The Five Senses

     We all have five very different senses. Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. We know all of our senses are very advanced compared to other animals, but how are they compared to guinea pigs? Do guinea pigs have better eyesight than us? Better hearing? You'll find out, in this post. 

    First we start with eyesight.

    Guinea pigs' sight... isn't so great. They don't even have depth perception! They're peripheral vision is very weak. So, guinea pigs don't have great eyesight in general.

    Next up is hearing.

    A guinea pig's hearing is incredible!  In comparison, humans can hear up to 20,000 Hz (and that's newborn babies!) while guinea pigs can hear up to 50,000 Hz! Now that's more than double. Guinea pigs make up for their bad eyesight with their hearing. An amazing adaptation in the wild to be able to hear predators from more than a mile away. 

    Now we have touch.

    Guinea pigs don't really have hands...they have feet. But they are very sensitive to any touch on any part of their body. If I suddenly pet Pebby (even very lightly) while she is sleeping, she will jump awake and bury deeper into the hut. Once, my elbow brushed Trixie, and she got so surprised she dashed forward and ran right into...the hut 🤣She was fine, though :)

    Next is taste. 

    Humans have 10,000 taste buds (once you get older, you get 5,000). I don't know the exact number of taste buds a guinea pig has, but they have a way better sense of taste than humans! So maybe that's why if that piece of spinach seems a bit rotten, they won't eat any more and instead put it to the side. 

    Last (but definitely not least!) we have the sense of smell. 

    Guinea pigs have an amazing sense of smell! Guinea pigs can smell you cutting vegetables in the kitchen even if they're cage is upstairs. And then they will start wheeking loudly. Guinea pigs also need this great sense of smell in the wild to be able to gather food. What a cool adaptation!

    I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you found it interesting and helpful! Please comment! Make sure to follow and subscribe and see you next time on Trisha's Guinea Pig Adventures!