Spix's yellow-toothed cavy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spix's yellow-toothed cavy |
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The Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii) is a small rodent from South America. It is a type of cavy, which are small, furry animals related to guinea pigs. These cavies get their name from their yellowish teeth.
Spix's Yellow-Toothed Cavy
Spix's yellow-toothed cavies are very similar to another cavy species called Galea musteloides. Scientists are still studying if they might even be the same species. These cavies are quite tough and can live in many different kinds of environments.
Where They Live
You can find Spix's yellow-toothed cavies in Bolivia, especially in the areas east of the Andes mountains. They also live in a large part of south-central and northeastern Brazil. These cavies prefer open, grassy areas.
They are often found in places like the Cerrado, which is a type of savanna with grasslands and scattered trees. They also live in the Caatinga, which is a drier, semiarid habitat in Brazil. They are very common in these areas.
Reproduction and Young
Female Spix's yellow-toothed cavies are pregnant for about fifty days. When the babies are born, they are called pups. A mother usually has about three pups at a time, but she can have anywhere from one to five.
The pups are born with hair and their eyes already open, which means they are quite developed at birth. Adult male and female cavies can sometimes be aggressive towards each other. The fathers usually do not help much with raising the young pups.
