where do guinea pigs come from

Guinea pigs originally come from the Andes Mountains in South America, particularly in regions that are now Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. They were first domesticated around 5,000 BCE by the indigenous peoples of the Andean region. Wild ancestors of guinea pigs lived in grasslands, forests, and marshes of South America. Over time, guinea pigs were used as a food source, had roles in medicine and religion, and eventually became popular as pets in Europe after being brought there by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Their domestication likely occurred independently in Peru and Colombia, with the Central Andean region considered the primary origin for domesticated guinea pigs worldwide today.