A large South American rodent similar to a guinea pig, native to the Andes Mountains, also known as a rock cavy.
From Quechua 'cuy,' the indigenous Andean language. The word passed into Spanish and then English as knowledge of South American fauna spread through European exploration and naturalism.
Kuias have been domesticated by Andean people for thousands of years and are still a traditional food source today, valued for meat and fur. They're surprisingly successful animals—they thrive at high altitudes where many other mammals struggle.
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