The domesticated guinea pig is a cavy scientifically described as Cavia porcellus, which is native to South America. No longer found in the wild, the species is believed to have been domesticated thousands of years ago in pre-Incan Peru. Though common as pets in the United States, the small animals were originally raised as a readily sustainable food source and are still utilized as such in some locales. Relatively simple and inexpensive to rear, guinea pigs are perhaps more widely used, however, as research subjects in laboratories around the world.