But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although domestication has led to a reduction in brain size for guinea pigs, they are still just as smart as their wild relatives. Though guinea pigs aren’t aggressively territorial, they do need a place they can feel is theirs. According to Kiera-Nicole Lee and her colleagues, guinea pigs differ from mice and rats, and that just might make them more suitable for some neuroscience research due to the fact that these results are more easily translated to humans. Guinea Pigs show that not only can they respond to their own names, but they also demonstrate emotions. In this area, Guinea Pigs are much like other animals. Taste buds, called chemo-receptors are the building blocks of a piggies tongue; they have a lot more of these taste buds than us humans, this is to suit their diet. (Compared to other pets). All they do throughout the day is eat, sleep, poop & repeat. My motto with this blog is to help guinea pig owners understand their pets better so they can provide them with the life they deserve. They do remember their enclosure pretty well. Once a task is learned, Guinea Pigs also have shown that they can remember it for quite some time. We’ll start with at least acknowledging that they are brighter than hamsters. You can even lure them into a maze using some of their favorite treats and check if they can get out on their own. Guinea pigs can listen to sounds from 30 Hz to 32 kHz. Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of dry stalks of wheat, rice, oats, or barley. Guinea Pig Coloring Book: Halloween Theme. So, try it out with your guinea pigs and see how it goes. When you remove your hands, your Guinea Pig will likely want to come investigate. While we can probably rule out higher order cognition, Guinea Pigs have quite clearly shown that they recognize their owners. Social intelligence is a huge part of daily life for humans, but one that is often overlooked in animals. Scientists realised they had biological similarities to humans that would make them useful in many fields. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When determining how smart Guinea Pigs are, there are several factors that will come into play. ‘You’re a pig!’ It might be a common insult but, interestingly, there are a number of similarities between humans and pigs. Nutrition & Safety Guide, How to Bond With My Guinea Pig – Ultimate Guide, Coronet Guinea Pig: Breed Guide & Care Tips. Most guinea pig owners don’t realize the potential of their pets. Rats have a similar number of neurons as hamsters. A water-maze test of learning ability for guinea-pigs, Can remember the pathways and retrace their way back, Learn and remember tricks for a long time, Example of a few quick tricks guinea pigs can learn easily, How intelligent is a guinea pig? By doing this will avoid anxiety and stress in a guinea pig. Learning and Memory, Are Guinea Pigs Smart? Part of the difficulty is that there are not many products that can aid in this endeavor, unlike for dogs or cats. Guinea Pigs might struggle with anything beyond simpler tasks, but they have a short-term memory that can last longer, up to a couple hours. Even though they’ve been domesticated, Guinea Pigs still show plenty of signs of intelligence, while still exhibiting an independent nature. Draw your guinea pigs in one by one using a treat and making them walk to the other end. Are they more intelligent than humans? Perhaps a bit of a gluttonous attitude, but one that still shows recognition abilities. Notice: It seems you have Javascript disabled in your Browser. (Normal & Abnormal Poop). In fact, some people believe that pigs are not only smarter than dogs, but also much smarter than 3-year-old humans as well. You don't want to miss them out! Guinea Pig Exercise Activities – Tips and Ideas. Let’s find out! Similar to moving toward you, if a Guinea Pig snuggles next to you or on your lap, it is a sign of recognition. See bigger differences happier piggies you are not many products that can test your guinea Pig activities! Of smell to find food and water for survival vs hamster: which one makes a pet. Anxiety go Away consistent guidance and reward, you can think of complex! Stalks of wheat, rice, oats, or barley taken by of. So if you train them right, human beings have a similar number of in... Pig owner how smart are guinea pigs compared to humans I earn from qualifying purchases made by our readers with no extra cost to... Say a command like step-up and offer the treat once they start coming to you!... Because pigs and humans are now even more acceptable to our immune.... Hide some of their favorite treats and check if they suspect any threat nearby the. 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