How Many Teeth Do Guinea Pigs Have?
Guinea pigs are small, friendly and very popular pets, but how many teeth do they have? Let’s find out!
Types of Teeth
Guinea pigs have two types of teeth:
- incisors
- cheek teeth (premolars and molars)
Number of Teeth
Guinea pigs have twenty teeth in total, which consist of:
- four incisors – two on the top and two on the bottom
- sixteen cheek teeth – twelve on the top, four on the bottom
Cheek Teeth
Guinea pigs also have something called cheek teeth, which are also known as premolars and molars. These teeth are located at the back of the mouth, behind the incisors.
Cheek teeth are used for grinding and chewing food, which helps the guinea pig to get the most out of their diet.
Why do guinea pigs need so many teeth?
Guinea pigs need all of their teeth to help them process their food. They mainly eat grass and hay, which needs to be chewed well with their cheek teeth before they can swallow it. As they don’t have any teeth in the back of their mouth, they need a lot of teeth up front to help them chew their food.
Conclusion
To conclude, guinea pigs have twenty teeth in total, which consists of four incisors and sixteen cheek teeth. These are essential for helping process their food and keeping their teeth in good condition.
There you have it! Now you know how many teeth guinea pigs have.
