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The Abyssinian is a breed of
The Abyssinian is set apart from other
Two roan Abyssinians should not be bred, because they will produce offspring with genetic problems linked to the white gene that produces the coloration. A roan Abyssinian can be safely bred to any other color, however.
The Abyssinian is a breed of guinea pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ...
that is relatively common as both a pet
A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...
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.
History
The Abyssinian is one of the oldest guinea pig breeds. Despite its name, it did not originate inAbyssinia
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...
, which is now Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. The actual origins of its name are not known, although it is known to have originated in South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
. The Abyssinian drew much attention as an exhibition cavy in Victorian England
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
due to its unique coat.
Characteristics
The Abyssinian is set apart from other guinea pig
The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus '' Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ...
s 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. An Abyssinian also requires special grooming due to the unique nature of its coat. The Abyssinian is described as being more energetic than most other cavy breeds, but easier to train due to its inquisitive nature.
Health
The Abyssinian requires frequent brushing to keep its coat from becoming tangled.Roan
Two roan Abyssinians should not be bred, because they will produce offspring with genetic problems linked to the white gene that produces the coloration. A roan Abyssinian can be safely bred to any other color, however.
See also
* List of guinea pig breedsReferences
{{Reflist Guinea pigs Mammal breeds