Cavy clubs and associations dedicated to the showing and breeding of guinea pigs have been established worldwide. 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. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council) and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Council). Each club publishes its own standard of perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing.
Clubs and associations
Guinea pig
Guinea pig | Clubs and associations
Cavy clubs dedicated to the showing and breeding of guinea pigs have been established worldwide. Cavy clubs The American Cavy Breeders Association, British Cavy Council and Australian National Cavy Council Cavy clubs - The American Cavy Breeders Association
where do guinea pigs come from in the wild
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They originated in the Andes of South America
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how do they look like?
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Guinea pigs are large for rodents; the common pet breeds weigh between when full grown and measure between in length
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which club is associated with it?
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The club symbol, or "brevet", depicted a guinea pig flanked by oversized RAF "wings". Two artistic renditions were used: the first showed the guinea pig sitting upright and with his ears swept back, perhaps in imitation of a pilot at the controls of his aircraft; while the second showed a more naturalistic guinea pig on all fours.
Guinea Pig Club | Brevet
Cavy clubs and associations dedicated to the showing and breeding of guinea pigs have been established worldwide. 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. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council) and New Zealand (New Zealand Cavy Council). Each club publishes its own standard of perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing.
Guinea pig | Clubs and associations
A large rodent, the greater guinea pig grows to a total length of and weight of for males and a total length of and weight of for females. The dorsal fur is dark agouti brown and the underparts are reddish brown. It is semiaquatic and has membranes joining the toes. Its karyotype has 2n = 64 and FN = 128.
Greater guinea pig | Description
The name "Guinea Pig" – the rodent species commonly used as a laboratory test subject – was chosen to reflect the experimental nature of the techniques and equipment used for reconstructive work carried out at East Grinstead. The hospital was nicknamed "the Sty". The treatment of burns by surgery was in its infancy, and many casualties were suffering from injuries which, only a few years earlier, would have led to certain death.
Guinea Pig Club | Name
This is a medium-sized guinea pig with an adult length of about and a weight of . The tail, at around 2.4 mm, is almost non-existent. The dorsal fur is dark olive-brown mixed with brown and black, and the underparts are a pale grey or yellowish-grey. Its karyotype has 2n = 64 and a reportedly variable FN of 116 or 128 for "C. a. aperea" and 128 for "C. a. pamparum".
Brazilian guinea pig | Description
The Coronet resembles the Silkie with its smooth coat growing backwards 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | Coronet
The Guinea Pig Club, established in 1941, was a social club and mutual support network for British and allied aircrew injured during World War II. Its membership was made up of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, who had undergone experimental reconstructive plastic surgery, including facial reconstruction, generally after receiving burns injuries in aircraft. The club remained active after the end of the war, and its annual reunion meetings continued until 2007.
Guinea Pig Club | Introduction
With the export of guinea pigs to Europe in the 15th century, the goal in breeding 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | Introduction
Guinea pigs are large for rodents; the common pet breeds weigh between when full grown and measure between in length. Some livestock breeds weigh when full grown. Pet breeds live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight. According to the 2006 "Guinness World Records", the longest living guinea pig survived 14 years, 10.5 months. Most guinea pigs have fur, but one laboratory breed adopted by some pet owners, the skinny pig, is a mostly furless breed. Some breeds are longfur breeds such as the Peruvian, the Silkie, and the Texel. In the 1990s, a minority scientific opinion emerged proposing that caviomorphs, such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and degus, are not rodents and should be reclassified as a separate order of mammals (similar to lagomorphs).
Guinea pig | Characteristics
The Peruvian has a long smooth coat all over its body, including a prominent "forelock" resulting from a portion of its coat on the head and the neck growing forward on the body.
List of guinea pig breeds | Peruvian
They are also good swimmers. Like many rodents, guinea pigs sometimes participate in social grooming, and they regularly self-groom. A milky-white substance is secreted from their eyes and rubbed into the hair during the grooming process. Groups of boars often chew each other's hair, but this is a method of establishing hierarchy within a group, rather than a social gesture. Dominance is also established through biting (especially of the ears), piloerection, aggressive noises, head thrusts, and leaping attacks. Non-sexual simulated mounting for dominance is also common among same-sex groups. Guinea pig eyesight is not as good as that of a human in terms of distance and color, but they have a wider angle of vision (about 340°) and see in partial color (dichromacy).
Guinea pig | Behavior
They are social, living in the wild in small groups that consist of several females (sows), a male (boar), and the young (which, in a break with the preceding porcine nomenclature, are called "pups" not "piglets"). They move together in groups (herds) eating grass or other vegetation, and do not store food. While they do not burrow themselves or build nests, they frequently seek shelter in the burrows of other animals, as well as in crevices and tunnels formed by vegetation. They tend to be most active during dawn and dusk (crepuscular), when it is harder for predators to spot them.
Guinea pig | Natural habitat
The "Cavia intermedia" is a rodent approximately 20–40 cm in length. These cavies lack sexual dimorphism, which differs from other cavies, because males are usually larger than females. Their cylindrical body shapes are in shades of brown or gray and are carried by short limbs. These guinea pigs have coarse, long fur and longer fur in the neck region, with ears having no fur. These guinea pigs, like most, have no external tail. Cavies have incisors that continuously grow and are naturally filed down by grazing habits.
Santa Catarina's guinea pig | Physical description
A guinea pig is a domestic rodent. Guinea pig may also refer to:
Guinea pig (disambiguation) | Introduction
"Ticked" cavies have black series hairs with red series ticking, i.e. each individual hair has stripes of both a black and a red series colour. In case a ticked cavy also has the tortoiseshell pattern, the red series patches are uniformly coloured while the black series patch.
List of guinea pig breeds | Ticked
A Teddy has a short, rough, very dense, springy coat that stands up all over the body. The hair typically grows to a moderate length and makes this breed resemble a soft toy more than any other. Another unique feature of Teddies in the US is the relatively long hair coating their bellies. The Teddy has a kinky, springy coat that is famous for its soft, cuddly quality, often compared to an old teddy bear. They come in Plush Coat and Harsh Coat; the plush-coated animals have a softer coat, while the harsh-coated ones have a coarser texture to their hair.
List of guinea pig breeds | Teddy
The Skinny stands out for being a mostly hairless breed, with some short rough hair on the face and feet. Pups are born nearly hairless, unlike the Baldwin which loses its hair. The breed was developed from a hairless laboratory strain that was crossed with Teddies and other haired breeds: a form of outcrossing.
List of guinea pig breeds | Skinny
A brindle cavy has intermixed hairs of both black and red series colours throughout their coats, with no ticking. An ideal show brindle appears uniformly coloured, with both series appearing evenly all over.
List of guinea pig breeds | Brindle
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 (not to be confused by the natural luster of some varieties). Required head furnishings (5 points by ARBA standard) include a well formed mustache and an erect mane running down the head.
List of guinea pig breeds | Abyssinian
A tortoiseshell ("tortie" for short) cavy has patches of red and black. An ideal show tortoiseshell cavy has regular, well-defined patches of each colour on each side, and appears to have lengthwise "seams" on its back and belly. Diluted tortoiseshells are called broken colours, and diluted tortoiseshell-and-whites tricolours. They follow the same pattern ideal.
List of guinea pig breeds | Tortoiseshell pattern
The most common guinea pig breed, the American guinea pig, is a recognized breed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). They are entered and shown in ARBA competitions in nineteen color classifications; Black, Cream, Red, White, Any Other Self (Beige, Chocolate, Lilac, Red-Eyed Orange), Brindle, Roan, Dilute Solid, Golden Solid, Silver Solid, Dilute Agouti, Golden Agouti, Silver Agouti, Dalmatian, Dutch, Himalayan, Tortoise Shell & White, Any Other Marked (Broken Color and Tortoise Shell), and Tan Pattern (Black Tan, Blue Tan, Chocolate Tan, Beige Tan, and Lilac Tan). 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | American
The derivation of the breed's name is unknown, but does not connote an origin in the geographical region of Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | Abyssinian
This small mammal is unusual in that it produces a small number of precocial offspring with a high survival rate when it might have been expected to produce large litters of altricial young.
Greater guinea pig | Behaviour
A tan cavy is an otherwise solid black, with red ticking around the muzzle, around the eyes, in spots above the eyes, under the neck and the belly, and sparsely on the lower sides.
List of guinea pig breeds | Tan pattern
The American should have a broad shoulder, Roman nose, and full crown, and the coat is to be short and silky. The coat is faulted for feathering, harshness, or being 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | American
Texel guinea pigs were originally bred in Britain. They are characterized by their long, curly coat and fur that is coarser, not so curly, and shorter around their faces.
List of guinea pig breeds | Texel
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 (short-haired), the Abyssinian (rough-coated), the Peruvian (long-coated), and the Sheltie/Silkie (also long-coated) 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | Introduction
The Baldwin, like the Skinny, is a nearly hairless breed. However, Baldwins are born with a full coat, which sheds out with age until only a little hair remains on the feet (the Skinny also has hair on the face). The breed was developed from spontaneously mutated pups born to American Crested parents of a single breeder.
List of guinea pig breeds | Baldwin
Domesticated guinea pigs occur in many breeds, which have been developed since their introduction to Europe and North America. These varieties vary in hair and color composition. The most common varieties found in pet stores are the English shorthair (also known as the American), which have a short, smooth coat, and the Abyssinian, whose coat is ruffled with cowlicks, or rosettes. Also popular among breeders are the Peruvian and the Sheltie (or Silkie), both straight longhair breeds, and the Texel, a curly longhair. Grooming of guinea pigs is primarily accomplished using combs or brushes. Shorthair breeds are typically brushed weekly, while longhair breeds may require daily grooming.
Guinea pig | Appearance, coat and grooming
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
List of mammals of Guinea | Order: <a href="Rodent">Rodent</a>ia (rodents)
A Dutch cavy has a specific white pattern: a blaze on the face, a wide white band around the neck, chest, and the belly, including the front paws, and white tips on the hind feet. The pattern is essentially the same as the Dutch pattern in rabbits, and was named after it.
List of guinea pig breeds | Dutch pattern
The British Cavy Council is the governing body in the United Kingdom for national, regional, and local cavy (guinea pig) clubs, and also for the wide range of 'breed clubs' which exist on a national basis to further the interests of particular cavy breeds, and to provide a forum for those with an interest in the breed concerned.
British Cavy Council | Introduction
The Guinea hog, officially named American Guinea Hog, also called the pineywoods Guinea, Guinea forest hog, acorn eater, and yard pig, is a breed of domestic pig originating in the United States. Despite its name, the breed is not from the country of Guinea, though the foundation stock was thought to be derived from West Africa. Newer DNA studies point to European origin. It's believed the American Guinea Hog is related to the Improved Essex, a now extinct breed. The Guinea hog is a rare breed with a black coat, sturdy body, curly tail and upright ears. There are two types of Guinea hog in North America, small-boned and large-boned Guinea hogs, the latter having longer legs.
Guinea hog | Introduction
An "agouti" cavy has a solid coloured belly and is otherwise fully ticked. Two common variations are the golden agouti, with black and red, and the silver agouti, with black and white. Any other color combinations in the US are called dilute agouti. A "solid agouti" is completely ticked. Its variations are referred to like normal agoutis, i.e. a solid agouti with black and red would be called a golden solid agouti, and so forth.
List of guinea pig breeds | Agouti
The montane guinea pig is a medium-sized species, growing to a total length of . The colour varies in different parts of the range; in Peru, the dorsal fur is dark reddish-brown mixed with black, and the underparts are dark buffy-grey; in Chile, the dorsal surface is pale agouti brown with paler underparts; in Bolivia, the upper parts are agouti olive and the underparts creamy-white or white.
Montane guinea pig | Description
Subsequent research using wider sampling restored the consensus among mammalian biologists regarding the current classification of rodents as monophyletic.
Guinea pig | Characteristics
Since the chance of getting a Baldwin is low, and because it is not possible to visually tell the difference between a haired guinea pig that does carry the gene and one that does not, this method of breeding is not recommended. Haired Baldwin carriers remain haired (looking like normal guinea pigs) their entire life.
Baldwin guinea pig | Unique traits
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 colour 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 colours.
List of guinea pig breeds | Introduction
The term agouti (, ) or common agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indies. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar, but they are larger and have longer legs. The species vary considerably in colour, being brown, reddish, dull orange, greyish, or blackish, but typically with lighter underparts. Their bodies are covered with coarse hair, which is raised when alarmed. They weigh and are in length, with short, hairless tails.
Agouti | Introduction
The Abyssinian is set apart from other guinea pigs by its unique coat. The hair of an Abyssinian is approximately an inch and a half long and is marked with swirls of hair known as rosettes. Abyssinians must have even-numbered rosettes. On a show quality Abyssinian, there will be eight or ten distinct rosettes: one on each shoulder, two or four on the back, one on each hip, and two on the rump. The fur comes in many colors and patterns, including self, tortoiseshell, brindle, and part-color. However, it is difficult to breed an Abyssinian with ideal rosettes, and many pet-quality cavies have imperfect coats.
Abyssinian guinea pig | Characteristics
Domesticated guinea pigs thrive in groups of two or more; groups of sows, or groups of one or more sows and a neutered boar are common combinations, but boars can sometimes live together. Guinea pigs learn to recognize and bond with other individual pigs, and testing of boars shows their neuroendocrine stress response is significantly lowered in the presence of a bonded female when compared to the presence of unfamiliar females. Groups of boars may also get along, provided their cage has enough space, they are introduced at an early age, and no females are present. Domestic guinea pigs have developed a different biological rhythm from their wild counterparts, and have longer periods of activity followed by short periods of sleep in between.
Guinea pig | Domestic habitat
An Affenpinscher generally weighs and stands tall at the withers. It has a harsh rough coat when it is not clippered and if clippered it can be softer and fluffier. It has a notable monkey-like expression ("Affe" means monkey in German). Its coat is shaggier over the head and shoulders forming a mane, with a shorter coat over the back and hind quarters. It is harsh and wiry in texture when properly maintained. The FCI and KC breed standards specifies that the coat must be black, but the AKC also allows grey, silver, red, black and tan, and belge (a mixture of red, brown, black and white hairs); other clubs have their own lists of acceptable colors, with black being the preference.
Affenpinscher | Appearance
A Silkie, also called a Sheltie, has long, smooth coat that flows back over the body. A Silkie must never have any rosettes or any hair growing in a 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | Silkie
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 colourations that have white anywhere on the body, such as Dutch, roan, and Dalmatian.
List of guinea pig breeds | White Crested
The club was not disbanded at the end of the war, but continued to meet for over sixty years, offering practical support and a sense of community to former patients. Annual meetings at East Grinstead attracted visitors from all over the world. McIndoe had been elected life president at the club's foundation: after his death in 1960, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, became president. Geoffrey Page was the first chairman; and Tom Gleave served as the first and only Chief Guinea Pig until his death in 1993. In 2001 (the 60th anniversary of the club's foundation) the members agreed to continue holding their annual reunions at East Grinstead until there were only 50 members left.
Guinea Pig Club | Post-war history
However, that there is a relationship is shown by the occasional birth of a reddish pig to the normally bluish-black American Guinea parents. It is suspected that there were a number of distinct American Guineas in the past. In 2005 the American Guinea Hog Association was formed which works to ensure its continued existence. The Guinea hog is also included in Slow Food USA's "Ark of Taste", a catalog of heritage foods in danger of extinction.
Guinea hog | History
The club was established informally in June 1941 with 39 patients, primarily as a drinking club, and rapidly won McIndoe's endorsement. The members were aircrew patients in the hospital and the surgeons and anaesthetists who treated them. Aircrew members had to be serving airmen who had gone through at least two surgical procedures. By the end of the war the club had 649 members. (643 names are listed on the "Roll of Honour" memorial at Queen Victoria Hospital.) The original members were Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrew who had severe burns, generally to the face or hands. Most were British but other significant minorities included Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and by the end of the war Americans, French, Russians, Czechs and Poles.
Guinea Pig Club | Origins
A self cavy is uniformly of one colour, without any "ticking" or "patterning". Self guinea pigs come in a variety of colours. The colours include black, chocolate, red, golden, buff, cream, white, lilac, beige, and slate.
List of guinea pig breeds | Self
The Abyssinian is a breed of guinea pig that is relatively common as both a pet and show animal. The Abyssinian is set apart from other breeds of guinea pig by its coat, which is marked with radially growing swirls or cowlicks of hair referred to as rosettes.
Abyssinian guinea pig | Introduction
Brindle is an old variety in guinea pigs. They are difficult to breed to perfection, as the black and red hairs should intermingle evenly all over. Brindle guinea pigs' fur type is Abyssinian (rosetted).
Brindle | Guinea pigs
The scientific name of the common species is "Cavia porcellus", with "" being Latin for "little pig". "Cavia" is New Latin; it is derived from "cabiai", the animal's name in the language of the Galibi tribes once native to French Guiana. "Cabiai" may be an adaptation of the Portuguese "çavia" (now "savia"), which is itself derived from the Tupi word "saujá", meaning rat. Guinea pigs are called "quwi" or "jaca" in Quechua and "cuy" or "cuyo" (plural "cuyes, cuyos") in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Breeders tend to use the more formal "cavy" to describe the animal, while in scientific and laboratory contexts, it is far more commonly referred to by the more colloquial "guinea pig".
Guinea pig | Name
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
List of mammals of Papua New Guinea | Order: <a href="Rodent">Rodent</a>ia (rodents)
The order Erinaceomorpha contains a single family, Erinaceidae, which comprise the hedgehogs and gymnures. The hedgehogs are easily recognised by their spines while gymnures look more like large rats.
List of mammals of Guinea | Order: <a href="Erinaceomorpha">Erinaceomorpha</a> (hedgehogs and gymnures)
The Skinny pig or skinny is an almost hairless breed of guinea pig. Skinny pigs typically have hair on their muzzles, feet, and legs, but are hairless over the remainder of their bodies. Some of them have a thin covering of fuzzy hair on their backs as well. A healthy skinny has skin that is mostly smooth, with some wrinkling around the legs and neck. The body is full with no appearance of spine or ribs. Skinnies can come in a variety of skin colors and patterns, including "Dutch", "Brindle", and "Himalayan". The term "skinny" is used for hairless guinea pigs either because it colloquially refers to the exposed skin of the animal, or because it describes their thinner appearance due to their lack of hair.
Skinny pig | Introduction
The Baldwin guinea pig is a breed developed from a spontaneous genetic mutation in Carol Miller's show-line of white crested golden agouti. Though born fully furred, Baldwin guinea pigs begin to lose their fur at two to five days of age, starting at the nose and leaving them almost entirely hairless by about two months of age. They retain whiskers and sometimes a few hairs on their feet. Baldwins are known for having skin of a rubbery texture, many wrinkles and large, droopy ears. They come in all colors and patterns that haired guinea pigs come in, such as Dutch, tortoiseshell, broken colors, Himalayan and selfs.
Baldwin guinea pig | Introduction
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
List of mammals of Equatorial Guinea | Order: <a href="Rodent">Rodent</a>ia (rodents)
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig ("Cavia porcellus"), also known as cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus "Cavia". Despite their common name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely biologically related to pigs, and the origin of the name is still unclear. They originated in the Andes of South America. Studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy, such as "C. tschudii", and do not exist naturally in the wild. They were originally domesticated as livestock, for a source of meat, and continue to be consumed as food.
Guinea pig | Introduction
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 (with a prominent forelock), the Lunkarya Sheltie (with hair flowing back over the body), and the Lunkarya Coronet (with a crest on the forehead). 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.
List of guinea pig breeds | Lunkarya group
The greater guinea pig is a herbivore. It is a solitary animal and has a complex network of tunnels and runways through the vegetation. The home range is variable and seems to be related to the animal's size, its sex, and the water level in the area. Females seem capable of breeding at any time of year but births predominate in spring and the early part of summer. Females may have up to three litters in one year. The gestation period is about 64 days and the litter size is very small (1 or 2 pups). The young are quite large when born and grow fast, and some females born in the spring themselves breed successfully when between 30 and 45 days old.
Greater guinea pig | Behaviour
There is also a type of Guinea hog in South America.
Guinea hog | Introduction
The Merino, or English Merino, is a texel with a crown (crest) on its head. It is recognized in Europe as a standard breed.
List of guinea pig breeds | Merino
By 2004, there were 120 survivors; and by 2007 there were 97 (57 in Britain; 40 elsewhere in the world), their ages ranging from 82 to 102. In the event, 2007 marked the last reunion. It attracted over 60 attendees, but in view of the survivors' age and frailty the decision was then taken to wind the club down. There were believed to be 29 survivors by April 2015, and 17 by November 2016.
Guinea Pig Club | Post-war history
The helmeted guineafowl is a large bird with a round body and small head. They weigh about . The body plumage is gray-black spangled with white. Like other guineafowl, this species has an unfeathered head. In this species it is decorated with a dull yellow or reddish bony knob, and bare skin with red, blue or black hues. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is likewise short. Various sub-species are proposed, differences in appearance being mostly a large variation in shape, size and colour of the casque and facial wattles.
Helmeted guineafowl | Description
Peramelemorphia includes the bandicoots and bilbies: it equates approximately to the mainstream of marsupial omnivores. All members of the order are endemic to the twin land masses of Australia-New Guinea and most have the characteristic bandicoot shape: a plump, arch-backed body with a long, delicately tapering snout, very large upright ears, relatively long, thin legs, and a thin tail.
List of mammals of Papua New Guinea | Order: <a href="Peramelemorphia">Peramelemorphia</a> (bandicoots and bilbies)
Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of the association. Breed associations or clubs may vary in their goals, activities and nomenclature from country to country, even for the same breed. Most domesticated animals, whether they are agricultural animals such as cattle, llamas, poultry, sheep and pigs, or companion animals such as pigeons, horses, cats and dogs, have breed clubs associated with the breed.
Breed club | Introduction
E. Castle and Sewall Wright made a number of contributions to this area of study, especially regarding coat color. In 2004, the U.S.'s National Human Genome Research Institute announced plans to sequence the genome of the domestic guinea pig.
Guinea pig | In scientific research
They have well-developed senses of hearing, smell, and touch.
Guinea pig | Behavior
The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.
List of mammals of Guinea | Order: <a href="Lagomorpha">Lagomorpha</a> (lagomorphs)
Pacas are in length, excluding the short tail, weigh , and are the sixth-largest rodents in the world. Similar to guinea pigs, they have square heads, small ears, sides patterned with spots and stripes, and virtually invisible tails. With large hind limbs, small fore limbs, and cone-shaped bodies, pacas are similar in appearance to the deer-like, ungulate chevrotains, and like them have four to seven horizontal lines of blotches and stripes along their flanks. They have a heavy and robust appearance, though their legs are long and relatively tiny. Their small ears are set high on their heads. They have four toes on their fore feet and five on their hind feet (of which two are short and hardly touch the ground) and they have stout nails that resemble small hooves.
Paca | Description
The vulturine guineafowl is a large (61–71 cm) bird with a round body and small head. It has a longer wings, neck, legs and tail than other guineafowl. The adult has a bare blue face and black neck, and although all other guineafowl have unfeathered heads, this species looks particularly like a vulture because of the long bare neck and head. The slim neck projects from a cape of long, glossy, blue and white hackles. The breast is cobalt blue, and the rest of the body plumage is black, finely spangled with white. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is longer than others in the family Numididae.
Vulturine guineafowl | Description
Otter and fox cavies have yellow and white ticking, respectively. Different shades are named after the black series shade, for instance black otter, lilac-and-tan, and grey fox.
List of guinea pig breeds | Otter and fox
A magpie cavy is a particular form of brindle, with black for the black series, but substituting white for the red series. Magpie can easily be confused with "roan", although in magpie the white hairs can appear "anywhere" on the cavy.
List of guinea pig breeds | Magpie
They have a bluish face and neck, though the nape is very pale greyish (almost white) in some subspecies and the throat is red in others.
Crested guineafowl | Intraspecific taxonomy
Most domestic pigs have rather a bristled sparse hair covering on their skin, although woolly-coated breeds such as the Mangalitsa exist.
Domestic pig | Biology
Activity is scattered randomly throughout the day; aside from an avoidance of intense light, no regular circadian patterns are apparent. Domestic guinea pigs generally live in cages, although some owners of large numbers of guinea pigs dedicate entire rooms to their pets. Cages with solid or wire mesh floors are used, although wire mesh floors can cause injury and may be associated with an infection commonly known as bumblefoot (ulcerative pododermatitis). "Cubes and Coroplast" (C&C) style cages are now a common choice. Cages are often lined with wood shavings or a similar material. Bedding made from red cedar (Eastern or Western) and pine, both softwoods, were commonly used in the past, but these materials are now believed to contain harmful phenols (aromatic hydrocarbons) and oils.
Guinea pig | Domestic habitat
The greater guinea pig ("Cavia magna") is a species of rodent found in the coastal strip of Brazil and Uruguay, where it lives in moist grassland and marshes.
Greater guinea pig | Introduction
It is based in Stoneleigh Park, the site of the NFU. Its members represent 70% of the British pig industry.
National Pig Association | Structure
Baboon refers to the large-bodied primates with marked sexual dimorphism and having females and young that are dependent on males for protection. Guinean baboons have a red tone to their fur, and are sometimes referred to as the red baboon. They lack hair on their hindquarters, and their faces are black with yellow-brown sideburns. Females' rumps are pink in color and males have a mane of fur around their heads and shoulders. A characteristic feature of baboons is their long molars and broad incisors. The long canines are evidence of sexual dimorphism in baboon species. Their forelimbs and hindlimbs are nearly equal in length and their digits on their hands and feet are relatively short and stout, making it difficult for them to climb.
Guinea baboon | Physical description
John Hunter runs the gas works, Ross Tilley wields the knife. And if they are not careful They'll have your flaming life. So, Guinea Pigs, stand ready For all your surgeons' calls: And if their hands aren’t steady They’ll whip off both your ears.
Guinea Pig Club | Anthem
A satin guinea pig is not a separate breed, but it has, as its name suggests, a characteristic satin-like, almost glassy, sheen to its coat. The hair shaft on a "true satin" cavy is actually hollow. The genetic factor for having 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 (OD), an incurable and potentially painful metabolic disease of the bones. Osteodystrophy symptoms begin showing at around 12 to 18 months of age.
List of guinea pig breeds | Note on satin variants
The minimum age at which the young adults can breed is thirty days.
Brazilian guinea pig | Behaviour
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to .
List of mammals of Guinea-Bissau | Order: <a href="Rodent">Rodent</a>ia (rodents)
The hyraxes are any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. About the size of a domestic cat they are well-furred, with rounded bodies and a stumpy tail. They are native to Africa and the Middle East.
List of mammals of Guinea | Order: <a href="Hyracoidea">Hyracoidea</a> (hyraxes)
Hairless guinea pigs are not significantly physiologically different than regular haired guinea pigs, although they need to eat more to maintain body heat. The optimal temperature range for a hairless guinea pig is , which is slightly higher than the optimal temperature range for the haired guinea pig. Their sensitive skin has very much the same appearance as human skin, but has the same needs as normal guinea pig skin. Exposed skin is vulnerable to sunburn, other injuries and fungal infections unless precautions are taken. Skinny pigs should be housed indoors, and they are usually kept with nesting materials such as a blanket or cloth bag for heat conservation.
Skinny pig | Unique traits
The sexes are similar, although the female is usually slightly smaller than the male and with smaller tarsal spurs. Young birds are mainly grey-brown, with a duller blue breast and short hackles.
Vulturine guineafowl | Description
This species is native to the coastal strip of land in eastern Uruguay and southeastern Brazil. Its typical habitat is moist grassland, marshes, the edges of woodland and small valleys.
Greater guinea pig | Distribution and habitat
These symptoms include wobbly gait, problems with 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 even cavies with a satin parent.
List of guinea pig breeds | Note on satin variants
The Brazilian guinea pig ("Cavia aperea") (preá in Portuguese) is a guinea pig species found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. "Cavia aperea" has been successfully mated to the domestic guinea pig, "Cavia porcellus", though many females become infertile in successive generations. Brazilian guinea pigs are mainly diurnal animals and are narrower and longer than domesticated guinea pigs.
Brazilian guinea pig | Introduction
Since that time, they have been largely replaced by other rodents, such as mice and rats. However, they are still used in research, primarily as models to study such human medical conditions as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy (like humans, they require dietary intake of vitamin C), and pregnancy complications.
Guinea pig | Introduction
Guinea Hogs are one of many smaller breeds that are known to be kept as pets, though not as popular as the Potbelly pig or the Kunekune pig.
Guinea hog | Guinea Hogs as pets
The following is an incomplete list of association football clubs based in Guinea. "For a complete list see "
List of football clubs in Guinea | Introduction
Helmeted guinea fowl are seasonally breeders. Summer is the peak breeding season in which the testes could weigh up to 1.6 gm, while during winter no breeding activity takes place. The serum testosterone level is up to 5.37 ng/ ml during the breeding season.
Helmeted guineafowl | Reproduction
Sixteen members of the club wrote books about their experiences, some of them during the war. The best known, and most influential in raising public awareness of McIndoe's work, was Richard Hillary's "The Last Enemy", originally published in the United States as "Falling Through Space" (1942). One of the local pubs in East Grinstead adopted the name "The Guinea Pig". The pub closed in 2008 and was demolished in 2009 to make way for a social housing development named Guinea Pig Place. A painted Roll of Honour is displayed in a corridor of the Canadian Wing at Queen Victoria Hospital.
Guinea Pig Club | Legacy
Hairless guinea pigs are not significantly physiologically different than regular haired guinea pigs, although they need to eat more to maintain body heat. The optimal temperature range for a hairless guinea pig is , which is slightly higher than the optimal temperature range for the haired guinea pig. Their skin has a similar appearance to human skin, but has a more rubbery texture. Their skin is quite vulnerable to sunburn, other injuries and fungal infections unless precautions are taken. Baldwin guinea pigs should be housed indoors and they are usually kept with nesting materials such as a blanket, fleece bag or small plastic or wooden house for heat conservation.
Baldwin guinea pig | Unique traits
Later they were crossed with other breeds, including Appalachian English pigs, Essex pigs, and West African dwarfs. This new breed, the American Guinea hog retained its black colour but lost the red tint and is sometimes called a black Guinea. These pigs were popular with subsistence farmers, not only through their ability to forage for themselves, but also because their habit of eating snakes made the farmyard safe for children and livestock. The breed fell out of favour after around 1880, and for a while was in danger of being entirely lost. The red Guinea no longer exists and its exact relationship with the American Guinea and what proportions of other breeds are in its background are not known for certain.
Guinea hog | History
The name derives from the belief that the origins of the Guinea hog were from African Guinea, but its now thought that Guinea just implied small, like Guinea Cattle. Guinea Hogs and Guinea Cattle are both smaller breeds of domestic livestock. The true African Guinea hogs are a large, red breed with upright ears, bristly hair and long tails, suggesting genetic influence of the Nigerian black or Ashanti pig. They were brought to America on slave ships. Around 1804, Thomas Jefferson acquired some of these pigs, which had arrived from Africa via the Canary Isles. The original strain, although basically black, also had a hint of red and were consequently called "red Guineas"; that strain, well known at the beginning of the 19th century, is extinct.
Guinea hog | History
Ed Davey posted a picture of his family's guinea pig, Carrot, as they do not have a dog. Other animals, such as horses, also made appearances.
Dogs at polling stations | Introduction
The book became a national bestseller in the United States, thus further popularizing the term, and spurred the growth of the consumer protection movement. During World War II, the plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe established the Guinea Pig Club at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, England as a social club and mutual support network for his patients, who were undergoing previously-untested reconstruction procedures. The negative connotation of the term was later employed in the novel "The Guinea Pigs" (1970) by Czech author Ludvík Vaculík as an allegory for Soviet totalitarianism. Guinea pigs remained popular laboratory animals until the later 20th century: about 2.5 million guinea pigs were used annually in the U.S.
Guinea pig | In scientific research
There is only one type of guinea pig with a pointed coat. It is called the Himalayan
Point coloration | Guinea pigs
The modern breed of skinny pig originated from a cross between haired guinea pigs and a hairless lab strain. The hairless strain that it is most likely related to was a spontaneous genetic mutation that was first identified at Montreal's Armand Frappier Institute in 1978, in a colony of Hartley lab guinea pigs. In 1982 they were sent to Charles River Laboratories to be bred for laboratory use and are commonly used in dermatology studies today. They are an outbred strain that has an intact thymus and standard immune system.
Skinny pig | Introduction