Montane Guinea Pig
Encyclopedia
The Montane Guinea Pig, Cavia tschudii, is a guinea pig
species
from South America
. It is found in Peru
.
Peruvian wild guinea pigs were first described by E. T. Bennett in 1835, who termed them Cavia cutleri. Johann Jakob von Tschudi
, in an 1845 publication, used the term Cavia cutleri to refer to what are now considered two separate entities - the first, Bennett's Cavia cutleri, which was later (by Oldfield Thomas
in 1917) identified as probably a differently-pigmented version of Cavia porcellus, and the second, a wild Peruvian pig that was clearly different from the animal Bennett described. In 1867, Leopold Fitzinger
renamed the latter guinea pig Cavia tschudii.
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...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
from 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...
. It is found in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
Peruvian wild guinea pigs were first described by E. T. Bennett in 1835, who termed them Cavia cutleri. Johann Jakob von Tschudi
Johann Jakob von Tschudi
Johann Jakob von Tschudi was a Swiss naturalist and explorer.Tschudi was born in Glarus, and studied natural sciences and medicine at the universities of Neuchâtel, Leiden and Paris. In 1838 he travelled to Peru, where he remained for five years exploring and collecting plants in the Andes...
, in an 1845 publication, used the term Cavia cutleri to refer to what are now considered two separate entities - the first, Bennett's Cavia cutleri, which was later (by Oldfield Thomas
Oldfield Thomas
Oldfield Thomas FRS was a British zoologist.Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and sub-species for the first time. He was appointed to the Museum Secretary's office in 1876, transferring to the Zoological Department in 1878...
in 1917) identified as probably a differently-pigmented version of Cavia porcellus, and the second, a wild Peruvian pig that was clearly different from the animal Bennett described. In 1867, Leopold Fitzinger
Leopold Fitzinger
Leopold Joseph Franz Johann Fitzinger was an Austrian zoologist.Fitzinger was born in Vienna and studied botany at the university of Vienna under Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin...
renamed the latter guinea pig Cavia tschudii.