maneumann
Well-known member
We are getting a 2nd Cavalier soon, and I made the mistake of referring to them as Cavys. The breeder was a bit miffed by this and respond back with the below definition and requst to not call Cavaliers a Cavy or Cavie. Ops! Never heard this before, probably a bit purest, but I guess it makes sense in lieu of the below definition. Anyway, I thought it was sort of funny, so sharing and correcting my bad form.
Cavy kā'vē, name for 14 species of South American rodents of the family Caviidae, including the domestic guinea pig. The wild cavies are usually small, rounded, and tailless, with fur of a uniform shade of brown. Nocturnal animals, they occupy a variety of habitats, especially dense vegetation. An unusual, large species is the Patagonian cavy, or mara (Dolichotis patagonum), a long-legged, harelike animal that reaches a length of about 212 ft (76 cm) and lives in arid regions. The capybara belongs to a related family. Some cavies are hunted for food in South America. Cavies are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Caviidae.