Rabbit

For other uses, see Rabbit (disambiguation).

“Bunny” and “Bunnies” redirect here. For other uses, see Bunny (disambiguation) and Bunnies (disambiguation).

Rabbit
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Lagomorpha
General
Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus

Rabbits are small mammals  found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including theEuropean rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Cottontail rabbit (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and theAmami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, endangered species on Amami Ōshima, Japan). There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with pikas and hares, make up the order Lagomorpha.

Guinea pig

The Guinea pig (also commonly called the cavy after its scientific name, Cavia porcellus) is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite theircommon name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They originated in the Andes, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they aredomesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida or C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild.^[1][2] The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many Indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.^[3] Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.^[4]

In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household petsince its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.

Guinea pig is also used as a metaphor in English for a subject of experimentation; this usage became common in the first half of the 20th century. Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century; the animals were frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, andpregnancy complications.

Hamster

Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 18 species, classified in six or seven genera.

The name hamster is derived from the German word Hamster, itself from earlier OHG hamustro, from ORusschoměstorǔ, which is either a blend of the root of Russ khomiak “hamster” and a Baltic word (cf. Lith staras“hamster”)^[1] or of Iranian origin (cf. Av hamaēstar “oppressor”)^[2].

Behavior can vary depending on their environment, genetics, and interaction with people. Because they are easy to breed in captivity, hamsters are often used as lab animals in more economically developed countries. Recently hamsters have also become established as popular small family pets.

Hamsters are crepuscular. In the wild, they burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators. They are most active around dusk and dawn, which has led many people to mistake them for being nocturnal. Their diet contains a variety of foods, including dried food, berries, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. In the wild they will eat any wheat, nuts and small bits of fruit and vegetables that they might find lying around on the ground, and will occasionally eat small insects such as small crickets or mealworms. They have elongated fur-lined pouches on both sides of their heads which extend to their shoulders, which they stuff full of food to be brought back to the colony or to be eaten later.