Guinea Pigs.

The guinea pig was first discovered as early as 5000 BC as food for tribes in the Andes. Guinea pigs are large rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200 g and measuring between 20 and 25cm. They live for 5 to 8 years. They are social animals, living in the wild in small groups consisting of several females, a male, and an infant. They move together in groups and eat grass or other vegetation. They are nocturnal creatures.... like some of my class mates.

The use of guinea pigs in scientific experimentation dates back to the seventeenth century when the Italian biologist Marcello Malpighi conducted dissections with guinea pigs in their examination of anatomic structure.

article by Leandre Chenuil