cavy (kā`vē), name for 14 species of South American rodents of the family Caviidae, including the domestic guinea pig guinea pig , domesticated form of the cavy, Cavia porcellus, a South American rodent. It is unrelated to the pig; the name may refer to its shrill squeal. Guinea pigs were raised by the Incas and have long been used as food in South America.
..... Click the link for more information. . The wild cavies are usually small, rounded, and tailless, with fur of a uniform shade of brown. Nocturnal animals, they occupy a variety of habitats, especially dense vegetation. An unusual, large species is the Patagonian cavy, or mara (Dolichotis patagonum), a long-legged, harelike animal that reaches a length of about 2 1-2 ft (76 cm) and lives in arid regions. The capybara capybara , mammal of Central and much of South America. It is the largest living member of the order Rodentia (the rodents) reaching a length of 4 ft (120 cm) and a weight of 75 to 100 lb (34–45 kg).
..... Click the link for more information. belongs to a related family. Some cavies are hunted for food in South America. Cavies are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Caviidae.
Any of several species of South American rodents constituting the family Caviidae. Species in the genera Cavia, Kerodon, Galea, and Microcavia resemble the guinea pig. They are stout, gray or brown, and 10–12 in. (25–30 cm) long, with short ears and legs and no visible tail. The Patagonian and salt desert cavies (Dolichotis) are more long-legged and rabbitlike. Cavies are social animals found in various habitats, including plains, marshes, and rocky areas. They live in burrows (which sometimes weaken the ground above so much that it collapses when walked on), and they feed on grass, leaves, and other vegetation.
cavy [′kā·vē]
..... Click the link for more information. . The wild cavies are usually small, rounded, and tailless, with fur of a uniform shade of brown. Nocturnal animals, they occupy a variety of habitats, especially dense vegetation. An unusual, large species is the Patagonian cavy, or mara (Dolichotis patagonum), a long-legged, harelike animal that reaches a length of about 2 1-2 ft (76 cm) and lives in arid regions. The capybara capybara , mammal of Central and much of South America. It is the largest living member of the order Rodentia (the rodents) reaching a length of 4 ft (120 cm) and a weight of 75 to 100 lb (34–45 kg).
..... Click the link for more information. belongs to a related family. Some cavies are hunted for food in South America. Cavies are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata , phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Caviidae.
cavy
)
Patagonian cavy, or mara (Dolichotis patagona).
(credit: George Holton—Photo Researchers)
cavy [′kā·vē]
(vertebrate zoology)
Any of the rodents composing the family Caviidae, which includes the guinea pig, rock cavies, mountain cavies, capybara, salt desert cavy, and mara.
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