Agouti Guinea Pigs

An agouti guinea pig is a type of guinea pig that is known for having a smooth coat. It looks like a wild guinea pig because it has dark eyes and ticks all over its body except its belly. Agouti guinea pigs are known for their calm demeanor and kind attitude. But how do you distinguish Agouti Guinea pigs from other guinea pigs?

The flecked coat of the agouti is the characteristic that makes them look different from other guinea pigs. Its “ticked” coat consists of any of two colors that alternate throughout the guinea pig’s head, neck, and limbs. This pattern is known as a ticked coat. On the other hand, their tummies and the areas surrounding their eyes almost always have a single color.

You will learn further information about agouti guinea pigs by reading this article. 

What Is an Agouti Guinea Pig?

Because of its silky hair and characteristic ticking, the agouti color of the guinea pig is a popular choice among pet owners worldwide. They are a good option for a first guinea pig because children can adore them easily. They have pretty big eyes, but their legs are short and stumpy.

Because of the lack of coarse hair on their bodies, agouti guinea pigs are an excellent choice for people who have never kept the animals as pets before. Different agouti guinea pig colours are golden, silver or grey, yellow, red, and brown.

History

An agouti guinea has smooth skin and is quite similar in appearance to the wild kind of guinea pig often found in South America. However, agouti guinea pigs have a flecked look, and each hair includes varying shades, creating a banded appearance.

Appearance 

The agouti (or ticking) coloring of the Agouti Guinea Pig’s coat gives it its name. The overall look consists of a base coat of one color and flecks of another color across the coat. Agouti comes in golden (black under-color with dark gold ticking), silver, lemon, cinnamon, chocolate, and cream. The fur has a short, silky texture.

As one of the biggest guinea pigs, the Agouti Guinea Pig has a short, stocky body with wide shoulders and a stout physique. The head is somewhat large, but the face is quite small, and the profile is slightly curved. They have huge black eyes and ears that hang down like petals and are droopy.

Behavior 

Once they trust you, Agouti Guinea Pigs are charming and sociable; they’re a fantastic choice for new owners. The friendly behavior of guinea pigs contributes to their widespread acceptance as domesticated pets. They are calm and curious creatures that are busy during the day. They create sounds like purring, squealing, chirping, whistling, whining, and rumbling, among other noises. 

Because of their high activity level, they need a lot of space to play and run around. If they are monitored and kept away from areas of the house that may put them in danger, such as the garage, they may be allowed to run freely throughout the house.

Guinea pigs are friendly and should be raised in pairs. People rarely have the time to fulfill the demand for social connection that guinea pigs have, and people will never be able to replace the companionship that guinea pigs provide for one another in their own species. Guinea pigs housed in groups of two or three are likely to be happier, healthier, more self-assured, and more energetic.

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Caring

Compared to guinea pig breeds, their hair requires no special care. Ensure that it receives an adequate amount of brushing time, and keep in mind that they also like the occasional brushing.

The conventional guinea pig diet consists of regular Timothy hay, fresh water, fresh vegetables, and a vitamin C supplement. If you could also provide a large quantity of freshly cut grass, that would be wonderful.

They’re timid, but they’ll warm up to you if you spend time with them. Like most guinea pigs, they like companionship and don’t like to be alone, even if they’re only nearby, so consider buying another guinea pig or more to keep in contact if you haven’t already.

Housing

The ideal habitat for the Agouti Guinea Pig is a safe, well-ventilated cage with enough space for the guinea pig to exercise and nest, as well as a separate area for food and water away from the restroom. Experts recommend a minimum of 7.5 square feet for one to two guinea pigs. Many commercial cages fall short of these criteria. In most cases, an enclosure with a hard bottom is preferable, and wire flooring should never be employed.

Aspen shavings, paper bedding, wood chips, towels, and wool can be used to produce bedding. Because of the potential health risks linked with the various volatile plant oils, cedar and raw wood shavings should not be used in any application. Corn cob bedding and straw are two more common types of bedding prone to mold growth and should be avoided.

Additionally, you need to ensure that at least one shelter is available for your guinea pig. You may buy houses or utilize a cardboard box. The guinea pig will appreciate tunnels, wood caves, low slopes, and safe toys to chew. The Agouti Guinea Pig should not use hamster wheels since they are inappropriate. Guinea pigs frequently show signs of anxiety when confronted with plastic exercise balls; improper sizing of these balls can lead to spine injuries.

Your Agouti Guinea Pig’s cage should be out of direct sunlight and away from drafts. The cage should be cleaned once a week, but it may require more regular cleaning based on its size, number of guinea pigs, and bedding.

What Colors Do Guinea Pigs Have?

• Cinnamon Agouti:  It has a deep, rich cinnamon undertone that is ticked with silver all over. Its belly has a beautiful and uniform silver color with no whitening. Its ears and pads are a cinnamon color, and its eyes are ruby-colored.
• Lemon Agouti: This color has a deep black base with a lemon ticking. It should have a lemon color across its belly. They have dark eyes, black ears, and pads on their feet.
• Chocolate Agouti: It has a rich, chocolate-colored undertone with orange ticking. It features chocolate-colored ears and pads, a deep orange abdomen, and ruby eyes.
• Cream Agouti: It is a deep, rich chocolate color with cream ticking. It should have a cream-colored abdomen, ruby-colored eyes, and chocolate-colored pads and ears.
• Golden Agouti: It has a deep black undertone with golden ticking. Its belly ought to have a deep and even mahogany color, and it shouldn’t have any brassiness. It has dark eyes, and its ears and pads are also black.
• Silver Agouti: The silver agouti has a dark black undertone. It has a belly that has a bright silver color all the way through. There is no whiteness. It needs dark eyes, black ears, and pads on its feet.

Agouti Guinea Pig Names

Agouti guinea pigs are adorable and lovable pets whose owners give them various names to show their affection. Agouti guinea pigs may be found in a variety of colors and can have some different variants. The question is, do guinea pigs recognize their own names?

Actually, yes! After adequate training, guinea pigs understand their names and respond appropriately to them. Guinea pig owners give their pets names based on their behavior and personality. A few of the most well-known names for agouti guinea pigs are as follows:

• Bacon
• Chomper
• Fluffy
• Hamlet
• Patches
• Piglet
• Popcorn
• Scamper
• Scooter
• Twitter
• Zipper