Where do wild guinea-pigs get vitamin C from?

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Alicia

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I am writing about guinea-pigs for one of my college assignments and I have to write about where they get their vitamin C from. All I can find online is from plants and grass, but I have to find out which plants :)
 
Hmmmm... really good question! I'm not sure! I would wonder if the wild ancestors of the guinea pigs are still able to synthesize their own vitamin C (most animals are- requiring an external vitamin C source is relatively rare.) Technically there are no true 'wild guinea pigs'- the domestic guinea pig, cavia porcellus, is considered its own species, though their ancestors still exist in the wild- kind of like how a dog is descended from a wolf but is now it's own species. I'm wondering if need for external vitamin C is a trait specific to the domestic guinea pig. But really I have no idea... if you find out post back because now I'm curious!
 
I have a vegan chart (for humans!) which lists foods rich in vit c as
Green leafy vegetables, brocolli, cabbage, green peppers, parsley, potatoes, frozen peas, oranges and blackcurrant.
Now they're not going to be popping to sainsburys to pick up their frozen peas, but I suppose green leafy veg covers grass and other herbage. I would think that most green plants have some vit c.
Hope this is some help
 
All the fresh grasses and most of the herbage will contain more Vit C than our ready to eat stuff from the shops.

There's no evidence done on the herbage, but dandelion is high in Vit C.

The other "natural" plants (and I say that in inverted commas for the reason that I don't believe there are wild guinea pigs in this country!) and excuse my own plant names for them - are Plantain (narrow and broad leaved), vetches (or Tares), Groundsel, Goosegrass (or sticky buds), Coltsfoot (young leaves only), Sow Thistle and some Clovers (there are many more I feed, but won't go into it now).

All the natural food will have high Vit C because it's freshly picked. Also, remember the Vit C declines with the plants age - i.e. when it's gone to seed the levels drop and the plant becomes bitter and probably unpalatable, so they wouldn't eat it.

Hope that helps a little :)

Jo x
 
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