# Caviidae

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{{Short description|Family of rodents that includes the domestic guinea pig}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{Redirect|Cavy|the animal commonly referred to as "cavy"|guinea pig}}
{{Distinguish|Kavi}}
}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Middle Miocene|Holocene}}
| image = Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris in Brazil in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 09.jpg
| image_caption = [Capybara](/source/Capybara)
| taxon = Caviidae
| authority = [Fischer von Waldheim](/source/Johann_Fischer_von_Waldheim), 1818
| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
| subdivision = 
&nbsp;[Caviinae](/source/Caviinae)<br/>
&nbsp;[Dolichotinae](/source/Dolichotinae)<br/>
&nbsp;[Hydrochoerinae](/source/Hydrochoerinae)
| range_map = File:Caviidae distribution.png
| range_map_caption = Caviidae distribution
}}

'''Caviidae''', the '''cavy''' [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)), is composed of [rodent](/source/rodent)s native to [South America](/source/South_America) and includes the [domestic guinea pig](/source/domestic_guinea_pig), wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the [capybara](/source/capybara). They are found across South America in open areas from moist [savanna](/source/savanna) to [thorn forest](/source/thorn_forest)s or [scrub](/source/scrubland) [desert](/source/desert). This family of rodents has fewer members than most [other rodent families](/source/Rodent), with 19 species in seven genera in three subfamilies.

==Characteristics==
thumb|left|Guinea pig skull on top of a capybara skull 
With the exception of the [mara](/source/Mara_(mammal))s, which have a more [rabbit](/source/rabbit)-like appearance, caviids have short, heavy bodies and large heads. Most have no visible [tail](/source/tail)s. They range in size from the smaller cavies at 22&nbsp;cm in body length, and 300&nbsp;grams in weight, up to the [capybara](/source/capybara), the largest of all rodents at 106 to 134&nbsp;cm in length, and body weights of 35 to 66 kilograms. Even larger forms existed in the [Pliocene](/source/Pliocene), such as ''[Phugatherium](/source/Phugatherium)'', which was about the size of a [tapir](/source/tapir).<ref name=MamEv>{{cite book |author1=Savage, RJG |author2=Long, MR |year=1986 |title= Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide|url=https://archive.org/details/mammalevolutioni0000sava |url-access=registration |publisher= Facts on File|location=New York|pages= [https://archive.org/details/mammalevolutioni0000sava/page/125 125–126]|isbn= 0-8160-1194-X}}</ref>

They are [herbivore](/source/herbivore)s, eating tough grasses or softer leaves, depending on species. The [dental formula](/source/dentition) is similar to that of various other rodents: {{DentalFormula|upper=1.0.1.3|lower=1.0.1.3}}. Females give birth to two or three furred and active young after a [gestation](/source/gestation) period of 50 to 90 days in most species, or 150 days in the capybara. In most species, they are sexually mature within a few months of birth, although in capybaras, maturity is not reached until around 18 months.<ref name=EoM/>

Social organisation varies widely among the group. Many cavies are promiscuous, forming no long-lasting social groups, although, in some species, males maintain harems of two or more females. In contrast, maras are [monogamous](/source/Monogamy_in_animals), and form temporary colonial [crèches](/source/Cr%C3%A8che_(zoology)) to care for the young of multiple mothers. Capybaras live in groups of around 10 individuals, and sometimes many more, each with a single dominant male, and a number of females, subordinate males, and juveniles.<ref name=EoM>{{cite book |editor=Macdonald, D. |author1=Herrera, E. |author2=Lacher, T.E. |author3=Macdonald, D. |author4=Taber, A.B. |year=1984 |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/690 690–699] |isbn=0-87196-871-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/690 }}</ref>

==Classification==
{{further|List of caviids}}

The family Caviidae is a sister group to the family [Dasyproctidae](/source/Dasyproctidae), both of which are members of the superfamily Cavioidea.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://kit.eimb.ru/PDF/Veniaminova_07_G_en.pdf|title = Phylogeny of the order Rodentia inferred from structural analysis of short retroposon B1|last = Veniaminova|first = N. A.|date = February 28, 2006|journal = General Genetics|access-date = November 30, 2015|archive-date = March 16, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230316150222/http://kit.eimb.ru/PDF/Veniaminova_07_G_en.pdf|url-status = dead}}</ref> Fossils caviids first appeared during the middle of the [Miocene](/source/Miocene) epoch in South America.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Cavies and Maras (Caviidae) - Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia {{!}} Encyclopedia.com|url = http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3406700994/cavies-and-maras-caviidae.html|website = www.encyclopedia.com|access-date = 2015-11-30}}</ref>

Family '''Caviidae'''
*Subfamily [Caviinae](/source/Caviinae)
**Genus ''[Cavia](/source/Cavia)'' (at least six species): guinea pigs or cavies, includes the domestic [guinea pig](/source/guinea_pig)
**Genus ''[Galea](/source/Galea_(genus))'' (four extant species): yellow-toothed cavies
**Genus ''[Microcavia](/source/Microcavia)'' (three extant species): mountain cavies
*Subfamily [Dolichotinae](/source/Dolichotinae): maras
**Genus ''[Dolichotis](/source/Dolichotis)'' (two extant species): maras
*Subfamily [Hydrochoerinae](/source/Hydrochoerinae)
**Genus ''[Hydrochoerus](/source/Hydrochoerus)'' (two extant species): capybaras
**Genus ''[Kerodon](/source/Kerodon)'' (two species): rock cavies

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{MSW3 Hystricognathi | id = 13400168 | pages = 1552-1556}}

{{Rodents}}
{{Caviidae nav}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q685772}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Cavies
Category:Caviomorpha
Category:Rodent families
Category:Rodents of South America
Category:Miocene rodents
Category:Neogene rodents
Category:Quaternary rodents
Category:Neogene mammals of South America
Category:Quaternary mammals of South America
Category:Extant Miocene first appearances
Category:Taxa named by Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Caviidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caviidae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caviidae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.