I hope so!

Yes, and in certain parts of South America, Guinea Pigs are considered a delicacy.

guinea pigs are just giant hamsters, right?

Per wiki answers dont know how much to trust but seems legit
“Hamsters’ northern range extends from central Europe through Siberia, Mongolia, and northern China to Korea. The southern portion of their range stretches from Syria to Pakistan. Throughout dry, open country they inhabit desert borders, vegetated sand dunes, shrubby and rocky foothills and plateaus, river valleys, and mountain steppes; some live among cultivated crops. Geographic distribution varies greatly between species. The common hamster, for example, is found from central Europe to western Siberia and northwestern China, but the golden hamster has been found only near a small town in northwestern Syria. ”

I can’t say for certain, but before humans developed animal husbandry and domesticated many animals, almost every animal evolved and lived in the wild at some time. Although some dog breeds, like poodles, were bred by cross-breeding other dogs, and never existed in the wild.

Hamsters are solitary creatures, they don’t run in packs. They live in warmer places like Africa and the middle east. (hence, Syrian hamster).

Guinea pigs aren’t related to hamsters. Hamsters are rodents. Guinea pigs are lagomorphs, like rabbits.

yes they do

Also if you check out this it will show a list of hamsters and their natural habitats

EOL is an amazing site for these types of questions

@downtide – Thanks for that bit of info. I didn’t know that. I had always assumed that Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Gerbils, and all those little pet-like things were all closely related…

I gets even more odd

@noelleptc – That’s pretty much what I was imagining too :)

This hamster is really wild It’s also enormous.

Yes there are. I think there is a wild counterpart to every domesticated animal. If I visit peru I think I’ll try guinea pig. I bet they taste like chicken.

@noelleptc Not yet but i want to. Is it good?

@noelleptc Guinea Pig or cuy is usually roasted and served with potatos. As to how it tastes, its closest American comparrison would be rabbit.

I have never been interested in owning tiny animals as pets. Cats are smallest I will go. I got bit by a pet rat when I was a kid and I guess that killed my desire to own one. Then again I use to have a dog that was borderline vicious and bit me all the time and I still love Dogs. @noelleptc fishy chicken eh. I should give it a try :D

Love this question! Envisioning herds of free-range hamsters running amok.

@BarnacleBill Imagine it on the Discovery Channel. The mighty heard of stampeding hamsters.

More people lose their lives to marauding hordes of hamsters than are killed by bears, lions, and crocodiles put together.

@ratboy id love to see a source on that lol

@downtide i was going to post that one

I lost all desire for eating rabbit (or guineapig) after my mum used to cook rabbit for our dogs when I was a child. Boiled rabbit stinks. :-x

I just asked this question to my colleagues at work and they laughat me and called me random!!!

LOL! A dingo pack of wild hamsters stole my baby!

Sorry, I just couldn’t stop myself.

I’ve often wondered this too. Now I know!

In Syria there’s Syrian Dwarf hamsters