as pets
Range South America as early as 5000 BC: originated in the Andes (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia); dispersed to other parts of the world by early traders in the mid 1500s
Behavior In the wild â?? live in small groups consisting of several females (sows), a male (boar), and the young (pups); they move together in groups (herds) eating grass or other vegetation, and do not store food; crepuscular (most active at dusk and dawn); easily startled and will freeze in place or run for cover; often perform little hops in the air (known as "popcorning"); easily domesticated if handled early, and make excellent pets; can produce up to five litters per year; gestation 59-72 days; litters of 1-6 pups; pups are well-developed and immediately mobile and eating solid foodâ??though they continue to suckle
Diet grass and vegetation in the wild
Vocalization known for a variety of calls: Wheek, Bubbling or Purring, Rumbling, Chutting and Whining, Chattering, Squealing or Shrieking, and Chirping
Other Information Pet guinea pigs learn to recognize their owners and often greet them with an excited "Wheek"; they also "Wheek" when they hear the sound of the refrigerator door and the rustle of a bag that signals their food is coming