Anatomy and skeleton of a guinea pig, internal and external body structure

Before starting a guinea pig, it would be useful to find out its physiological data. What is her digestive system, the internal structure of the body. This may be useful to the future owner to ensure a comfortable life for the pet.

Features in the structure

This animal has many differences from its fellow rodents. The structure of a guinea pig, its body is similar to a cylinder, its length reaches 25 cm. By weight, males are larger – up to one and a half kg, females – a little more than a kg. The coat is smooth and grows quite quickly – 1 mm per day.

Guinea pig teeth

This rodent has incisors that are well developed and sharp. They grow throughout the life of the pig. It happens that the incisors reach such sizes that they can cause discomfort to the animal and even injure the tongue or lips. The guinea pig does not have fangs, and the molars have special folds and tubercles.

There are only 10 teeth on the lower jaw: two false-rooted, six molars and two incisors. The lower jaw is characterized by good mobility, it can move in different directions, not only forward and backward. Upper jaw: two molars, six molars, and a pair of incisors that are shorter than those of the lower jaw.

Teeth have strong enamel in front, but soft enamel in the back and wears off quickly.

Skeleton

There are 258 bones in the body of a rodent. Guinea pig skeleton:

• tail bones – 7 pcs.;
• costal – 13 pairs;
• spine – 34 bones;
• skull;
• rib cage;
• hind legs – 72 bones.

Despite the fact that the number of bones in the limbs is so large, this does not indicate their strength. The paws of the guinea pig are very fragile and vulnerable to fractures, as well as to various injuries.

Does a guinea pig have a tail

The tail of a guinea pig is rather inconspicuous. The caudal spine is made up of seven bones. They are very small and located near the pelvis of the rodent. This is misleading and many believe that the tail is completely absent.

How many fingers does a guinea pig have

Pig has very short legs. The front ones are much smaller than the back ones. Guinea pigs have different numbers of fingers. There are three toes on the hind legs, and four on the front. They resemble small hooves.

The main systems of the rodent and their features

The circulatory system of guinea pigs is similar to the structure of other rodents. The heart weighs a little more than 2 g. The frequency of contractions reaches up to 350 per minute.

The respiratory system is very sensitive to various infections and bacteria. The respiratory rate is up to 120-130 (normal). The structure of the lung is unusual and varies: the right is divided into four parts and heavier, and the left is divided into three parts.

The gastrointestinal tract of this animal is quite large and well developed. Food is usually present in the stomach, its volume reaches 30 cm. The intestine is much longer than the body, almost twelve times.

The anatomy of a guinea pig is such that food in these rodents is digested for a long time, about a week, so something new should be introduced into the diet very carefully. Otherwise, it will lead to dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.

One of the important organs is the caecum. It produces soft feces, it helps to break down cellulose, it is the main substance in the diet.

The structure of the body of a rodent has another feature in the form of the presence of a fecal pocket, which is located below, right under the anus. It has glands responsible for the production of liquid, thick and with a peculiar smell. The owner needs to monitor its regular sanitization.

In an adult pig, the excretory system functions perfectly. The rodent excretes 50 ml of urine per day (uric acid 3,5%).

The owner should pay special attention to the lymph nodes of the guinea pig if it behaves in any unusually lethargic way or does not eat well. They are located near the ear on the neck.

If the lymph nodes become inflamed, then you should immediately contact your veterinarian. This may indicate an abscess.

True, this rarely happens in rodents.

Features of vision, hearing and smell of a guinea pig

The external structure of the eyes of a rodent has its own interesting features. Their location is not in the center, but on the sides. This allows the animal to see everything around. But there are also disadvantages – frontal vision suffers, this zone is blind. Basically, the animals are short-sighted and rely only on the sense of smell. It plays an important role in the life of this rodent.

By smell, they can determine the sex and whether there is an opportunity for reproduction. Both females and males have a strong sense of smell, it is a thousand times more sensitive than the human sense of smell. This allows the animal to smell odors that humans would not even perceive.

On the muzzle of the pig there are tactile hairs, they serve as a guide to the area. A rodent, even in complete darkness, can determine the width and depth of the hole, whether it is possible to penetrate into it or not.

Also, the guinea pig is in a better position than rats and mice when compared with hearing.

The internal structure of their ear is very interesting – the so-called cochlea consists of four turns. Mostly mammals have two and a half. Humans perceive sound no more than 15000 hertz, and a guinea pig up to 30000 hertz.

General physiological data of the rodent

The weight of a guinea pig reaches up to 2 kg, and the length is up to 30 cm. In a healthy pig, the body temperature does not exceed 39 degrees. Sexual maturity of females – up to 40 days, males – up to 60 days.

Pregnancy in a female takes about seventy years. One litter has up to five cubs. The life expectancy of pigs is about eight years, but there are also centenarians (up to 10 years).

Video: guinea pig body structure