Caviidae
Encyclopedia
The cavy family
(Caviidae) is a family of rodent
s native to South America
, and including the domestic guinea pig
, wild cavies, and the capybara
, among other animals. They are found across the continent, in open areas from moist savanna
to thorn
forest
s or scrub desert
.
This remarkable rodent family has fewer members than most other rodent families with 18 species in 6 genera.
s, which have a more rabbit
-like appearance, caviids have short, heavy bodies, and large heads. They have no visible tail
s. 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 with a body weight 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 herbivore
s, eating tough grasses or softer leaves, depending on species. The dental formula
is similar to that of various other rodents: . Females give birth to two or three furred and active young after a gestation
period of 50 to 90 days in most species, or 150 days in the capybara. In most species, they are sexually mature within a few months of birth, although in capybaras, maturity is not reached until around 18 months.
Social organisation varies widely among the group. Many cavies are promiscuous, forming no long-lasting social groups, although, in some species, males maintain harems of two or more females. In contrast, maras are monogamous, and form temporary colonial creches to care for the young of multiple mothers. Capybaras live in groups of around ten individuals, and sometimes many more, each with a single dominant male, and a number of females, subordinate males, and juveniles.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Caviidae) is a family of rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s native to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and including the domestic guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
, wild cavies, and the capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
, among other animals. They are found across the continent, in open areas from moist savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
to thorn
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s or scrub desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
.
This remarkable rodent family has fewer members than most other rodent families with 18 species in 6 genera.
Characteristics
With the exception of the maraMara (mammal)
The maras are a genus of the cavy family. They are the sole representatives of the subfamily Dolichotinae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina but live in other areas of South America as well such as Paraguay...
s, which have a more rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
-like appearance, caviids have short, heavy bodies, and large heads. They have no visible tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
s. They range in size from the smaller cavies at 22 cm in body length, and 300 grams in weight, up to the capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
, the largest of all rodents at 106 to 134 cm in length, and with a body weight of 35 to 66 kilograms. Even larger forms existed in the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
, such as Phugatherium, which was about the size of a tapir
Tapir
A Tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. There are four species of Tapirs: the Brazilian Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, Baird's Tapir and the Mountain...
.
They are herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
s, eating tough grasses or softer leaves, depending on species. The dental formula
Dentition
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age...
is similar to that of various other rodents: . Females give birth to two or three furred and active young after a gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
period of 50 to 90 days in most species, or 150 days in the capybara. In most species, they are sexually mature within a few months of birth, although in capybaras, maturity is not reached until around 18 months.
Social organisation varies widely among the group. Many cavies are promiscuous, forming no long-lasting social groups, although, in some species, males maintain harems of two or more females. In contrast, maras are monogamous, and form temporary colonial creches to care for the young of multiple mothers. Capybaras live in groups of around ten individuals, and sometimes many more, each with a single dominant male, and a number of females, subordinate males, and juveniles.
Classification
Family Caviidae- Subfamily CaviinaeCaviinaeCaviinae 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-like forms along with the cursorially adapted Kerodon...
: Guinea pigGuinea pigThe guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s (cavies)- Genus CaviaCaviaCavia is a genus in the subfamily Caviinae that contains the rodents commonly known as guinea pigs. The best-known species in this genus is the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, an important meat animal in South America and a common household pet in the West.-Taxonomic controversy:Cavia are...
, this genus is especially called cavy. - Genus GaleaGalea (genus)Galea is a genus of South American rodents of the family Caviidae. Four species are known, found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Brazil. They are as follows:* Brandt's Yellow-toothed Cavy...
- Genus MicrocaviaMicrocaviaMicrocavia is a rodent genus in the family Caviidae.It contains the following species:* Southern Mountain Cavy, Microcavia australis* Andean Mountain Cavy, Microcavia niata...
: Desert cavies
- Genus Cavia
- Subfamily Dolichotinae
- Genus Dolichotis: Patagonian hares, or maras
- Subfamily HydrochoerinaeHydrochoerinaeHydrochoerinae 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...
- Genus HydrochoerusHydrochoerusThe genus Hydrochoerus contains two living species of capybaras from South America and Panama, the largest living rodents in the world. The genus name is derived from the Greek ὕδωρ plus χοίρος ....
: Capybara - Genus KerodonKerodonThe genus Kerodon contains two species of South American rock cavies related to capybaras.-Characteristics:Adults weigh about 800 grams. Gestation period is 76–77 days with 1-3 young born to females. Metabolic rate is 0.45 ml-O2/...
: Rock cavy
- Genus Hydrochoerus