Guinea Pig Language

Did you know there is a guinea pig language? When you hear your guinea pig squeaking have you ever thought it might mean something?

The table below gives a decribtion of what their different grunts, squeaks and body language means.

Behavior	What It Means
Touching each other nose	Greeting & acknoledgement / checking for infection
Murmurs, gurgles & grunts	Contentment, comfort
Jumping	Happiness
Squeaking	Pain, fear, lonliness or begging for food
Cooing	Calming sound, reassurance
Sitting up or standing	Begging for food
Tilting the head at an angle	Signaling strenth
Lowering the head, growling	Fear, offer of peace
Rattling, hissing, teeth chattering	Aggression, warning the 'enemy', trying to impress
Mouth wide open, showing teeth	Female rejecting male's advances
Stretching the head forwards	Watchfulness, alertness
Retracting the legs under the body, pressing against a wall	Helpless, need for protection
Turning rigid	Playing 'dead' to distract the 'enemy'
Extending the head	Fear, could panic
Grunting	Friendly greeting
Stretching	Relaxed comfort
Growling, grunting, rattling	Male mating sounds