Guinea pigs, as the name suggests, have nothing to do with pig as an animal or with the place Guinea, in Africa. They are a species of rodents, commonly known as
cavy, originated in Andes (South America). These mammals belong to the family
Caviidae and their scientific name is
Cavia porcellus. Guinea pigs, now commonly seen as pets, are closely related to the cavy's wild species like Cavia aperea. Recent researches show that guinea pigs are selectively bred species from their wild relatives.
Since their domestication around 5000 B.C., many breeds of guinea pigs have been developed by humans. With the introduction of these animals to Europe, their breeding was aimed at creating more appealing pets. This led to the formation of various organizations, dedicated for this purpose. Hence, governing bodies were formed in some countries to control the functions of these organizations. In U.S. and Canada, it is known as the American Cavy Breeders Association. The British Cavy Council, Australian National Cavy Council and New Zealand Cavy Club are similar bodies in their respective countries.
There are various breeds of guinea pigs, which vary in their hair and color composition. Even the texture, length and color pattern of the coat may vary from one breed to another. The most commonly seen
guinea pigs are the English short hair (also known as American short hair), Abyssinian, Peruvian and Sheltie (Silkie). All subsequent types of guinea pigs are developed from the American, Abyssinian and Peruvian breeds. Others include Silkie or Sheltie, Rex, Teddy, Texel, Coronet, Crested and Hairless ones. The following are some
facts about guinea pig breeds.
| American or English Short Hair |
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The American Guinea pig, also known as 'English' cavy, has short, straight, smooth and glossy hair (without any parting) in a variety of colors and color combinations. These guinea pigs are also available in 'satin' variety, which have extra shiny, smooth hair. They have wide, curving nose and the circumference of the body is almost same right from the shoulder to the hip. They are one of the oldest and the most commonly found breeds of domesticated guinea pigs and resemble their wild relatives. They are gentle animals that gel well with other types of guinea pigs. These short-haired guinea pigs are easy to care for. As they have short hair, matting is not a problem. They are also said to be well-suited for kids. |
| Peruvian |
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The Peruvian is the first long-haired breed of guinea pig and is considered the ancestor of all breeds with long hair. These animals have long hair all over the body and the head. Their hair may grow to a length of up to 50 centimeters. They have an undercoat with short hair of 15 to 20 centimeters length. The hair is dense, smooth and straight and parts naturally through the center of the back. As the body of the Peruvian guinea pig is covered with long hair, it is often difficult to distinguish the front and the rear of their body (even the face may be covered with the hair that falls from the head). The owners have to take extra care of the pets' hair or trim it. Some of these guinea pigs may have one rosette each on both sides of the rump. This guinea pig breed is mostly preferred as show animal, due to its long hair, which makes it slightly difficult to take care of. So, these gentle and fun-loving animals are not advisable for small kids and beginners. |
| Silkie or Sheltie |
| The Silkie or Sheltie, formerly known as Angora guinea pigs, are also long-haired like Peruvians. Unlike Peruvians, the hair does not cover the face of Silkie guinea pigs, but grows backward from the head. A Silkie guinea pig does not have a natural parting of hair on the back. The hair of this breed is softer, finer and shinier than the Peruvians. These guinea pigs have hair that is slightly shorter than the Peruvian breed. It is said that the hair on the rear of their body are longer than those in other parts. Though, popular for their looks, these pet guinea pigs are not recommended for beginners, as they require regular and proper grooming. |
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| Texel |
| Texels are almost like Silkies, but with long, thick and curly coat. These types of guinea pigs have a central parting too. The spiral curls cover the entire body, including the belly. As compared to the other breeds, they have a broad and round head. The most adorable feature of this breed is their curls that appear like permed hair. Some of them may have a natural parting that runs through their back. The hair on their face is much shorter and some of them have short hair beneath their ears too. They have broad head with almost round face. Matting is one of the problems with this hair and so, regular trimming will be beneficial for those which are not used as show animals. Regular grooming is also needed. They are also friendly and gentle. |
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| Abyssinian |
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The Abyssinian guinea pig, called Aby is also one of the oldest breeds of guinea pigs. They are distinguished by the swirls of hair and the ridge pattern in the body and head. These swirls known as rosettes, are formed in circles, with hair radiating from the center point. Normally, eight to ten rosettes are found in the body of an Aby. Among the ten rosettes, two are on their shoulders (one per shoulder), four across the back, one on each hip and two on the rump. These are supposed to be the features of an ideal Abyssinian. This breed also possess a mustache of raised fur around their nose. Abyssinian guinea pigs are also found in a number of colors, with dense, short and coarse hair. You may also find Abyssinians with soft fur. Even satin variant of this breed is available. This breed is also easy to care for and are mischievous with a friendly disposition. |
| Rex Breed |
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The Rex breed has short fuzzy hair, which is uniformly distributed all over the body. There are no rosettes in this breed of guinea pig and the length of hair will not be more than 1.25 centimeter. This variety looks like the Teddy guinea pig (will be discussed later), but both are entirely different breeds. The hair of a Rex is shorter and bristled, as compared to the Teddy. Rex breed of guinea pigs have coarse hair and their whiskers are also not straight. Another distinguishing factor is the thick nails on their rear feet. Unlike other types of guinea pigs, these nails are thicker and fast-growing in Rex breed. These guinea pigs are also larger in size, as compared to many other breeds. If you are looking for a friendly type of guinea pig with a calm and gentle disposition, you may opt for this breed. |
| Teddy Guinea Pigs |
| As mentioned above, Teddy guinea pigs may appear similar to Rex breed. But, the former has a soft and fluffy coat, whereas the latter's coat is coarse (some of the teddy guinea pigs may have coarse hair too). The Teddy has a dense, short and curly coat of moderate length. This breed has relatively lengthy hair on their belly, which differentiates them from other breeds. Unlike Rex, the Teddy guinea pigs have long whiskers that are straight. Their name is derived from the dense coat of curly hair, which is reminiscent of soft toys. These guinea pigs are not that difficult to take care of. Though the hair is not prone to matting, regular brushing is required. This will also help in removing foreign particles trapped in the hair, thereby preventing skin irritation. There are two types of Teddy guinea pigs - US Teddy and the CH Teddy, otherwise known as Swiss Teddy. |
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| Hairless Breeds |
| There are two types of hairless guinea pig breeds - Skinny and Baldwin. Skinny pigs are born hairless except for some parts of their body like the nose, feet and legs (which have some curly hair on them). Baldwin pigs are born with a body covered with hair, which eventually falls out. They are characterized by hairless skin with wrinkles all over the body, but have some hair on their feet. These breeds should be nurtured in warm conditions and need special care. They are more prone to injuries, as compared to other guinea pig breeds with hair. Hairless guinea pigs are also sensitive to sunlight and other harsh conditions. So, you must have a good knowledge about how to take care of them properly, before adopting these types of guinea pigs as pets. They also have a loving and gentle nature. |
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| Crested Guinea Pigs |
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The Crested variety has a smooth fur coat with a single rosette on top of the head. While in some regions only white crested guinea pigs (with a white haired rosette) are recognized, there are classifications, like American crested and the English crested. White crested guinea pigs have a single rosette of white hair on their head, with a solid body color. The American Crested is supposed to have a rosette with any color in contrast to the body color, and the English Crested has a rosette in the same color as the body. These guinea pigs have short and smooth hair and are almost like the American short haired ones. Satin variants with thick and smooth coat are available in this breed too. This breed is also excellent as pets, as they are gentle and calm in nature. |
| Coronet |
| The Coronet is also a breed of guinea pig with a single rosette on top of the head. But unlike the crested type, these guinea pigs are long haired. Coronet guinea pigs resemble Silkies in looks, but have a single rosette on their head. This breed has a roman nose and there is no central parting of hair in this breed. The rosette on their head can be of any color. These guinea pigs come in a wide range of colors and color combinations, along with the satin variants. Regular grooming is required and hair trimming is an option, if it is not a show animal. These guinea pigs are found to be gentle, funny and loving. |
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The above said are some of the commonly found guinea pig breeds. Almost all these types of guinea pigs have their satin variants. The additional feature of satin variants is the special gloss or shine of the hair. This is due to their hollow hair shafts, which may cause bone disorders. Apart from the above said breeds, there are many other breeds, which are relatively new, like Alpaca, English Merino, Ridgeback and Abbyruvian. Many breeds of guinea pigs are available in different color combinations and designs. They are Brindle, Tortoiseshell, Himalayan, Dalmatian, Agouti, etc. The following list will provide you with a brief information about such guinea pig types.
- Though solid white during birth, Himalayan guinea pigs develop darker color on their nose, paws, ears and feet, within a few months. They have dark red eyes and are similar to Siamese cats in coat color.
- Alpaca guinea pigs are long haired animals with a curly coat. These guinea pigs may look similar to Texels with the curls, but they are like Peruvian guinea pigs with the central parting and hair over the face.
- Another rare breed of guinea pig is Ridgeback. As the name suggests, these guinea pigs have a tuft of hair that grows on their back. Otherwise, these animals have a smooth coat.
- English Merino is another type of guinea pig with a rosette on top of the head. But, unlike the crested ones, these animals have a curly coat that has coarse and curly hair.
- You may also come across some types of guinea pigs like the Abbyruvian, which are long-haired with rosettes on the body. Though not recognized as a breed in itself, these guinea pigs are loved for their looks as well as friendly nature.
Apart from these, guinea pigs are also classified into certain types on the basis of colors and color patterns. This include the
Tortoiseshell variant with rectangular patches of red, white and black color on either side the body. While
Brindle guinea pigs have an even distribution of black and red color hair,
Dalmatian guinea pigs have contrast color spots on the sides and rear that are white. In case of
Agoutis, the hair strands display two colors. In other words, the tips and the roots have different colors. Color bands are seen in
Dutch guinea pigs. Most of them have color on the rear end and both sides of their face, with white bands in between.
Guinea pigs are very popular household pets due to their gentle nature. You can always select a guinea pig of your choice, from this wide range of breeds. Choose a breed that is easy to take care of. Before adopting these animals, make sure that you know the basics of guinea pig care.
