Guinea Pigs

Read this chapter so that you can absorb some of the information about different types of guinea pigs. You do not need to memorize the information which can be confusing because further on in this book you will have the chance to decide on the type of guinea pig that is perfect for you.

Genetics and Breeds

You may recall from school biology the story of Gregor Mendal who discovered plant genetics by crossbreeding different types of peas. Just as Mendal isolated the dominant and recessive genes in plants and then cross-pollinated these plants to create big, little, sweet, purple and short types of peas, so too do breeders combine dominant and recessive genes in guinea pigs. For example, since the gene for long hair is recessive in guinea pigs, a shorthaired mother and a longhaired father would produce a shorthaired baby cavy. Only when both parents have long hair would a cavy be born with long hair as well. The same sort of logic applies to the genes that determine the guinea pig’s behavior, color and size.

You can see from the lists below that a vast array of guinea pigs exists for you to choose as your pet and companion.

Name of
Breed Coat pattern
(rosetta,
satin, Solid color
or
Self color
(blk, brn,
red, blue, wht, gold, beige, chocolate, cream) Long-Haired
(Long, silky) Short-haired
(Short, smooth
or curly) Rough- haired
or Abyssinians
(Rosettas, crests
and uneven coat) Peruvians Rosetta all Dense, shiny Shelties Rosetta, facial hair like a lion’s mane all Dense, shiny Cornets Rosetta on head only All Dense, shiny Silkies None All Shiny, smooth Texel None All Long curls Merino Cornet on head and neck All Curled coat Alpaca None All Dense, shiny curls Teddy None All Thick, tight curls Crested None All Smooth with solid white crest on head American None All Short Rex None All Thick, tight curls

Color Variations

Guinea pigs can be found in many color variations or Agouti colors. You can also find guinea pigs that are just mixtures of two or three colors. Those listed in the chart are solid colors. The list below describes the distinct color patterns that exist for cavy coats.

* Tortoise-shell
Medium-sized patches of red, black, and white, usually at least four patches.

* Himalayan
An all-white body with chocolate brown ears, noses, and feet.

* Agouti
The coat seems to shimmer in silver, chocolate, cinnamon or golden colors.

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