List of guinea pig breeds
, also known as cavies, have been domesticated since, leading to the development of a diverse array of breeds. These breeds exhibit a wide range of physical characteristics and serve various purposes. Some are show breeds, notable for their long, flowing hair, while others are laboratory breeds, used as model organisms in scientific research. The period from 1200 to 1532 CE, which coincides with the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, saw indigenous South Americans selectively breeding guinea pigs. This resulted in numerous landrace varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which have since become the foundation for some of the formal modern breeds. Early Andean varieties were primarily kept as agricultural stock for food, and efforts at improving cavy breeds bred for food continue to the modern era, with entirely separate breeds that focus on size and disease resistance.
Details
With the export of guinea pigs to Europe in the 15th century, breeding objectives shifted to focus on the development of appealing pets. To this end, various competitive breeding organizations were founded by fanciers. The American Cavy Breeders Association, an adjunct to the American Rabbit Breeders Association, is the governing body in the United States and Canada. The British Cavy Council governs cavy clubs in the United Kingdom. For Australia and New Zealand, there are the Australian National Cavy Council and the New Zealand Cavy Council. Each club publishes its own "standard of perfection" and determines which breeds are eligible for showing. New breeds are continuously emerging, which may or may not be recognized by these breeding organizations.Though there are many breeds of guinea pig, only a few found on the show table are common as pets. Most pet guinea pigs were either found undesirable by breeders, or else were bred to be pleasant pets regardless of how well they met the "standard of perfection" for the breed. The American, the Abyssinian, the Peruvian, and the Sheltie/Silkie are the breeds most frequently seen as pets. Besides the Silkie, they also historically form the core breeds in the competitive showing of guinea pigs. In addition to their standard form, nearly all breeds come in a satin variant. Satins, due to their hollow hair shafts, possess coats of a special gloss and shine. However, there is growing evidence that the genes responsible for the satin coat can also cause severe bone problems, including osteodystrophy and Paget's disease.
All cavy breeds have some shared general standards: the head profile should be rounded and have large eyes and large, smooth ears; the body should be strong and of compact build; coat color should, in all variations, be clearly defined and thorough from root to tip. These standards are best met by long-established, commonly bred breeds, as their breeders have had enough time and animals to effectively breed for these qualities. The coat color ideal—good definition and thoroughness—is rarely met by breeds other than the smooth-coated ones, which have had well-established, separate breeding lines for different colors.
Satin variants
The satin trait refers to the glassy sheen found in some guinea pigs' coats and are not a distinct breed. The genetic factor for a satin coat is recessive and found in all types of coat: long, rough, curly, and short. There is a Satin version of the following breeds: Abyssinian, American, Peruvian, Silkie, and Teddy.A satin coat is linked to osteodystrophy, an incurable and potentially painful metabolic disease of the bones. Osteodystrophy symptoms begin showing at around 12 to 18 months of age. These symptoms include a wobbly gait, problems eating, and—with sows—parturition complications. Due to animal welfare concerns, some registries such as the Swedish and Finnish guinea pig associations, refuse to register satin cavies or cavies with a satin parent.
American
The most widespread breed of guinea pig, the American guinea pig, is a recognized breed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. They are entered and shown in ARBA competitions in nineteen color classifications; Black, Cream, Red, White, Any Other Self, Brindle, Roan, Dilute Solid, Golden Solid, Silver Solid, Dilute Agouti, Golden Agouti, Silver Agouti, Dalmatian, Dutch, Himalayan, Tortoise Shell & White, Any Other Marked, and Tan Pattern. The American guinea pig is to be posed with the hind feet under the animal and the front feet slightly ahead of the shoulders, and should not be forced into a cobby position or stretched out.The American should have a broad shoulder, Roman nose, and full crown, and the coat is to be short, straight and feel silky. The coat is faulted for feathering, harshness, or be thin or long. Contestants are disqualified for ridges, rosettes, side whiskers, or a satin sheen, though this should not be confused with the natural luster of some varieties. The ears are to be drooping but not fallen, and the eyes are to be bold and bright.
The American is known for its sweet and docile personality, and is considered by many an excellent breed of cavy for new owners due to these characteristics.
American Crested
The American Crested is a short-haired guinea pig with a distinctive crest of hair on the top of its head that is a different color than the rest of its body.English Crested
An English Crested is a breed of guinea with a short, smooth coat and a crest on its head that is the same color as its body.White Crested
The White Crested is similar to the American, but they have one white rosette on the forehead. The breed standards and ideals are nearly identical, with the exception that a White Crested cavy's crest should be completely of a color different from the rest of the animal. Most usually the crest is white, as necessitated by the ACBA standard. No other white hair should be present in the animal. By this standard, White Cresteds are not bred in colorations that have white anywhere on the body, such as Dutch, roan, and Dalmatian.Abyssinian
The derivation of the breed's name is unknown, but does not connote an origin in the geographical region of Abyssinia. They are one of the oldest breeds of guinea pig.The Abyssinian breed is known for their 'rosettes', which are cowlicks growing from the coat.
Between the rosettes of the Abyssinian's hair are the ridges, worth 25 points by ARBA standard. The ridges between two rosettes should ideally stand rigidly straight, without breaking down onto either side even if pressed down lightly with the palm of a hand. There should be a collar ridge, back ridge, rump ridge, and ridges between every saddle, hip, and rump rosette. ARBA faults for flatness of coat, crooked ridges, a short coat, and soft texture. Other hair disqualifications include a coat over 1.5 inches in length and a satin sheen. Required head furnishings include a well formed mustache and an erect mane running down the head.
Abyssinians are deemed by many as good pets for experienced owners of exotic animals but their excitable nature makes them not necessarily a good choice for first time cavy owners.
Peruvian
The Peruvian, formerly the Angora, has a long smooth coat all over its body that may reach the floor, including a prominent "forelock" resulting from a portion of its coat on the head and the neck growing forward on the body. They have a middle parting and typically have rosettes on their head and thighs. Their long hair is an autosomal recessive characteristic that is inherited. When two different length hair types are crossed, the shorter hair length will be the dominant one shown.Peruvians may come in a Satin variant, featuring a silkier and more lustrous coat.
The Peruvian is generally not recommended for first time guinea pig owners, due to the tediousness of grooming their long coat.
Silkie
The Silkie breed, also called Sheltie in the United Kingdom, originated in the United Kingdom during the 1970s from a crossbreed between a Peruvian and an American Shorthair.They are understood to generally have a tamer personality than most other guinea pig breeds.
They have a long, smooth coat, with hair that flows back over the body that may grow up to 24 inches in length. A Silkie must never have any rosettes or any hair growing in the direction towards its face. Its coat should not have a part. When viewed from above, a Silkie and its coat forms a teardrop shape. The coat is generally accepted to have a somewhat longer sweep of hair in the rear. Silkie's may also have a satin coat, which is glossier and smoother than that of its standard coat. Their weight differs significantly from guinea pig to guinea pig, ranging from 1 to 3 Ib.
As with the Peruvian and other long haired breeds of guinea pig, they require more work to groom their thick coat, and thus are not recommended for first time guinea pig owners.
Coronet
The Coronet resembles the Silkie with its smooth coat growing backward over its body, but it has a crest on its forehead. As with the short-coated crested breeds, this crest should be symmetrical and distinct with a small centre and no sticking hairs. The ears of a coronet may also droop sightly.Lunkarya group
The Lunkarya, or "Lunk" for short, is a new group of related breeds developed in Sweden and mainly seen in the Nordic countries. These breeds have long, rough, curly coats that should be very dense and full. The group has three breed variations: the Lunkarya Peruvian, the Lunkarya Sheltie, and the Lunkarya Coronet.It was initially described as a "dominant rex Peruvian", but later was named Lunkarya, a variation of the last name of the breed's creator: Lundqvist.
This breed is not recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.