Hairless Guinea Pigs That Look Like Pocket-Sized Hippos Are Known As ‘Skinny Pigs.’

Do you remember the TV ad from years ago that was essentially a PSA about not trusting everything you see on television?

Come on, you know what I’m talking about. We all fell in love with the notion of having a little hippo roaming about our kitchens at night since it was put up like a nature documentary about the elusive “North American House Hippo.”

I remember seeing the commercial, and I remember completely getting the message because I assumed house hippos were the *real deal*.

Yes, a commercial intended to teach us that television isn’t always trustworthy had me persuaded that there was a small hippo hiding in my house.

I think I even started hunting for small hippos around my house, convinced that if I just gazed at the kitchen floor long enough, I’d find one and (fingers crossed) catch one!

I filed them away with the other bitter pills I had to take as a child (no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy), and went about my business.

But, if you’ve given up hope of a happy, boring world without house hippos, I have good news for you: they do exist!

Okay, officially, they’re hairless guinea pigs, not hippos, but tell me these guys aren’t pocket-sized hippos after one glance.

This type of guinea pig, known as “Skinny Pigs,” is hairless save for a few whiskers on their muzzles, feet, and legs, and is the product of cross-breeding done in 1978.

Back then, scientists crossed a hairless guinea pig with one of their hairless lab strains, and the result was this adorable hippo-like rodent!

Skinny Pigs have grown in favor as house pets in Europe and North America over the years.

Although they don’t seem like the hairy guinea pigs you’re used to seeing, these silky cuties aren’t all that dissimilar to their hairless counterparts.

They’re sociable, friendly, and *endearingly adorable*.

The only significant difference is that these guys need to consume more to keep their body temperature stable, and they should always have easy access to warm blankets.