<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <Ul> <Li> Mus porcellus </Li> <Li> Cavia cobaya </Li> <Li> Cavia anolaimae </Li> <Li> Cavia cutleri </Li> <Li> Cavia leucopyga </Li> <Li> Cavia longipilis </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> Mus porcellus </Li> <Li> Cavia cobaya </Li> <Li> Cavia anolaimae </Li> <Li> Cavia cutleri </Li> <Li> Cavia leucopyga </Li> <Li> Cavia longipilis </Li> </Ul> <P> The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), also known as domestic cavy or simply cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia . Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family Suidae, nor do they come from Guinea in Africa; they originated in the Andes of South America and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domestic, not wild, descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as C. tschudii . </P> <P> The domestic guinea pig plays an important role in folk culture for many indigenous Andean groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies . Guinea pigs are a culinary staple in the Andes Mountains, where they are known as cuy, a name also given to large animals, the result of a breeding program, that ended up in southern California . Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America . </P>

Where do guinea pigs come from in the wild
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