Originally published 2020-08-14.
Guinea pigs come in a surprising range of coats: smooth and short, swirled into rosettes, curled like a sheep's fleece, or so long that the animal looks like a walking mop. Those looks are not natural "hairstyles" in the wild sense. They are the result of a few coat genes that breeders have selected and combined over centuries, starting with a small rodent first domesticated in the Andes thousands of years ago.
In August 2020 the Instagram account healthylife.za shared a set of photos of guinea pigs with especially dramatic coats, which this page originally featured. Those posts have since been removed from Instagram. Below you will find a guide to the coat types they showed, where the animals come from, how the breeds differ, and what all that hair means for anyone who wants to keep one.
Where guinea pigs come from
The domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, is a rodent in the family Caviidae, the same family as wild cavies and the capybara. Despite an old claim that still circulates online, it is not related to rabbits, which belong to a separate order, and it is not related to pigs either.
People in the Andes of South America domesticated guinea pigs very early. Domestication is usually dated to as early as 5000 BC, which makes them one of the oldest domestic animals of the Americas. They were raised mainly for meat, and they still are: in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador roast guinea pig, called cuy, is a traditional dish for festivals and family occasions. The animals also had a role in folk medicine and ritual, and a guinea pig appears on the table in a famous colonial painting of the Last Supper in Cusco Cathedral.
Spanish, Dutch and English traders brought guinea pigs to Europe in the 16th century, where they quickly became exotic pets for the wealthy and, later, ordinary household companions.
Why the strange name?
Nobody knows for certain why they are called guinea pigs. The "pig" part probably comes from their stout bodies, large heads and the squeaks and grunts they make. The "guinea" part is debated. Suggestions include a mix-up with Guiana in South America, the ships that sailed via the coast of Guinea in West Africa, or the old use of "Guinea" for any faraway land. None of these has been proven. A popular story that they cost one guinea coin in England does not hold up, because the coin was first struck in 1663, ten years after the word "Ginny-pig" was already in print.
In many countries the word "guinea pig" also means a test subject. That use comes from the animals' long history in laboratories from the 19th century onward. One reason they were valued is that, like humans, guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C, which made them useful in early research on scurvy. Their use in experiments has declined in many countries, and animal welfare groups continue to campaign against it.
The coat genes behind the hairstyles
Almost every dramatic guinea pig coat is built from a handful of traits that can be mixed together:
- Rosettes: whorls where the hair grows outward from a central point. A guinea pig covered in rosettes looks permanently windswept.
- Long hair: a recessive trait that lets hair keep growing, in show animals to well over 30 cm.
- Rex or curly hair: a gene that makes the coat wavy or tightly curled.
- Satin: a recessive trait that makes the hair shafts thinner and more translucent, giving the coat a glossy sheen.
- Crests: a single rosette on the forehead that forms a small crown.
Combine long hair with curls and you get a Texel; add a crest to a long coat and you get a Coronet. Breeders have been playing with these combinations for generations, which is why the photos that go viral can look so varied.
The breeds you were looking at
In the United States, the American Cavy Breeders Association, part of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, recognises 13 breeds. Five of them are satin forms of other breeds. The list is:
- Abyssinian and Abyssinian Satin
- American and American Satin
- Coronet
- Peruvian and Peruvian Satin
- Silkie and Silkie Satin
- Teddy and Teddy Satin
- Texel
- White Crested
Short coats: American, Teddy and White Crested
The American is the classic smooth, short-haired guinea pig most people picture. The Teddy has a short, dense coat that stands up because of a coat mutation, so it feels springy like a plush toy. The White Crested looks like an American with a single white rosette on its head.
Rosettes: the Abyssinian
Abyssinians have a short, coarse coat arranged in a pattern of rosettes, ideally evenly placed along the back and sides. They are often the guinea pigs that look like they have just woken up.
Long coats: Peruvian, Silkie, Coronet and Texel
The Peruvian has very long hair that grows forward over the face as well as back along the body, so in full show coat it can be hard to tell which end is which. The Silkie, called the Sheltie in the UK, has long hair that sweeps smoothly backward. The Coronet is similar but wears a crest. The Texel, developed in Britain in the 1980s, has long, curly ringlets and is one of the most photographed breeds online.
Other clubs, especially in Europe, recognise further types such as the Lunkarya, Merino and Sheba, and there are hairless guinea pigs called Skinny pigs and Baldwins. These are not on the ACBA list.
The original Instagram photo set
The 20 posts from healthylife.za that appeared here showed a mixture of long-haired, curly and rosetted guinea pigs, several of them clearly groomed and styled for the camera. The account appears to have collected the photos rather than taken them all, so the original photographers are not known. The embeds are no longer available on Instagram and are listed below for the record.
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What all that hair means for care
A spectacular coat looks great in a photo, but it comes with daily work. Long-haired breeds such as Peruvians, Silkies, Coronets and Texels need regular brushing, and pet owners often trim the hair short around the back end to keep it clean. Matted or soiled coats can lead to skin problems and attract flies in warm weather. Curly Texels are especially prone to tangles.
Whatever the coat, guinea pigs share the same basic needs:
- Company. They are social herd animals and generally do better with at least one other guinea pig. In Switzerland it is illegal to keep a guinea pig without a companion.
- Vitamin C every day from fresh vegetables and a proper guinea pig pellet, because they cannot make it themselves.
- Unlimited hay. Their teeth grow continuously and need constant chewing to stay worn down.
- Space. A cage that is larger than many shop-bought models, with places to hide.
With good care, pet guinea pigs usually live about four to five years and sometimes up to eight. Satin breeds have been linked to an incurable bone disease, osteodystrophy, sometimes called satin syndrome, so anyone buying one should ask the breeder about it. For any health or grooming worry, talk to a vet who knows small animals.
Choosing with more than looks in mind
It is easy to fall for the most outrageous coat in a photo set. A short-haired American or Abyssinian is often a better first pet, because it needs little grooming and lets you focus on the animal's diet, company and space. Long-haired breeds suit owners who enjoy daily grooming and have time for it.
Rescue centres and small-animal shelters often have guinea pigs of every coat type looking for homes, including bonded pairs. Adopting a pair is one of the simplest ways to give these sociable little animals the life they need, whatever their hairstyle.
Sources: Wikipedia: Guinea pig; Wikipedia: List of guinea pig breeds; Smithsonian's National Zoo: New at the Zoo: Guinea pigs; Lafeber: All about guinea pig breeds (ACBA list); Merck Veterinary Manual: Guinea pigs; Instagram: healthylife.za, which shared the original photo set.
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