Baby guinea pig with his Mother
Channel: Fritids Tur
Date: 2017-05-02

#Abyssinian #guinea #pig, #Peruvian #cavy, #Mom #guinea #pig with her #cub.
There are many breeds of guinea pig or cavy which have been developed since its domestication ca. 5000 BC. Breeds vary widely in appearance and purpose, ranging from show breeds with long, flowing hair to those in use as model organisms by science. From ca. 1200 AD to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1532, selective breeding by indigenous South American people resulted in many landrace varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which form the basis for some of the modern, formal breeds. Early Andean varieties were primarily kept as agricultural stock for food, and efforts at improving the guinea pig as a food source continue to the modern era.
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. Similar organizations exist in Australia (Australian National Cavy Council) and New Zealand (Combined Cavy Clubs New Zealand). Each club publishes its own Standard of Perfection and determines which breeds are eligible for showing. New breeds continue to emerge in the 21st century.
All cavy breeds have some shared general standards: the head profile should be rounded, with large eyes and large, smooth ears. The body should be strong and of compact build. Coat colour 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 colour ideal of good definition and thoroughness is rarely met by other than the smooth-coated breeds, which have had well established, separate breeding lines for different colours.
********************************************************************Male champion Abyssinian cavy, tortoiseshell-and-white coloured.
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. The rosettes are worth 25 points by ARBA standard. The hair is coarse and harsh, shaped in precise rosettes over the body. There are 10 rosettes on a show cavy; four saddle, two shoulder, two hip, and two rump rosettes. Some judging bodies, such as the ANCC, consider shoulder rosettes optional but desired in show Abyssinians. The rosettes are to be round with pinpoint centers, and are to be faulted for guttering (elongated rosettes), double rosettes, and uneven placement. Any Abyssinian showing an interfering extra rosette or missing any required rosettes are to be disqualified from the competition. Double rosettes do not count toward final rosette count.
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 (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.
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.
********************************************************************The Peruvian resembles the Silkie with its smooth coat, but has a prominent "forelock" resulting from a portion of its coat on the head and the neck growing forward on the body.

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