Galloping Guinea Pig

Galloping Guinea Pig AG WORLD 27-4-22 It digs. It gallops. It hops. It jumps along on all fours at a rapid pace. According to one owner, the Patagonian Cavy is the "Guinea Pig From Hell." Actually, the Cavy is the world's second largest rodent, measuring in at up to 2 1/2 ft. long and weighing up to 32 lbs. It has been clocked at 28 mph over a distance of 2/3 of a mile and can leap 7 ft. straight up into the air. This long-legged rodent with the body of a hoofed animal is a native of Patagonia, the highland prairies and grasslands of southern Argentina. After seeing them at exotic animal auctions for years, Cindi Darling Winship finally bought a breeding pair and took them home to her ranch near Sparta, Mo. "We put them in a 12 by 12-ft. pen with a dirt floor and 10-ft. high chain link fence with concrete stem walls," recalls Darling. "They immediately started digging a hole under the wall to the next pen. Eventually the hole was big enough for a man to slide in." The only thing that kept the oversized guinea pigs in the two pens was the 10-ft. wide asphalt floor that runs around the pen areas. So far, the Cavys haven't figured out they need a 10-ft. lateral tunnel to escape. Darling's breeding pair has turned out several liters for her since she bought them. Monogamous for life, they will breed two to three times each year and produce from one to three babies after a 3-month gestation period. Young can be weaned after two to three months, by which time females are sexually mature. Males are sexually mature at six months. "I expect the average market for Cavys runs $200 to 250 each, although the market for animals tamed for pets is a whole different story," says Darling, an experienced exotic animal producer. "I have sold a few babies for $150 each." People planning to buy a Cavy for a pet are advised to buy one before it has been weaned and then bottle-feed it. This imprints the young animal on the owner. Pet Cavys can be leashed and walked like a dog and are very affectionate. Darling warns against raising them in a less than secure facility. In nature, as many as 15 Cavy pairs can share a single burrow, and while they normally spend time in pairs, herds of as many as 70 head or more can travel together to find new grazing areas. In captivity, Cavys are often fed rabbit food, though Darling prefers to feed hers guinea pig food. Darling warns people interested in buying a Cavy or any other exotic animal, to check with their local zoning officials and with the state Fish and Wildlife or Department of Natural Resources officials before writing out a check. Some species require a federal permit. "Any time you bring a non-native animal into an area and it escapes, they can be a problem if they survive," she adds. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Cindi Darling Winship, Liar's Lake Ranch, 1226 Liar's Lake Road, Sparta, Mo. 65753 (ph 417 634-4115; email: watusi@liarslake.com).

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