A baby hippopotamus—have you ever seen? If not, go searching because they are unmistakably cute. Their fat, cute bodies are so squishable that you will wish you could have one of them as a pet because of how squishable they are.
You could, in a way. Not a baby hippopotamus in real life. That’s probably unlawful and unsafe. But it is possible to keep a “skinny pig” as a pet. But it’s not skinny and it’s not an pig.
Skinny pigs, also called Cavia porcellus guinea pigs, are largely hairless.
They resemble miniature hippos in many ways.
Skinny pigs are not a species that occurs in nature
Following the discovery of the mutation causing hairlessness, scientists developed them for use in research. Being hairless makes them more amenable to experimentation.
Due to their lack of hair, skinny pigs are slightly smaller than the typical guinea pig, weighing in at 1 to 2 pounds, and measuring in at 9 to 12 inches.
Due to their ancestors who had hair, they differ in color. A hairless, red skinny pig could result from mating a red-haired guinea pig with an albino guinea pig.
Over the years, the skinny pig has become more and more well-liked as a domestic pet in North America and Europe.
Skinny pigs need room to move around in their living places, as well as blankets and other warm items nearby because they are more susceptible to the cold because they lack hair.
In the cage, it’s preferable to utilize soft bedding materials like fleece rather than wood chips. Since they lack hair to protect their skin, they are also vulnerable to dermatitis and scrapes.
They don’t need to be bathed as frequently though because they don’t have hair. According to estimates, skinny pigs live for five to seven years on average.
Therefore, you should be certain that you have the resources necessary to care for a skinny pig before purchasing one.