Can guinea pigs have babies with gerbils?
—Arielle, 9 Interesting question, Arielle—and the answer to it is “No.” The way the animal kingdom works, animals usually only have babies with other members of their own species. It’s true that guinea pigs and gerbils are both mammals and they’re both rodents—but because they aren’t from the same species, they can’t reproduce. And if we’re talking wild guinea pigs and gerbils, I can give you another reason why they cannot have babies. Guinea pigs come from the mountains and grasslands of South America, while gerbils—sometimes called desert rats—live in Africa, Asia and India. So unless they can catch a direct flight, these two different kinds of animals wouldn’t even be on the same continent! How long do goldfish live to be? —Adriana, 11 You may be surprised at the answer to your question, Adriana. If well cared for, goldfish have a lifespan of 10 to 20 years. We’ve even heard of one long-lived lady goldfish, Tish from England, who made it the stately age of 43. Now she’s what we call
