Hamsters and Guinea pigs are cute little pets. Many fellows get confused and ask if both of them are similar? Here are 13 real facts that explain the differences between a hamster and a guinea pig.
Are Hamsters and Guinea Pigs the Same? No, hamsters and guinea pigs are not the same. Few things are similar between them in their biological order and structure of teeth. They have different biological family, age limit, size, weight, and level of handling. Their behavior is different from each other.
Hamsters produce less sound because they are sensitive and fragile. They cannot create too much noise because of these conditions. The Guinea pig will make a lot of noise that will be pinching in your ears. They require better behavior from the owner that will encourage them to live happily.
Are Hamsters and Guinea Pigs the Same?
Guinea pigs are beautiful mammals found in different regions of the world. They are a little bit bigger than hamsters.
Their weight is around one kilogram on average; their lifespan is around 5 to 7 years. They live in the caves and mountainy areas. The gestation period of adults is 55 to 70 days.
Differences between Hamsters and Guinea Pigs
| Features | Hamster | Guinea pig |
| Level of noise | Lesser noise | Pinching sound |
| Handling requirements | Require less expertise to manage | They need more effort to manage them. |
| Size | Four to six inches | Ten to twelve inches |
| Lifespan | Two to three years | Six to eight years |
| Variety of species | Four species | Twelve species |
| Breeding cycle | They can produce eight to ten newborns at a time. | They can give birth to 2 to 4 babies. |
| Feed nature | Omnivorous | Carnivores |
| Family name | Cricetidae family | Cavy family |
Biological family
The type of classification that the zoologist does to classify different living beings in other families and classes. Both of them are in a different family.
Hamster comes in the Cricetidae family, while guinea pigs fall in the cavy family. These classifications are made after seeing the traits and body structure of the species.
The type of feed that they are eating is also noted to decide about their family. Different other factors determine the family of a living being.
Size and weight
The size and weight of these species also different from each other. A guinea pig’s weigh around two to four pounds while others weigh one to three pounds.
The difference in their weights is due to their eating and moving habits. They require much more diet as compared to the hamsters. They are lazy in their daily movement and stay in their cages for more time of the day.
Their habits will allow their body to gain some weight. The difference in size also arises due to all these things. The guinea pig’s size is around ten to twelve inches, while the hamster’s size is approximately four to six inches.
Different reasons make the size and weight of the guinea pigs greater than the hamster.
Life span
Life span is another essential difference between these two species. The hamster’s life span is around two to three years, while the guinea pig enjoys a life of six to eight years.
They have good health because they eat a healthy diet that does not make them old too early. Hamsters eat less food that makes them unhealthy and unfit when they cross the age of two years.
Life span depends on the different things like quality of the food, daily movement, and other things.
We should continue trying to improve the factors that will help them to live more and healthy life. However, both of these are good emotional support animals.
Nature of feed
A feed is an essential thing that grows their body rapidly. Guinea pigs eat a good diet, and they are carnivores. They will eat only plants, vegetables, leaves, and fruits; they will not eat meat in any scenario.
It makes them healthy and fit. On the other side, hamsters are omnivorous because they eat meat and green plants. It is another essential factor that distinguishes both species from one another.
Feed matters a lot in every living being. One cannot survive without eating healthy food. We see the difference in the shape and strength of living because of the food they are eating. They like to eat cantaloupe seeds.
Living environment
Hamsters require less space because they are lesser in size. You will no need to arrange a bigger size cage and other things.
Guinea pigs require a bigger size cage according to their weight and size. You should look for some good setup that urges them to grow. You may look for some designs that will help you to make better settings there.
Breeding cycle
Both species have different gestation periods, and they produce a different number of a newborn. The mating process of both species will be different from each other. They should not keep with each other as they can harm others.
Hamsters can give birth to six to eight newborns at a time, while guinea pigs cannot do the same practice. They can reproduce only two to three newborns at a time.
These numbers can increase if you start giving them some special feed. You have to manage the environment in which they can begin the process of mating.
You may check that your pets’ products should be healthy and hygienic, which is good for their growth.
Variety of species
There is a lot of variety of species in both of them. Guinea pigs have twelve breeds that you can keep at your home and enjoy in the cage. Each of the species will have different habits and traits that you will enjoy to watch.
Hamsters have more than twenty-five species, but you can keep only four from them as a pet. All other species are wild. An average pet owner cannot tame them in lesser time.
You should choose a species as a pet after noting all its traits and habits. You can also note that it can tame easily or not.
Handling requirements
The hamster cage will need to clean two to three times a week, while the guinea pig’s cage will require cleaning daily.
Their waste is too toxic and has a bad smell. If they start eating them, then their health will start deteriorating.
You should manage each pet in the way it wants to get treated. They should be happy with the owner rather than irritated and disturbed.
Similarities between hamsters and guinea pigs
There are a few similarities between them because both of them are mammals.
Rodentia order
Different species come in this biological order. It means that both of them have the same order. There are more than five hundred species of mammals found in this order.
It is the first common point between these two species. Both of them have different families according to their body shapes and other requirements.
Structure of teeth
It is another common factor that is present in many mammals. These both also have the same structure of the teeth.
Their masticating teeth are of the same nature that is sharp and helps them chew some hard food. Their teeth can develop if there is an issue.
These are a few similarities between these two species that make them similar and fall in the same order.
