GPS tracking devices are hot and practically everywhere. GPS tracking devices are in cars, boats, planes, PDAs, computers, cell phones, handheld devices, and some are showing up on dog and cat collars. Hopefully, soon, you can even track smaller pets like hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs with their own GPS tracking mini-devices. Global Positioning Satellite devices have recently been in the news for tracking down lost mountaineers and vacationers.

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p>GPS For GPS

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p>GPS tracking devices need to be a lot smaller and more waterproof if they are going to be used for GPS (Guinea PigS). Currently, the GPS tracking devices are on pet collars. As guinea pigs don t have a neck, collars have never worked well for these furry eggplants. The challenge of GPS tracking devices for guinea pigs is where to put it on the piggie. Many guinea pigs that are professionally shown or are in labs have ear tags or leg rings. Perhaps the GPS tracking devices could be included in an ear tag or leg ring.

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p>Another thought could be microchipping. Currently, only animals the size of a cat and on up can get microchipped. This is a fairly painless process where a computer chip the size of a grain if rice is injected under the skin of the animal, usually between the shoulder blades. So far, all pet microchips contain information on the animal s name, age, owner s information and any medical issues the animal has. This can only be read by a special microchip reader which looks a lot like a phaser from Star Trek.

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p>Hopefully, the next logical step would be to take GPS tracking emitters and put them in a mini-microchip. All they have to do is emit a signal at a level where the guinea pig can t hear. The signal could then be followed and tracked to its source with a common cell phone, as is the case with dog and cat GPS tracking collars.

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p>Why Guinea Pigs?

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p>Guinea pigs and their fellow pocket pets are growing in popularity as the size of available living space for people shrinks. Most apartments will not allow a dog or a cat, but will allow small animals who have to live mostly in a cage. These guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils become just as beloved to their owners as a dog or a cat. Because these are all prey species, they are experts at hiding and escaping. Their small size makes them far more venerable to the home or the outside world than to a more robust dog or cat.

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p>Think also of what we could learn about many rare and exotic wild creatures if we could put GPS tracking devices on them. Already, there is a pilot project for tracking sharks with GPS systems, although they are not usually injected into the shark but tagged onto the shark. Learning more about the animals we share the world with will help us find our own place in life.