Mammals · Rodentia · Caviidae

Common Yellow-toothed Cavy

Galea musteloides

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The common yellow-toothed cavy is a caviomorph rodent related to the guinea pig, widespread across Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and northern Chile. It lives in colonies that make use of other animals' burrows and of runways opened through dense vegetation, and is active by day. It feeds on grasses and leaves. Its young are born well developed, with fur, their eyes open and able to eat solid food within hours, a strategy typical of South American rodents that do not depend on a safe burrow.

Weight

200 g – 300 g

Size

17 cm – 25 cm

Lifespan

4 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

MountainGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Colonial Mountain Grassland Mammal

7countries 12parks3same family

Fun facts

Its young are born so well developed that they can run about and nibble grass on the day they are born, in stark contrast with mice and rats, which are born naked and blind.
Females mate with several males in the same oestrus, so a single litter can have different fathers.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Grassland, scrub and field margins of the altiplano and the plains of southern South America
Sexual maturity: 2.2 months
Gestation / incubation: 54 days
Litter / clutch size: 2.63 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galea_musteloides