Why Do Guinea Pigs Have Whiskers? (Answered Here!)

We’ve all seen those long whiskers protruding from a guinea pig’s face. Maybe you’ve even thought of trimming them once or twice, only to end up not doing it because you weren’t sure if it’s safe. But why do guinea pigs have whiskers in the first place?

Guinea pigs have whiskers for several reasons. The most essential reason is that whiskers help them feel their way around. Like felines, and other pets, piggies use their whiskers to detect changes in air currents. This lets them know if there’s something nearby, even if they can’t see it.

Don’t get it wrong. Those whiskers on the sides of your piggie’s face aren’t there for show! 

They perform a variety of functions for your guinea pig. In this article, we’ll tell you everything there is to know about guinea pig whiskers. So, let’s get started.

What Do Whiskers Do?

Whiskers play crucial roles in making your little friend’s life more comfortable. They help with depth perception, identification of objects, navigation, communication, and many other things. In fact, it’s more accurate to think of whiskers as an extra sensory organ for guinea pigs.

Before we proceed to the core of this section, one thing is worth mentioning. Whiskers aren’t like the regular fur growing on your guinea’s body.

Sure, they may look like hair, but those long structures on your piggie’s face are actually quite different.

For instance, whiskers are much thicker and stiffer than regular fur. They also grow much longer than ordinary hair. But we’ll talk more about that later.

The thing is, whiskers differ greatly from your pig’s normal fur. Anatomy-wise, they are embedded much deeper into the skin and have a large number of nerve endings.

That’s why they’re also called vibrissae. It’s these nerve endings that make the structures super-sensitive to touch and air-pressure changes.

Now for the meat and potatoes of this section: some of the common ways guinea pigs use their whiskers.

Depth Perception

We use our eyes to determine how far away an object is which is called depth perception. But our furry friends’ eyes aren’t as good as ours. So, to make sure that they don’t bump into things, guinea pigs have whiskers.

The long whiskers on either side of a guinea pig’s face help them determine the distance of an object. When the whiskers touch an object, your adorable fur baby knows that it is close by and can stop. That way, they avoid bumping into things that could hurt them.

Identifying Objects

Another way pigs use their whiskers is to identify objects. Using their whiskers, your little friend can figure out whether what they are touching is safe or not.

For example, if a guinea pig contacts something soft with its whiskers, it knows it is safe. On the other hand, if the object is hard or has sharp edges, the guinea pig will know that they should stay away from it.

Navigating In The Dark

You might have heard your guinea pig make some noises in the night. That doesn’t mean they are most active during the night.

Unlike rats and hamsters, guinea pigs aren’t nocturnal. Neither are they diurnal. Instead, they belong to a category of animals called crepuscular animals. These are animals that are those most active at dawn and dusk hours.

Now, since they aren’t wired to operate in darkness, your little friend’s eyes aren’t good at seeing in the dark. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need to see at night. They still do, especially now that they are prey animals.

Unfortunately, their eyes just don’t support that. 

So, to navigate in low light or darkness, guinea pigs have to rely on other sensory organs, like whiskers.

By using whiskers, guineas can feel their way around in the dark. It helps them know whether the path is clear and wide enough for them to pass through.

Do Whiskers Help Guinea Pigs Balance?

Yes, whiskers also help guinea pigs to remain balanced. Each whisker on a guinea’s face connects to specialized cells called proprioceptors. 

These cells send information to the brain about the body’s position in space. That in turn helps the guinea pig maintain its balance.

For a body to maintain balance, proprioception is necessary. This is the sense of the relative position of neighboring body parts. 

Usually, you can find proprioceptors in tendons, muscles, and joints. They help the brain determine where the body is in space.

But in guineas, proprioceptors are also found in whiskers. So, when a guinea moves the head, the proprioceptors send information to the brain on the movement. That helps the guinea maintain its balance.

How Many Whiskers Does A Guinea Pig Have?

Guinea pigs have about 23 whiskers on each side of their face. That’s a total of about 46 whiskers, fewer than you’ll find in some rodents. You will find these whiskers on the cheek, mouth, nose, and above the eyes.

Guinea pigs have fewer whiskers than rodents like mice and rats, which have 33 on each side. The 46 whiskers on a guinea pig’s face are more than you find in a cat, who has 12 on each side, for a total of 24.

Usually, these whiskers appear in five irregular rows. That’s unlike what you’ll find in some animals like cats.

With cats, whiskers are arranged in straight rows. The length of these whiskers varies from guinea pig to guinea pig.

Can You Cut A Guinea Pig’s Whiskers?

While you can cut a guinea pig’s whiskers, you shouldn’t. Whiskers play an important role in your piggie’s life, so cutting them isn’t recommended.

Cutting your pig’s whiskers makes their life more uncomfortable. It also throws off their balance and will negatively impact how the interact with their environment.

I’ve already said that whiskers aren’t just like ordinary hair growing on your pig’s body.

If you must trim them for some reason, only remove the damaged whiskers. If you have to trim them, make sure you use sterilized scissors. Also, avoid taking too much off. Just snip the very tips.

Why Do Guinea Pigs Have Long Whiskers?

Piggies have long whiskers to help them feel their way around and navigate. The greater length also serves as an early warning sign for when your piggie is about to bump into something.

Guinea pigs are prey animals. That means they are on constant watch for predators and other dangers. The long whiskers help them detect threats early so they can take evasive action.

The long whiskers also play a role in social interactions among guinea pigs. For example, when two piggies meet, they touch whiskers to get to know each other.

Why Do Guinea Pigs Sometimes Bite Whiskers?

Guinea pigs sometimes bite whiskers to show dominance. If you see one of your fur babies biting the other’s whiskers, know that the one doing it is the dominant guinea pig.

The issue of dominance is a serious matter among guineas. Actually, it’s something that dates back to their ancestors. In the wild, guinea pigs lived in social hierarchies with a strict order.

The dominance hierarchy was necessary to ensure the survival of the species. The dominant guinea pigs got access to the best food and mate. As for the subordinate piggies, they had to make do with what remained.

Thankfully, things have changed and your piggies don’t have to worry about food and mates. But the urge to dominate is still there. So, biting each other’s whiskers is pigs’ way of establishing dominance.

You may also notice other signs of dominance. That includes mounting, chasing, and even grunting. You may need to separate your guinea pigs if the dominance battle gets out of hand.

But as long as the other pig is willing to play the subordinate role, there’s no need to worry. The scuffle will only last for a short time and settle after the pigs agree on who’s boss.

Can Guinea Pig Whiskers Grow Back?

Yes, a guinea pig’s whiskers will grow back when cut or plucked. It takes several weeks for them to get back to their full length. In the meantime, your piggie will be uncomfortable.

As I said before, you should avoid cutting your piggie’s whiskers at all costs. Your pet needs those stiff hair-like structures in their everyday life.

But if you trimmed them accidentally, or maybe they were pulled out by the dominant piggie, don’t worry. Whiskers grow back. All you need to do is wait patiently for a few weeks.

It should take at least three weeks for the whiskers to grow back fully. In some cases, it may take up to eight weeks. It all depends on the length of the whiskers and how fast your piggie’s hair grows.

The growth will happen naturally so you don’t need to do anything special. Just make sure your guinea pig is comfortable and has everything they need during this time.

Final Thoughts

If you’re like me, you may have never given much thought to guinea pig whiskers.

But it turns out they are quite fascinating and serve an important purpose! Next time you see a guinea pig, take a closer look at those whiskers – they just might surprise you.