Cavia aperea
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The Brazilian guinea pig (Cavia aperea) (preá in Portuguese) is a wild guinea pig species found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Cavia aperea has been successfully mated to the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, though many females become infertile in successive generations.
Brazilian guinea pigs are mainly diurnal animals and are narrower and longer than domesticated guinea pigs. This is a medium-sized guinea pig with an adult length of about 272 mm (11 in) and a weight of 637 grams (22.5 oz). The tail, at around 2.4 mm, is almost non-existent. The dorsal fur is dark olive-brown mixed with brown and black, and the underparts are a pale grey or yellowish-grey.
The Brazilian guinea pig has a wide distribution in South America at altitudes between 400 and 3,000 metres (1,300 and 9,800 ft) above sea level. Its range extends from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela to areas in the north of Argentina. Its typical habitat is open grassland and savannah.
Cavia aperea is... Wikipedia →
Uncertain0:37
Colombia · 2026
© Paul Stewart - En8patas · XC1156121 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording1:01
Argentina · 2025
© Juan M. Atencio · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:19
Argentina · 2013
© Leonardo Adrián LEIVA · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | Barcelona Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Ostrava Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 4 | Banham Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Wildpark Poing | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Hellabrunn Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Aquarama Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Tierpark Schlichtweg 15 in München | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Wiwa Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 10 | Zoo Schlichtweg 11 in München | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Zoo Siebenbrunner Straße 6 in München | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Brazilian Guinea Pig sighting in Curitiba on a given day, based on 65 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 7 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and December
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Brazilian Guinea Pig in Curitiba on a given day, against about 20% in January, the lowest month.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brazilian Guinea Pig sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Brazilian Guinea Pig sightings, Curitiba has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Rosario (Argentina, about 30%) and Buenos Aires (Argentina, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brazilian Guinea Pig is recorded against all the mammals logged in Curitiba (65 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
