Post by lexi jo ellis on Mar 17, 2012 7:40:34 GMT -5
common breeds
Though there are many breeds of Guinea pig, only a few breeds are commonly found off the show table as pets. Most Guinea pigs found as pets were either found undesirable by breeders or were bred to be good companions regardless of how well they meet the breed standard of perfection. The short hair, Abyssinian, Peruvian and Sheltie (aka Silkie) breeds are those most frequently seen as pets, and the former three are the core breeds in the history of 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 also can cause severe bone problems, including Osteodystrophy and Paget's disease.
Short haired
The short coated cavy - often called the American or English- has consistently short, glossy hair without a part. This breed of cavy most resembles the Guinea pig's relatives and ancestors in the Cavia genus.
In shows, short-haired Guinea pigs are shown by their color variety - self, dalmatian, Himalayan, etc. This designation does not have "American" or "English" appended to it, but applies only to short-haired animals.
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian breed of Guinea pig is known for its short and long, rough coat that has rosetted of hair. The derivation of the breed's name is unknown, but does not connotate an origin in the geographical region of Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). The ideal Abyssinian has 8 rosettes, one on each shoulder, four across the back, one on each of the animal's hips, and two on the rump. Some judging bodies, such as the ANCC, consider shoulder rosettes optional but desired in show cavies. A harsh-textured coat that stands on end to form ridges is desired.
Himalayan
The Himalayan Guinea pig is similar to the Siamese cat in coat. It is solid white for the first few weeks after birth. The ears, face, paws, and feet grow darker with age. Similar to Siamese cats, Himalayans' coat darkens depending on the temperature. If a Guinea pig lives in a house where the temperature is kept colder it will have darker points. If it is kept in a house where the temperature is warmer the points will be lighter and maybe even a medium brown. If kept outside the points' darkness would depend on the climate of the area. The darkest areas should be the face, paws, and the feet. Himalayans should have dark red eyes. These Guinea pigs originate in southeast Asia, similar to the Birman, Burmese, Himalayan, and Siamese cat breeds.
Peruvian
The Peruvian is the progenitor of all modern long haired breeds, being a Guinea pig with hair that grows long continuously all over its body, sometimes to an excess of 20 inches (approx. 50 centimeters). Accordingly, this ornate feature can make caring for this breed more difficult for both owners and breeders; most show Peruvians have their hair folded up in wraps to protect it and keep it clean. Long haired Guinea pigs have both a top and an undercoat, the latter of which will generally only grow to 6-7 inches (15–17 cm.)Though most Peruvians kept as pets are regularly trimmed for ease of keeping, those in show coat should have hair that fans out to make the animal's front and rear completely indistinguishable. The coat should be of an even length all over, and have a central part on the spine. Peruvians of show standard are required to have two rosettes on either side of the rump, which creates the desired height and density.
Silkie or Sheltie
A Silkie has long hair that flows back over its body and never forward over the face (as in the Peruvian). When viewed from above it forms a teardrop shape and should never have a central part. In contrast to the Peruvian, where the coat is desired to fall in an even curtain all around the body, the Sheltie is generally accepted to have a somewhat longer sweep of hair in the rear.
Rex
A Rex Guinea pig has short, fuzzy hair that stands on end all over the body. The hair should be uniform all over, without rosettes and no more than 1⁄2 inch (1 1⁄4 cm) in length, preferably shorter. The Rex breed sometimes looks similar to the Teddy, but the two breeds are genetically distinct—breeding a Rex to a Teddy will not result in Rex or Teddies, but rather American cavies.
Teddy
A Teddy Guinea pig has a very dense and springy coat, with hairs that stand up. The hair typically grows to a moderate length and generally makes this breed resemble a soft toy more than any other. Another unique feature of the Teddies in the USA is the relatively long hair coating their bellies. In the UK, teddies must have short coats, growing slightly forward to a "cap" on the forehead. Young Teddies sometimes look similar to the Rex, but the Rex's coat is usually much harsher and bristled. There is sometimes confusion between the US teddy and the so-called Swiss teddy, but in the UK, the Swiss teddy has been renamed simply the Swiss. The Swiss is a longer coated animal with a coat reaching between 6 and 9 cm in an adult animal.
Texel
A Texel Guinea pig is like a Silkie, but with curls. Originating from England, it was officially recognized as a breed by the ACBA in 1998.[6] The curls should ideally be tightly wound corkscrew curls and should cover the entire body, including the stomach. Unlike a Sheltie, a central part is allowed.
Though there are many breeds of Guinea pig, only a few breeds are commonly found off the show table as pets. Most Guinea pigs found as pets were either found undesirable by breeders or were bred to be good companions regardless of how well they meet the breed standard of perfection. The short hair, Abyssinian, Peruvian and Sheltie (aka Silkie) breeds are those most frequently seen as pets, and the former three are the core breeds in the history of 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 also can cause severe bone problems, including Osteodystrophy and Paget's disease.
Short haired
The short coated cavy - often called the American or English- has consistently short, glossy hair without a part. This breed of cavy most resembles the Guinea pig's relatives and ancestors in the Cavia genus.
In shows, short-haired Guinea pigs are shown by their color variety - self, dalmatian, Himalayan, etc. This designation does not have "American" or "English" appended to it, but applies only to short-haired animals.
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian breed of Guinea pig is known for its short and long, rough coat that has rosetted of hair. The derivation of the breed's name is unknown, but does not connotate an origin in the geographical region of Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). The ideal Abyssinian has 8 rosettes, one on each shoulder, four across the back, one on each of the animal's hips, and two on the rump. Some judging bodies, such as the ANCC, consider shoulder rosettes optional but desired in show cavies. A harsh-textured coat that stands on end to form ridges is desired.
Himalayan
The Himalayan Guinea pig is similar to the Siamese cat in coat. It is solid white for the first few weeks after birth. The ears, face, paws, and feet grow darker with age. Similar to Siamese cats, Himalayans' coat darkens depending on the temperature. If a Guinea pig lives in a house where the temperature is kept colder it will have darker points. If it is kept in a house where the temperature is warmer the points will be lighter and maybe even a medium brown. If kept outside the points' darkness would depend on the climate of the area. The darkest areas should be the face, paws, and the feet. Himalayans should have dark red eyes. These Guinea pigs originate in southeast Asia, similar to the Birman, Burmese, Himalayan, and Siamese cat breeds.
Peruvian
The Peruvian is the progenitor of all modern long haired breeds, being a Guinea pig with hair that grows long continuously all over its body, sometimes to an excess of 20 inches (approx. 50 centimeters). Accordingly, this ornate feature can make caring for this breed more difficult for both owners and breeders; most show Peruvians have their hair folded up in wraps to protect it and keep it clean. Long haired Guinea pigs have both a top and an undercoat, the latter of which will generally only grow to 6-7 inches (15–17 cm.)Though most Peruvians kept as pets are regularly trimmed for ease of keeping, those in show coat should have hair that fans out to make the animal's front and rear completely indistinguishable. The coat should be of an even length all over, and have a central part on the spine. Peruvians of show standard are required to have two rosettes on either side of the rump, which creates the desired height and density.
Silkie or Sheltie
A Silkie has long hair that flows back over its body and never forward over the face (as in the Peruvian). When viewed from above it forms a teardrop shape and should never have a central part. In contrast to the Peruvian, where the coat is desired to fall in an even curtain all around the body, the Sheltie is generally accepted to have a somewhat longer sweep of hair in the rear.
Rex
A Rex Guinea pig has short, fuzzy hair that stands on end all over the body. The hair should be uniform all over, without rosettes and no more than 1⁄2 inch (1 1⁄4 cm) in length, preferably shorter. The Rex breed sometimes looks similar to the Teddy, but the two breeds are genetically distinct—breeding a Rex to a Teddy will not result in Rex or Teddies, but rather American cavies.
Teddy
A Teddy Guinea pig has a very dense and springy coat, with hairs that stand up. The hair typically grows to a moderate length and generally makes this breed resemble a soft toy more than any other. Another unique feature of the Teddies in the USA is the relatively long hair coating their bellies. In the UK, teddies must have short coats, growing slightly forward to a "cap" on the forehead. Young Teddies sometimes look similar to the Rex, but the Rex's coat is usually much harsher and bristled. There is sometimes confusion between the US teddy and the so-called Swiss teddy, but in the UK, the Swiss teddy has been renamed simply the Swiss. The Swiss is a longer coated animal with a coat reaching between 6 and 9 cm in an adult animal.
Texel
A Texel Guinea pig is like a Silkie, but with curls. Originating from England, it was officially recognized as a breed by the ACBA in 1998.[6] The curls should ideally be tightly wound corkscrew curls and should cover the entire body, including the stomach. Unlike a Sheltie, a central part is allowed.