Galea musteloides
common yellow-toothed cavy

Galea musteloides, known as common yellow-toothed cavies or cui, are found in a large area of South America, including southern Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and northeastern Chile. They can also be found in a wide altitude range, from 5,000 m in the Andes to the low Chaco in Paraguay and in low-lying damp areas (Redford et al., 1992). (Dunnum, et al., 2009; Redford and Eisenberg, 1992)

Common yellow-toothed cavies can be found in many different types of habitats, including savannahs, grasslands, scrubby habitats, croplands, and riparian areas (Keil et al., 1999). (Keil, et al., 1999)

Common yellow-toothed cavies are similar in size to hamsters, weighing between 300 to 600 g as adults. They are tailless and have short legs with clawed digits. Dorsal surfaces range from light to dark brown streaked with black. Ventral surfaces are white and are sharply defined laterally. (Redford and Eisenberg, 1992)

Common yellow-toothed cavies have a promiscuous mating system, were both males and females mate with multiple individuals. Females generally mate with two to four different males. (Keil, et al., 1999)

Common yellow-toothed cavies mate throughout the year and can have up to seven litters a year depending on conditions. Each litter can have one to five young with the average litter containing two to three (Redford et al., 1992). The gestation time ranges from 52 to 54 days (Keil et al., 1999) and weaning takes 3 weeks. Females become sexually mature at 66 days after birth and males at 60 days (AnAge, 2009). In most litters there is evidence of multiple paternity, resulting from sperm competition among multiple male mates (Keil et al., 1999). (Keil, et al., 1999; Redford and Eisenberg, 1992)

Male common yellow-toothed cavies do not help to care for their young and may show aggression towards young (Adrian et al., 2005). Females are the sole providers of care for the young. Females often participate in communal suckling of their young, many believe that this happens because of the large number of young born at approximately the same time (Kunkele et al., 1995). (Adrian, et al., 2005; Kunkele and Hoeck, 1995)

It is unknown how long common yellow-toothed cavies can live in the wild. In captivity they can live up to 3.5 years. (de Magalhaes, 2009)

Common yellow-toothed cavies are crepuscular; most active at dawn and dusk. They live in large, mixed-sex colonial groups (Keil et al., 1999). Within the group there is a social hierarchy among males, with the dominant male having more opportunities to mate. Females are often dominant over males of similar age (Grzimek, 2004). (Grzimek and McCade, 2004; Keil, et al., 1999; Grzimek and McCade, 2004; Keil, et al., 1999; Grzimek and McCade, 2004; Keil, et al., 1999)

Little is known about the home range of G. musteloides.

Common yellow-toothed cavies communicate with vocalizations. They make different sounds that are associated with alarm signaling, aggression towards other individuals, or sexual encounters (Grzimek, 2004). (Grzimek and McCade, 2004)

Common yellow-toothed cavies are herbivores that eat grasses and other vegetation (Grzimek, 2004). (Grzimek and McCade, 2004)

Little is known about predation on G. musteloides. However, as small rodents, they are often prey of larger, predatory mammals, reptiles, and birds (Ebensperger et al., 2006). (Ebensperger and Blumstein, 2006)

It is unknown what types of roles common yellow-toothed cavies play in their ecosystem. They probably impact vegetation through their herbivory and are likely to serve as an important prey base for larger predators in their habitats.

Common yellow-toothed cavies are important members of native ecosystems, although no direct, positive impacts for humans have been documented.

Common yellow-toothed cavies can be considered agricultural pests where they occur near croplands because they will eat crops (Grzimek, 2004). (Grzimek and McCade, 2004)

Common yellow-toothed cavies are listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. They are considered common and there is no evidence of population declines. (Dunnum, et al., 2009)