What are the differences between guinea pigs and hamsters?
Guinea pigs come from grassy areas of Peru, hamsters from desert areas in Syria.
Guinea pigs are awake on and off throughout the 24 hours, hamsters are nocturnal.
Guinea pigs can be kept outside in wooden hutches, hamsters have to be in a metal cage indoors (or they will just chew their way straight out and disappear).
Guinea pigs squeak and tweep, hamsters don’t make any sound that I’ve ever heard (being a small, nocturnal desert animal that squeaks might not be a survival characteristic).
Guinea pigs can be allowed to roam around in the garden, hamsters will be off in seconds.
Guinea pigs can be treated as semi-domestic, hamsters are designed to run miles in a night (and do).
Guinea pigs like other guinea pigs and live happily in colonies, hamsters all hate each other and have to live on their own.
Guinea pigs have babies that have fur, eyes that are open, and the ability to eat normal guinea pig food within a day or so – just miniature versions of grown-up guinea pigs. Hamster babies are tiny, pink, need to live on their mother’s milk, and are pretty helpless.
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