How Many Teeth Do Guinea Pigs Have?
How Many Teeth Do Guinea Pigs Have Guinea pigs have approximately 20 teeth, a combination of both chisel-like incisors, and rodent-like molars. Although they have relatively flat, blunt incisors compared to other rodents, they have incredibly sharp molars!
Incisors
Guinea pigs have four incisors on the top and bottom of their mouth in total. The top incisors are slightly larger than the bottom ones, as they help to provide the guinea pig with extra grip during their constant need to chew and gnaw.
Molars
Pigs have 16 molars, 8 on top and 8 on the bottom. The molars are slightly curved and are specially designed for cutting and grinding food within the guinea pig’s mouth. This is especially useful for guinea pigs as they are vegetarians and need to consume a range of fruits, veggies, and grass.
What They Need Their Teeth For
Guinea pigs need their teeth for a range of activities, such as:
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- Chewing – their incisors and molars help them to break down the food they chew, making it easier to digest.
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- Gnawing – their incisors help them to gnaw at objects and chew on wood, allowing them to trim their teeth.
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- Grinding – their molars help them to grind food down as much as possible when they chew.
Without their teeth, guinea pigs could not eat food or even keep their teeth healthy and clean, so their teeth are absolutely essential for their well-being.
From their incisors to their molars, guinea pigs need all of their teeth to keep healthy and happy!
