History of guinea pig

ORIGIN OF THE GUINEA PIG :

Guinea-pig

Guinea pig is in Guinness Book of Recordes there is a 15 year old guinea pig.

Guinea-pig

A person or animal who is used as the subject of an experiment.

Origin

Guinea pig is in Guinness Book of Recordes there is a 15 year old guinea pig.

It isn't at all clear why these cute family pets came to be given their name. They

are cavies, not pigs, and they don't originate from Guinea. Both 'guinea' and 'pig'

seem to stem from simple, but mistaken, associations. The name 'guinea pig'

dates from the 17th century and the first record of it is in Henry Power's

Experimental Philosophy, 1664:

"You may see them... like so many Ginny-Pigs, munching and chewing the cud."

The 'guinea' part of the name is perplexing. It was certainly a reference to a place

rather than to the idea that the animals cost a guinea to buy, as is sometimes

wrongly suggested. Guinea is in fact in East Africa but the little rodents, properly

called Cavia Cobaya, are from the Andean region of South America. It could be

that the name derives from the 'Guineamen', which were sailing ships that

followed a route from the UK to Africa and then on to the Americas, plying the

slave trade. It could also be that the distinction between West Africa and South

America wasn't as clear as it is now. 'Guinea' may have just been a synonym for

'somewhere a long way across the sea'.

'Pig' is a little easier to understand. look Cavies do at least somewhat like tiny pigs

and that was in the mind of the academics who first gave them a Latin name -

Cavia porcellus, porcellus meaning 'little pig'. This is in line with the habit at the

time of naming any small and vaguely porcine creatures as 'pigs'. George

Gascoigne's translation of Noble Arte Venerie, 1575 does that for baby badgers:

"There are Foxes and theyr Cubbes, and Badgerdes and theyr Pigges."

The same loose associations were no doubt at work when the animal was called

the Spanish Coney in a 1710 edition of The British Apollo: Containing Two

Thousand Answers to Curious Questions in Arts and Sciences:

"A Guinea Pig... in Johnston's Natural History goes by the Name of a Spanish

Coney."

Coney was the old name for rabbit so, instead of a pig from Guinea we have a

rabbit from Spain.

The first use of the term 'guinea pig' to describe a person didn't have the current

'subject of an experiment' meaning, but was a name for inexperienced

midshipmen on the sailing ships mentioned above, as recorded in The Adventures

of a Kidnapped Orphan, 1747:

"He sent his nephew, at the age of fourteen, on a voyage as a Guinea-pig."

It wasn't until the 20th century that the expression was given its current meaning.

This was first alluded to by George Bernard Shaw, in Quintessence of Ibsenism

Now Completed, 1913:

"The... folly which sees in the child nothing more than the vivisector sees in a

guinea pig: something to experiment on with a view to rearranging the world."

Shaw, who was a noted vegetarian and what would now be called an animal

liberationist, was referring to the practice of using guinea pigs in scientific

experiments. This had been going for some time by 1913. The celebrated French

chemist Antoine Lavoisier used a guinea pig in an experiment on respiration in

1780.

Why guinea pigs were chosen as subjects of experimentation isn't entirely clear.

They may not have cost the huge price of a guinea but, being imported from

'Guinea', they were more expensive than mice and rats, which have now largely, if

doubtless reluctantly, taken their place.

EVOLUTION OF GUINEA PIG :

guinea pigs evolution in the wild

Guinea Pigs evolved in a grassy plain habitat and

evolved to avoid predators (so they are prey animals,

not attackers). They ate, reproduced, and coped with

the elements on the grassy plain. They evolved many

adaptations to achieve these goals.

Cavies are social animals, preferring to live in herds.

This adaptation provides more eyes, ears and noses to sense the approach of

danger and to sound the alarm so that others can rest. This way, no one animal

becomes exhausted by sentry duty. Also, when many animals flee together, it

forms a confusing jumble of shapes, and a predator has a harder time focusing on

a single individual to catch. In herds, young guinea pigs are better protected than

if they were off by themselves.

Guinea pig babies are born fully covered with hair, their eyes are open, and they

are able to stand and run shortly after birth. This is because they must be able to

stay with the herd in order to be safe. Guinea pigs use flight to avoid predators,

Guinea pigs are small and live down in the grasses. They combine flight with out-

maneuvering their enemies and taking cover. They are fast, agile and can turn

without pause through memorized tracks of grass tunnels and along all the ups

and downs of the terrain. They can wedge themselves into tiny cracks and

crevices where they hide until it is safe to come out. At times, guinea pigs may

lunge at a predator to hold off an attack but, even so, guinea pigs remain

vulnerable. As Guinea Pigs have a short life span they must make up for this by

being capable of reproducing at an astounding rate, which they do.

Guinea pigs have incisors for clipping mouthfuls of vegetation and molars for

grinding, with a gap in between. The food that they eat is hard and coarse, which

wears down their teeth. To compensate cavy teeth constantly grow. Cavies are

best adapted to food that is highly fibrous and of relatively low nutritional value

(grass hay). Guinea Pigs, therefore, have a large calcium to help digest their food

arid can pass large amounts of partially digested food through their systems in

order to get what they can from it and then move on to the next mouthful.

Guinea pigs eat their own droppings for beneficial vitamins.

An animal must manage its body temperature. A great deal of heat is lost through

the skin. Two animals of the same shape but of different sizes will lose heat at

different rates. The smaller one will lose heat more rapidly. This is because, shape

being equal, the smaller animal has a larger surface-to-volume ratio. Since a

sphere has the smallest surface-to-volume ratio of any other shape, small animals

such as guinea pigs can reduce heat loss by having a more spherical body. Could

guinea pigs have lost their tails in order to be more compact and to lose less heat?

Another way for an animal to stay warm is to have a higher metabolic rate. A

guinea pig has a fast heartbeat and eats more in relation to its weight.

HISTORY OF GUINEA PIG :

Guinea pigs originated from South America where several different species can

still be found. The ancestor of the domesticated guinea pig is thought to be the

restless cavy, Cavia cutleri. The restless cavy lives in big family groups in the long

grass, being protected from preditors by overhanging stems. They don't burrow

for themselves but instead use abandoned burrows from other animals.

They can be attacked by meat-eating enemies so they are shy and get scared very

quickly. Young cavies are not born in the safety of a burrow but out in the open.

They are born fully furred with their eyes open and within two days after being

born they are eating the same food as their parents.

Before the Spanish conquest of South America in the 16th century, the Incas kept

them for food and even today the Peruvians breed them for their meat. Sailors,

who were probably the first people to do so, kept them as pets and brought them

to Europe from South America. Many people believe that is how they got their

name the 'guinea pig', because the sailors sold them for one guinea and they

make squeaking noises like a pig.

SOCIAL ROLE :

Guinea pigs - we're all familiar with this small rodent. We know what they look

like and what they're used for. They're cute little rodents and they are pets. As far

as most of us in the western world are concerned, that's the complete story. But

there is much more to the tale of this cute little animal's history and its

contribution to human society across the globe.

In the United States and Europe these little pigs have become popular pets.

Known and revered for their docile and friendly nature and for their cute

demeanor, guinea pigs are adored by children and adults alike in the west. They

have become the family pet of choice in thousands of households. They are

relatively easy to care for and inexpensive to own. They are generally good

natured and rarely bite.

Guinea pigs live an average of about five years and may even live to seven years.

They are best kept indoors in a temperature-controlled environment. They do

best in a standard "room temperature" setting (65 to 75 degrees).

In addition, serious cavy breeders raise these animals as show animals. These

show animals are exhibited in sanctioned events across the nation. The American

Rabbit Breeders Association is the official registry for cavies in the United States.

Unfortunately, the common usage of the "guinea pig" label in our English

language is derived from one of our poor cavy's more unpleasant roles - that of

the laboratory test subject. They were used extensively in the 1800's and 1900's

as research test animals. So much so that the name guinea pig gradually became

a popular idiom denoting a test or sacrificial subject. Fortunately for the cavy, this

usage is decreasing as laboratories turn increasingly more to other rodents - most

notably rats and mice.

In South America, the story is very much different and bleaker for our furry little

friend. The cavy has a completely different history in this area of the world. The

guinea pig originated in South America. Today there are no guinea pigs left in the

wild. However, in years past when they did live in the wild - South America was

their stomping ground. The originally came from in the Andean region of South

America. Nowadays this region is made up of modern day Bolivia, Ecuador and

Peru.

The Inca Indians domesticated this little beast around 5000 B.C. and raised it for

food. Because of this unfortunate precedent, the cavy is still eaten today in this

region of the world. In small Indian villages, people still raise the little rodent for

food just as western farmers raise and eat barnyard animals.

Yes, we think of the cavy as only a pet - as a companion for our children and for

us. But this creature has other roles - some familiar and some extremely foreign

to us. They are raised and sold by breeders to be used as show animals. Some

guinea pigs are specially bred and sold to research companies to be used as

laboratory test subjects. And in South America, they are a food source. We should

be grateful for the guinea pig. Over the years, this seemingly insignificant little

rodent has contributed to the human race in many ways.

General Care to be taken

Guinea pigs’ teeth grow continuously, just like those of all other rodents. So, it is

important for you to give your guinea pig a piece of wood that he or she can gnaw

on to wear his or her teeth down. It’s best to provide a tree branch that has not

been treated with pesticides or any other chemicals, but any small piece of

unpainted wood that hasn’t been treated with chemicals will do.

Guinea pigs are very conscientious about grooming themselves, but brushing

them on a regular basis will help keep their coat clean and remove any loose

hairs. Long-haired guinea pigs should be brushed daily in order to prevent tangles

and knots from forming.

Guinea pigs are social animals who prefer to live in small groups. If necessary, two

young males generally can be kept together, but fighting usually breaks out

among adult males. Several females can be kept together without problems,

however. Since guinea pigs, like all rodents, multiply rapidly, keeping males and

females together is not recommended.

Breeds of guinea pig /type avilable

TYPES OF BREEDS :

There are 13 recognized breeds of guinea pigs (cavies) in the United States. The

breed standards are developed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.

Abyssinian

The Abyssinian (Aby, or Abby) is one of the oldest breeds of

guinea pigs. It is recognized by the symmetrical rosette (hair

radiating symmetrically from a center) and erect ridge patterns

on its body and head. The number of rosettes can vary, but to be shown, an Abby

must have at least eight (10 are preferred), and they must be clearly defined. The

Abyssinian also has a mustache of raised fur around its nose. The fur is coarse and

is found in a multiple of colors and color combinations.

Abyssinian Satin

The Abyssinian Satin has the same appearance as an

Abyssinian, but with a satin sheen to the fur. Like the

Abyssinian, it must have a pattern of rosettes and ridges, and

possess a minimum of 8 rosettes in order to be shown.

American

The American, sometimes referred to as the "English" cavy, is

the most common breed of guinea pig, as well as one of the

oldest. The hair is short, smooth, straight, and sleek. It is found

in a wide variety of colors and color combinations and has a

Roman nose (wide and curving). Its body is medium length, and of about the same

circumference from the shoulder back to the hip.

American Satin

The American Satin has the same appearance as the American, but the coat is

fine, dense, and soft, with a glossy sheen, and feels like satin to the touch.

Coronet

The Coronet is a longhaired breed with a single rosette on the

top of the head. The hair from the rosette to the rump is long,

without a part. It has a Roman nose.

Peruvian

The Peruvian was the first recognized longhaired breed. It is

noted for the long, dense, soft "sweeps" of hair that can grow

to over a foot in length. The hair on the head grows forward,

covering the head, and giving the animal an even, circular

appearance when viewed from above. Show Peruvians need

regular grooming and the hair is often wrapped to keep it from

becoming soiled or tangled. Because of the amount of time and effort needed to

groom a Peruvian, this breed is not recommended for a pet, although some

owners may trim the hair for easier care.

Peruvian Satin

The Peruvian Satin has the same appearance as the Peruvian, but the coat has a

glossy sheen, and feels like satin to the touch.

Silkie

The Silkie, called the "Sheltie" in England, was originally called

the "Angora." It is a longhaired breed, but unlike the Peruvian,

there is no long, frontal sweep of hair that covers the face.

Instead, the hair sweeps back from the head forming a mane,

and there is no part down the back. When viewed from above, the Silkie appears

tear-shaped. The hair is softer, finer, and tends to be shinier than the Peruvian. As

with the Peruvian, the coat needs daily grooming and the hair is wrapped to keep

it clean and tangle free.

Silkie Satin

The Silkie Satin has the same general appearance as the Silkie, but the coat has a

glossy sheen, and feels like satin to the touch.

Teddy

The Teddy has a short, wiry, dense coat. The hairs, and even

the whiskers, are kinked. The coat is resilient, meaning it

returns to its original position after being disturbed. The body

of the Teddy is similar to the American in length, and it has a Roman nose.

Teddy Satin

The Teddy Satin has the same general appearance as the

Teddy, but the coat has a glossy sheen.

Texel

The Texel has long, thick, soft hair that forms ringlets or curls

over the entire body, even the belly. The body is short and

compact, and the head is broad and well-rounded. Because the

hair is both long and curly, this breed is one of the most

difficult to keep well groomed.

White Crested

The White Crested has a short, smooth coat with a distinctive

white, circular rosette on the top of its forehead. Except for the

crest, there should be no other white spots on the animal.

There are many color varieties, but cannot include Dalmatian, Himalayan, Dutch,

Roan, or Tortoiseshell and White, or other varieties which have white hair

elsewhere on the body.

Other color varieties

In addition to breeds, there are many color varieties of guinea pigs. The

recognized colors include:

Self: Solid color; colors include black, white, red, beige, chocolate, cream,

lilac, and blue

Dutch: Colored head with white blaze; front half of the

body white and rear half of the body same color as the

head

Brindle: Intermingling of two colors; one dark and one light color,

appearing consistently over the body

Tortoiseshell: Well-defined rectangular patches of black and red, similar in

size and distributed evenly and uniformly over the body without running

together

Tortoiseshell & white: Well-defined rectangular patches

of black, red, and white, similar in size; the dividing line

between the patches should run down the middle of the

back and across the middle of the belly with colors

alternating on each side of the division

Roan: Darker hairs (e.g., black or red) intermixed evenly with white hairs

Agouti: Alternate dark and light bands of color on each

hair; colors include silver and golden

Albino: Pure white with pink eyes

Dalmatian: White body with dark spots

Himalayan: White body with brown or black nose, ears,

and feet; red eyes

In addition, there are various other combinations of two or

more colors. For instance, a collared variety exists, which has a

different color of hair around the neck.

Where can we find them?

Guinea pigs live in the wild in South America, living in rocky areas, grasslands and

forest edges. They live in groups of about 10 adults, and live in burrows, either

dug by themselves or by other animals. They are most active at night, when they

come out and forage on a wide variety of plant materials.

The guinea pig was first domesticated as long ago as 2000BC in the Andes in

South America, in the region now known as Peru and Bolivia. They were originally

kept for food, but some may have become family pets for the children at that

time. Guinea pigs were not often bought; rather they were given as presents,

especially as wedding gifts, or as gifts to special guests or children! They would be

kept in the household kitchen, where they would be allowed to run around freely.

At this time the guinea pig also played the role of the evil spirit collector in

traditional healing rituals. In Andean medicine the guinea pig was rubbed over the

body of a sick patient, and when it started squeaking they believed it had

identified the affected area! Black guinea pigs were considered especially holy, as

in the wild black is the rarest colour, most wild guinea pigs are brown or grey,

similar to the agouti colour we see today.

In the 1700s Dutch and English traders brought guinea pigs over from South

America to Europe, where they became popular pets for the aristocracy. It is

possible that on the journey over to Europe that they did stop at Guinea, leading

people to believe that was where they came from. Queen Elizabeth 1 owned a pet

guinea pig, which probably accounted for their popularity as pets from that time.

Guinea pigs are now extremely popular pets. They are very friendly and have no

tendency to bite or scratch (if you do get nipped by mistake it is probably because

they mistook your finger for a carrot!). They are also very hardy, and if cared for

properly they have very few health problems.

How to differentate between male and female

Difference between male and female guinea pig

As guinea pigs are capable of breeding at such a young age (3-4 weeks old) it is

very important to make sure you've got the right sexes from the beginning. A

female has a little triangle or v at the front of her anogenital opening, whereas a

male has a circle with a cross on it (like a hot cross bun).

Differentiate between the breeds of guinea pigs on the

based on their markings

Different Coat types of guinea pigs

Now that we have covered most of the commoner colour and markings of guinea

pigs the other important factor in determining guinea pig type is the coat type.

Again, there are a number of varieties of hair types of guinea pig and most come

in many of the colours outlined above. A brief outline of the commonest hair

types of guinea pigs is given below.

Smooth-haired guinea pigs

Smooth coated guinea pigs are also known as "normal

coated" because this is the original hair type and these are the commonest type.

The short hair in these guinea pigs is about 30 mm long and lies smoothly against

the skin. There is a soft undercoat and the outer layers are coarser. The coat

should have a definite gleam.

The advantages of the smooth coated guinea pigs are that they require virtually

no special coat care and they are particularly good for showing colour patterns as

sharply defined in a smooth coat.

Satin coated guinea pigs

Satin coated guinea pigs are similar to smooth coated but the coat is softer and

has a deep lustre which gives more depth and warmth to the colours. These coats

are dense and are again about 30 mm long and lie sleekly against the body with

relatively little undercoats.

Crowned and crested guinea pigs

Crowned or crested guinea pigs have a "crown" of hair

on top of the head which is a circular arrangement of hair laying outwards from a

centre point. There are different varieties of crested guinea pigs including English

where the crown is the same colour as the rest of the coat and American where

the crown is white.

Their coats are otherwise similar to a smooth coated guinea pigs and the crest is

dominant in breeding which means if a crested guinea pig is mated with a non-

crested the offspring will be crested.

Abyssinian guinea pigs

Abyssinian guinea pigs were originally bred in Britain

and they are the second most popular type after smooth coated. Abyssinian

guinea pigs are defined by the symmetrical rosettes in their coats where the hair

radiates out from a central point. They should have at least eight of these and

they also have erect ridge patterns of hair over their bodies and head.

Abyssinian guinea pigs also have a "moustache" of raised fur over their nose and

the fur is coarse in texture. They can be found in a number of colours and marking

combinations.

Rex-coated guinea pigs

Rex coated guinea pigs are a fairly new type and their coat type is caused by a

recessive gene which causes curly hair which is coarse in texture and does not lie

smooth against the body but stands upright from the body. The hair should be

dense and feel springy to the touch. The hair on the head is usually considerable

shorter than on the rest of the body. Rex coated guinea pigs have been bred in

most colours and also crossed with other hair types such as satin.

Long-haired guinea pigs

Long haired guinea pigs require special care and

attention to their coats compared with the short haired breeds such as regular

grooming and trimming. Their hair can become tangled and soiled at the rear and

it also has implications for the type of bedding that you use for them, as some

types of bedding can get caught up in their coats. Long haired guinea pigs should

therefore not be obtained without considering all of the implications and special

requirements.

Peruvian: Peruvian long haired guinea pigs have a rosette on their heads which

causes the hair to fall forwards over their noses. The coat is generally soft and

shiny. There is no standard to define the length of their hair.

Peruvian guinea pigs come in a variety of colours and markings and have also

been crossed with other hair types.

Sheltie: Sheltie guinea pigs look very similar to Peruvian but with one important

difference, they do not have the rosette on their head. This means that the hair

grows backwards instead of falling across the face.

Shelties have a type of "beard" of long hair off the cheeks and a well developed

train of hair flowing from the rear.

Texel: Texel guinea pigs were first bred in Britain and are really a form of long

haired rex guinea pig. They have long wavey hair that is soft to touch and should

have a parting in the middle of its back. The hair on the underside forms small

curls and there should be a well developed train of hair flowing from the back.

Texel guinea pigs have been bred in a number of colours an crossed with other

coat types but they are not a recognised breed in some countries.

Biology of guinea pig

Lifespan of guinea pig:

Life Span

A guinea pig's life span is much longer than most other small pets, and they will

provide you with years of joy, provided you can fulfil their needs.

The average guinea pig life span is around 4-6 years, although some can live as

long as 8 years. This is much longer than most other small pets, including other

rodents such as mice (1-3 years), gerbils (2-4 years), and hamsters (2-3 years).

Your guinea pigs' life span will depend on a number of factors, such as how well

they are cared for, their diet, and whether they suffer from any serious illnesses

during their life. Having said that, there is only so much you can do to lengthen

your cavy's lifespan, and even the most well cared for pet may die young through

no fault of the owners. The best advice is to enjoy every minute you have with

your pet, so that you have many happy memories to look back on after they pass

away.

Guinea pigs live longer than many small pets, at up to 6 years.

Commitment

Because guinea pigs live for so long, you should take this into account when

deciding whether they are the right pet for you. Remember that you will need to

feed them and give them water every single day during that time, and you will

also have to play with them and clean out their cage frequently. If this sounds like

too much of a commitment then you might be best off considering another

animal which does not live so long, and which will place less demands on your

time.

Children

If you are thinking about buying guinea pigs for your children, you need to think

about whether they will still want to care for them 1, 2, or 5 years down the line.

Young children in particular can be very fickle, and you may soon find that they

lose interest in their cavies, leaving you with the responsibility of looking after

them.

Size and measurement

Size

Guinea pigs are much bigger than other pet rodents, but what is a 'normal' size?

Compare your guinea pig's size to the average at different ages.

Guinea pigs are somewhat unusual among pet rodents because they grow much

bigger than their furry cousins such as mice, rats, and hamsters. So what is

considered a 'typical' or 'normal' size for a guinea pig? The following figures

should give you a rough idea of how long your cavy should be at various stages in

its life.

Guinea Pig Size Chart

For convenience, the following table summarizes these figures:

Age Size

Birth 8-10 cm (3-4 inches)

8 Weeks 15-20 cm (6-8 inches)

16 weeks 20-25 cm (8-10 inches)

14 months 20-30 cm (8-12 inches)

Measuring

To measure the size of your guinea pig, place it on a flat surface and place a ruler

or tape measure next to it, running parallel to its body. Measurements should be

taken from the tip of your pet's nose to its rear. Don't worry if your cavy moves

around a lot and makes it difficult for you to get an exact measurement - a rough

idea is more than sufficient.

Size as an Indicator of Age

If you buy your guinea pigs from a pet store, it isn't uncommon for them to be a

little unsure about the age of the animals they stock. In these cases, it is

extremely helpful to be able to use your knowledge of guinea pig sizes to estimate

their true age. Among other things, this can help you avoid buying a pet which is

really too young to be sold.

Colors and markings

Colors

The above breeds can come in a variety of colors, but what does that

mean? Color refers to the actual color of the fur rather than the fur type,

fur patterns, or any other distinguishing characteristics like rosettes or

ridges.

There are ten basic colors of guinea pigs, though there are many

variations that include two or more of these basic colors. The basic colors

are:

Self

A solid color

Dutch

Colored head, white blaze, front half of body white, head

and hind end same color.

Brindle

One dark color and one white color intermingled

consistently over entire body.

Tortiseshell

Well-defined black and red rectangular patches of color

even and uniform across entire body.

Tortiseshell&White

Well-defined black, red, and white rectangular patches

of color, divided along a line that runs down the middle

of the back and belly.

Roan

White and darker hairs mixed evenly over entire body.

Agouti

Each hair has alternate dark and light bands of color.

Albino

Pure white, no dark hairs at all, pink eyes (complete lack

of pigmentation).

Dalmation

White body, dark spots.

Himalayan

White body, brown or black nose, ears, and feet, red

eyes.

Markings

Guinea pigs have been bred with a variety of different colour patterns and

markings and these have presented quite a challenge to guinea pig breeders as

often the markings do not breed true so the results can be quite unpredictable.

There are a vast amount of different colour patterned guinea pigs but here we

give a brief outline of the commonest.

Brindle: These have a mixture of red and black hairs in their coats and show

judges prefer to see an even mix and distribution of the two colours. Patches of

one colour are regarded as a "fault" as are white patches and the ears and pads

should be black with dark eyes.

Tortoiseshell: These are a mixture of red and black where the border between the

two is very sharp and clearly defined and outlining more or less rectangular areas.

Ideally tortoiseshell guinea pigs should have three to five patches on each side

and should divide in a straight line down their back.

Tri-coloured: These guinea pigs are tortoiseshell with the addition of white. These

come as black, red, white or chocolate, red and white varieties.

Dutch: Dutch coloured guinea pigs are similar to dutch rabbits, that is they are

white at the front and have a coloured rear. They usually also have two or three

patches of the colour on the head or ears. Ideally these patches should be

symmetrical. Again the divide along the back of one side from the other should be

as straight as possible. The coloured parts of the body can be any colour but the

commonest colour is black and the feet and legs are usually white.

Roan: Roan guinea pigs have a mixture of white hairs with other colours including

black or red. Show judges prefer the white hairs to be evenly distributed rather

than in too obvious clumps or patches.

Dalmatian: Just like the dogs dalmatian guinea pigs are white with dark spots

which should be evenly distributed around the body and sharply defined rather

than merging in to each other. This pattern is still not recognised in many

countries.

True breeding colour point: These have a white body with dark markings on the

nose, ears and usually feet being black or chocolate. They are similar to Siamese

cats and himalayan rabbits.

Reproduction and development

Guinea Pig Reproduction

The single most important breeding consideration is that female guinea pigs

should be first bread before 7 months of age. If the first breeding is

delayed beyond this time, serious (sometimes life-threatening) problems with

delivery are encountered. Females should be first bread between 3 and 7 months

of age. Males should be 34 months old at their first breeding. The guinea pig's

heatcycle lasts 16 days. The period during which the female is receptive to the

male and will allow breeding lasts about 8 hours. Female guinea pigs can come

back into heat 15 hours after giving birth. This is called a "postpartum estrus,"

which means that they can be nursing a litter and pregnant at the same time!

Pregnancy lasts an average of 63 days. The larger the litter, the shorter the term

of pregnancy and vice versa. The duration of pregnancy for guinea pigs is

unusually long when compared with that of other rodents. Pregnant sows

(females) exhibit a grossly enlarged abdomen during the latter stages of

pregnancy. It is not uncommon for their body weight to double during pregnancy.

The time of delivery may be difficult to determine because of the relatively long

gestation period and because pregnant sows do not build nests. However, the

week before a sow is about to deliver a litter, a slowly widening separation of the

pelvis develops just in front of the external genitalia. This separation reaches

slightly more than 1 inch in the hours just before delivery. This separation of the

pelvis does not develop in females that are bred for the first time after 7 months

of age, creating an impossible and tragic situation. Delivery of the young is not

possible and a cesarean section must usually be performed to save the life of the

sow and her babies. An uncomplicated delivery usually requires about 1/2 hour,

with an average of 5 minutes between delivery of each baby. Litter sizes range

from 1 to 6 young, with an average of 34. Litters resulting from the first breeding

are usually very small. Abortions and stillbirths are common with guinea pigs

throughout their breeding lives.

The young are born relatively mature. They are unusually large and fully furred,

and can walk about. They also have teeth and open eyes at this time. Even

though newborn guinea pigs can eat solid food and drink water from a container,

they should be allowed to nurse their mother for at least 2 weeks.

Difficulties During Birth

Dystocia: Female guinea pigs intended for breeding must be first bred before 7

months of age. If the first breeding is delayed beyond this time, serious

(sometimes life-threatening) problems with delivery are encountered. A portion

of the pregnant sow's pelvis must widen for successful delivery of her young. This

separation fails to develop in females bred for the first time after 7 months of

age, usually necessitating a cesarean section to deliver the young and save the

sow's life. Signs of dystocia include straining and uterine bleeding. Veterinary help

must be sought immediately. The veterinarian will evaluate the pregnant sow by

direct exam and by taking x-rays. If a vaginal delivery of the young is not possible,

a cesarean section will be necessary.

Pregnancy Toxemia is a serious condition that usually occurs in overweight sows

in their first or second pregnancy. Signs are most likely to be noted over 1-5 days

during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy or the first week following birth. These

include inappetence, depression, weakness, reluctance to move, incoordination,

difficulty breathing, coma and death. Some afflicted sows may show no signs and

suddenly die. There is no single cause for this condition, but stress and obesity are

major predisposing factors. Others include advancing age, lack of exercise, fasting

just before the onset of signs, and a large number of developing fetuses. The

fundamental underlying problem appears to be inadequate blood flow to the

pregnant uterus. Sows showing any of these signs must be seen immediately by a

veterinarian. Because treatment is often unsuccessful, prevention of pregnancy

toxemia is of paramount importance. Pregnant sows should not be allowed to

become obese. Fasting and stress must be avoided, especially in the last several

weeks of pregnancy. Pregnant sows must be supplied with fresh water at all times

and fed a nutritious diet.

Breeding If you do intend to breed, the timing for the female is very important.

The earliest age is 5 months, and she should be bred from before she is 10 months

old. This is because after this age the bones in her pelvis fuse, and make it more

likely that she will have problems delivering her babies. If she has a litter before 10

months of age her pelvis will stretch to allow for childbirth, and she shouldn't have

problems with any further litters when she is older.

Babies

Because guinea pigs carry their young for such a long time (68-70 days) they are

born at a very advanced state of development. Within hours they are running

around fully furred and with their eyes open, little miniatures of their parents. An

experienced guinea pig keeper will able to be able to sex them immediately, but

do make sure you find out what they are before they are 3 weeks old.

Development of guinea pig

Lifespan: (maximum) 12 years, (average) 5 years.

Sexual maturity: 4-6 weeks

Estrous cycle: 15-17 days

Gestation period: 67-69 days

Average litter size: 3 pups (range 1 - 4)

Weaning age: 3 weeks

Understanding Your Guinea Pig

Having spent many years being in the company of guinea pigs, I feel they can be

underrated by people who have never lived with a guinea pig. They don't just sit

in their cage, eating all day long, although eating does take up quite a bit of their

time, guinea pigs are intelligent little animals. Every guinea pig has a unique

personality. They soon learn who they can trust and they recognize their owners.

Guinea pigs also recognise the sound of their name and their owners voice. I

remember my elder brother being amazed that my guinea pigs came running up

to me when I called out their name individually. Every time my guinea pigs come

running up to me, I still get an overwhelming sense of pride that my piggies really

trust me. Guinea pigs can understand little requests. When out playing, I can ask

my piggies to 'go to the corner' which to them, means they are going to be lifted

and put back in the cage. Squeekie, Peachy and Clover who are cage mates will

especially take notice of this request. I'm still working on Sweetpea, Jasmine and

Jake. Apart from Jasmine, Jake and Sweetpea will sit still when I say 'come on

Sweetpea' or 'come on Jake', they know its time to go back in the cage. Jasmine

however, doesn't enjoy being lifted at all and we end up having this little game,

where mum has to guess if Jasmine is going to go into reverse or move forward :)

Guinea pigs respond well to an owner that is gentle, caring and who doesn't raise

their voice. I'm sure they like 'baby' talk' too, as Peachy, Sweetpea and Squeekie

seem to purr even more and my other 3 guinea pigs will stretch out looking more

relaxed. So don't worry what other members of your family think when you start

talking to your guinea pigs. I see my guinea pigs as little babies who totally

depend on me for their welfare and like human babies, they respond well to a

gentle voice.

Checkings to be made for a guinea pig if it

is feeling uneasy

Thankfully, guinea pigs are very hardy creatures, and if kept clean and fed well

they rarely become sick. There are, however, some daily checks you should make,

to ensure that your guinea pig stays well, it also helps you to notice any change

very quickly, and visit your vet at the first sign of illness.

Eyes

The eyes should be clear and bright, with no sign of cloudiness or discharge. An

eye that suddenly goes cloudy may mean that the guinea pig has got an ulcer as a

result of a piece of hay in its eye. Any eye problems require urgent veterinary

attention. Guinea pigs do normally secrete a milky discharge from their eyes,

which precedes grooming, as they use it on their paws to groom themselves, if you

see this you do not need to worry about it.

Nose The nose should be clean, and as with the eyes, shouldn't be runny. Any discharge

or sneezing may suggest that your guinea pig has a cold.

The coat The fur should be dense and clean. Any patches of hair loss or areas where the skin

is red and sore may suggest that your guinea pig has mites. Watch him closely, is

he scratching more than usual? Mites burrow under the skin and cause a distressing

condition called mange, and the sooner you spot any problem, the sooner you can

get it treated, something your guinea pig will certainly thank you for. Sometimes

you may see little tiny nits walking on your guinea pigs fur, these are hay mites,

which are harmless and a simple shampoo will get rid of them for you.

The feet Check the nails, and never let them get too long. Guinea pigs have no fur on the

bottom of their feet, so check the bottom of their feet regularly for any sign of

soreness. If their feet are sore their bedding wants to be as soft as possible, wood

shavings and soft meadow hay is best.

The bottom

Yes, this bit needs checking too... The whole area should be clean and dry. If the

guinea pig is wet and smelly between its legs it may have a urine infection. Old

boys may also get a problem where their poo gets stuck, and they are no longer

able to eat the sticky caecotrophs as they should. Your vet will be able to show you

how to help them.

Some Common Guinea Pig Ailments

Guinea pigs that are fed well and kept clean rarely get ill. The most important thing

that a guinea needs every day is Vitamin C.

A carrot a day keeps the vet away! A guinea pig that does not get enough vitamin

C in its diet is more prone to infections, skin problems, and may even become

lame. They may develop wasting disease and gradually fade away. A good diet,

including some dry food that contains vitamin C is generally sufficient, but if you

are not sure, particularly in the winter, you can add extra to the drinking water.

Low sugar ribena or soluble vitamin C tablets are suitable for this purpose.

Skin conditions Help, my guinea pig is itchy and scabby!

The commonest condition that vets see is guinea pig mange. This is caused by a

mite (invisible to the naked eye) that burrows under the skin and makes the guinea

pig scratch his skin raw. The sooner this is treated the happier the guinea pig will

be, and it is better to go straight to the vet who will give the guinea pig some

special drops, either by mouth or injection, than try some shampoos first.

Eyes Help, my guinea pigs eye has gone a funny colour overnight!

The commonest eye problem is a corneal ulcer, a piece of hay may scratch the eye,

or get stuck in the eye and damage the surface (cornea) causing the eye to go

cloudy. Sometimes the piece of hay can be seen in the eye, it should be gently

bathed out, and the guinea pig taken to the vet as he will need antibiotic eye drops

to help the ulcer heal.

Nose Any discharge or sneezing may suggest that your guinea pig has a cold. However,

they can get hay stuck up their noses too! If they get a chest infection they can

make a very loud rattly noise as they breathe, and they need to visit the vet as soon

as possible.

Albino: A white guinea pig with pink eyes

Barbering: A condition in which loss of coat is caused by fur-chewing

Bloat: A build up of gas in the intestines, causing swelling and pain

Castration: A surgical procedure in boars where the testicles are removed. A

family planning procedure which allows them to live with a group of sows.

Enteritis: An infection in the intestinal tract. The most consistent symptom is

diarrhoea.

Gestation period: The length of the pregnancy (65-70 days)

Litter: The collective name for the young from one pregnancy

Malocclusion: A dental disease where the teeth overgrow, and prevent the guinea

pig from eating.

Mange: A skin condition caused by a burrowing mite, which causes severe

itching.

Pododermatitis: Also known as bumble foot, this is an infection in the footpad

which leads to swelling and pain.

Pruritis: The medical term for an itch.

Pups: Another name for the babies ( they are not known as Guinea Piglets)

Roan: This is the name for the colour where body is one colour (say black or red)

with white hairs evenly mixed throughout the coat. Dalmations are also roans. Two

roan guinea pigs should not be mated together as their offspring are often born

with teeth and eye problems.

Ruttling: The rattly noise that some guinea pigs make when they breathe. It may

be due to infection, but some flat faced breeds have noisy breathing anyway (the

bulldogs of the guinea pig world!)

Understanding Your Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are very friendly creatures, with a lot to say for themselves. Firstly

there is the very loud welcoming weep weep. They will make this noise to greet

you, and to welcome the food you are bringing them. They will put so much

energy into this squeaking that their ears will move up and down at the same time.

These are happy guinea pigs.

Then there is the deep throaty rumble or purr. This is made when they meet a new

guinea pig for the first time, especially in a boy meets girl situation. If there is any

bickering between guinea pigs then this throaty rumble may be accompanied by

some teeth chattering.

Then there is the background of chat as they communicate with each other as they

feed, made up of little squeaks and chirps, no doubt talking about food!

When behaviour goes wrong Guinea pigs are social creatures, and will rarely

fight with each other. However, if there is not enough food around one dominant

female may start to bully the others. If there is disagreement within a group of

females it is important to provide several food bowls, and tubes to hide in. It is also

worth considering introducing a neutered male who will take control of law and

order.

If there is a lack of food, particularly a lack of hay, then dominant guinea pigs may

start chewing the coats of the others. This is known as barbering, and the culprit

will be the only one left with flowing locks! Barbering can also occur if the guinea

pigs are bored. So provide them with plenty of hay and let them take lots of

exercise and they are unlikely to start chewing each other.

What type of food should be given to guinea pig

Guinea Pigs like humans do not produce Vitamin C and need to be given it daily to ensure good health. Lack of vitamin C will cause scurvy. To maintain a good diet each Guinea Pig should be given 10mgs of vitamin C per day to 1kg body weight.

Pets Stores and Super Markets sell Guinea Pig food that has a vitamin C supplement. However this is not

recommended as the only source of vitamin C for your piggie's.

Fig. 1 was brought as Gerty Guinea Pig. However since finding out about Gerty Guinea Pig food I have noticed that a lot of pet stores call random Guinea Pig food gerty. However in Super Markets and Chain Pet Stores they sell the pre-bagged Gerty Guinea Pig food in sealed bags. Kornage and Millie prefer this Guinea Pig food to the others.

Fig.2 This is hard pellets of Guinea Pig food with added vitamin C. I thought I would buy this just to try them on it. They were not over keen. Nutmeg ate most of it but didn't tuck in to it like she does the food in fig. 3.

Fig.3 This is a no name Guinea Pig food with added vitamin C. This is Nutmeg's favourite dried food. However she doesn't like the seeds or the yellow flakes in it. None of my Piggie's seem to like seeds or yellow flakes.

They like the flat green flakes which I think are squashed peas? If I am wrong somebody please correct me. I did buy extra of these from a Pet store that had sacks of just Pea Flakes. I have since read

Fig.1

Fig.2

Fig.3

online that these should not be fed to a Guinea Pig in large amounts. I do not know if this is correct or not.

Although all the different kinds of food I have mentioned are designed for Guinea Pig's, you can not really compensate giving Guinea Pigs fresh vegetables daily. Not only are they good for them due to being full of vitamins but they actually much prefer the fresh stuff. They don't get quite as excited when I put down a bowl of dry food as they do when I put them

down a mixture of all their favourite veggies.

Fresh Food

I am no expert when it comes to what vitamins are in which vegetables. So I am going to give you a rough guide going on what I have been feeding my Guinea Pig's.

Daily my Guinea Pigs will get a random mix from the

following list:

Cucumber: If you own a Guinea Pig then you must have 'Plenty Of Cucumber!'

They love it! All four pig's with a plate in front of them with EVERY THING you can imagine on will always pick cucumber first!. When I got Kornage I hadn't kept Guinea Pigs before and didn't really know a lot about them. I did notice he didn't drink as much as my hamster so I was concerned. I fed him cucumber

initially because I felt it meant he was definitely getting some kind of water intake. I have since noticed that Guinea Pig's do not drink a lot. Millie however is an exception to this and can drink a bottle of water in 24 hours. She seems to always be at the water bottle. I was worried she wasn't able to use the bottle but the fact that air bubble rise when she

drinks is an indication that it works fine.

First thing in the morning I always give my piggie's a slice of cucumber each. When I come downstairs and go in the kitchen to make a cup of tea as soon as I open my fridge they will start mweeping to remind me not to forget them. It's the most awful feeling to hear them mweeping when you have run out of cucumber! This is why I buy plenty, at present a weeks shopping consists of at least 4 cucumbers. That's a cucumber

per piggy, however I normally start to run out towards the end of the week and have to get more.

I give my piggie's about 4 slices each per day of cucumber. It really depends, if it's a hot day I feed them cucumber that's been in the fridge and is chilled. I think it must be refreshing for them and help to cool them down even if only for 5 min's. I also keep one out on the side so it ripens more. When they are ripe they become very juicy and I feel are a

good source of water on days when they could become dehydrated.

As much as they love cucumber it however does not contain any goodness for them as its made up of water. Cucumber should not be given as a source of vitamin C It is more of a treat for them.

Carrots: I would say they are not over keen on carrots. However I find out of most of the fresh

vegetables these do tend to keep well in the fridge. When you can buy carrots with the leaves still attached you should because they like the leaves too.

Celery: All of the celery is good. I used to buy celery with no leaves. Now I buy the most leafy bunch I can.

Peppers: These are very full of vitamin C and very

good for Guinea Pigs. I have read online that 1/7th of a green bell pepper is enough vitamin C for a piggy a day. I tend to buy lots of different coloured ones and give a different kind each day. I cut up half of one to share out between them. Clean out all of the seeds when you give them to your Guinea Pig. I have read time and time again that no kind of seeds should be fed to Guinea Pigs. I am not sure if its because they can be toxic or fattening. However seeds is something I avoid giving them.

Parsley: This is a great source of vitamin C and they love it. Also you can grow it very easily in your garden. Supermarkets sell this fresh and its very cheap.

Baby Sweet Corn: My Guinea Pig's love baby sweet corn when it is still fresh and crunchy. Be warned if they are sat on you when they eat this it makes a real mess!

Fresh corn on the cob: When you can buy these fresh in season (Not the frozen type) I buy one and put it in the cage. The pigs are not over keen on this but do like to drag it in to a hidey hole and sit and munch on it.

Apple: My piggie's only like certain kinds of apple. I buy old fashioned english apples, the yellowish with red splashes on. I do not feed them this often as I

have read that apples can cause blistering around the Guinea Pig's mouth from the acid in them. I have never experienced this but have noted this and only feed apple about twice a week.

I think the green crunchy apples are more acidic than the old english and never feed them that kind.

Melon: My lot like to eat the skin of honey due melons. They are not so keen on the other kinds. I give them chilled melon on hot days when I have one.

Cauliflower leaves: It occurred to me when throwing away the leaves on a cauliflower that my pig's may actually like them. They do like the leafy part but not the stalk. They do not like the flower of it.

Broccoli: This is a good source of vitamin C but sometimes my pig's eat it and others they wont touch it.

Grapes: You can give Guinea Pig's a grape occasionally but they must be seedless. I haven't read anything about it but I do assume that if you gave a Guinea Pig too many of these it would surely upset their stomachs. So I would make this a treat now and then rather than part of their diet.

03/12/08 - Today I recieved an email from a lady who has heard different about grapes she wrote:-

I wanted to let you know that my vet told me that grapes may cause kidney failure. My guinea pig had 1/2 grape 2 weeks ago and now may have kidney disease. The vet said it's been proven to cause kidney trouble in dogs but just hasn't been proven yet in guinea pigs. Just thought you may want to put a

warning on your web page as a safety precaution. Thanks for all the useful info you've got here! - Cindy

09/01/09 - Another email regarding grapes

i have just been reading through the fresh foods you feed your guinea pigs and i got to the section about

grapes. i know that grapes are very high in natural sugars and as a result are fattening to guinea pigs, especially if they don't do a lot of exercise. i also would like to comment on the seed theory of yours. i think you may be right about them being toxic but i think because they are quite hard, the piggies may find them hard to chew and could choke on them as a result.

Cranberry Juice: My pigs like this sometimes. It's a

very high source of vitamin C and can be fed to them with a syringe. I have found my piggie's like cranberry and raspberry juice but I assume if I give them too much it will upset their stomach.

Romain Lettuce

I have been advised to include this in the list of things

that should be fed to Guinea Pigs on a regular basis. It is said to give them strong teeth and a shiny coat. The lady who wrote to me said she gave her Guinea Pigs 3 heads a day to eat in thier diet.

Iceburg lettuce should not be given due to toxin which cause an upset stomach.

I have found that my pigs definitely do not like strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes.

What not to feed a Guinea Pig!!

Ice-burg lettuce is not suposed to be fed to Guinea Pig's because it contains toxins, however dark leaved lettuce is a good source of vitamins.

Spring Onion: These should not be fed to a Guinea

Pig

Cakes, biscuits, chocolate and dairy products should never be given to Guinea Pigs. It is very important to a Guinea Pigs digestive system that you do not incorporate this in to their diet.

Meat should never be fed to Guinea Pigs, they are 100% vegetarian.

Dark green leaved vegetables. I am not going to suggest you feed your Cavy on any of these. After a discussion with the vet about them I have decided to withdraw them from their diet. I had been told that spinach was something you could give to them rarely and they do love it but too much can cause an upset stomach. Green beans are also included in this list. I wanted the vet's advice and he said he wouldn't give a Guinea Pig this and in fact he felt all of the real dark green leaved vegetables were no good in their diet.

Potatoes should never be offered to them, I read online that Guinea Pigs tend to know what they can and can't eat from it's taste. When I first got Kornage I read that you could feed them potatoes and he didn't eat it, also when they are in the garden they taste weeds before eating them and there are type they wont eat. I have since read on many sites that you should never feed a Guinea Pig potatoes so I kind of figure the theory about they know what to eat is

right from the way Kornage turned his nose up at them.

I could go on listing food here all night. However I think if you just do some research on food before you give it to them to make sure you its ok and try and find a good balance of vitamin C with out too much calcium then your piggie should stay in good health.

Anatomy

Skeleton system with naming:

Body organs:

Cardiovascular/Respiratory System

a. Pharynx:

(1) Soft palate is continuous with base of

the tongue and lateral walls of the oral

cavity

(2) Opening into larynx is a small

intrapharyngeal ostium (AALAS Abstract #96, 1983)

b. Lungs:

(1) 3 left lobes (cranial, middle, caudal)

and 4 right lobes (cranial, middle,caudal, accessory)

(2) Pleural cavities are continuous (LAS 16(5): 411, 1966)

c. Arteries: 3 deviations from normal mammalian

vascular pattern (Amer. J. Anat. 139, 269- 284. 1974):

(1) There may be 2 or 3 pairs of renal

arteries (versus normal 1 pair in most

mammals).

(2) The abdominal aorta gives rise to a

celiomesenteric trunk instead of

separate celiac and cranial mesenteric

arteries.

(3) A bronchoesophageal artery passes from

the right subclavian, the right internal

thoracic, or the brachiocephalic trunk

instead of from the aorta.

6. Hemolymphatic System

a. Thymus: Present in immature animal

(1) Gradually involutes as the animal

matures.

(2) In adults may be completely gone or persist in caudal cervical or cranial mediastinum.

(3) Thymic tissue is replaced primarily

with fat as age progresses.

(4) In immature animals it is composed of 2

compressed lobulated glands on each side

of the ventral cervical midline.

(5) Extends from the angle of the mandible

approximately halfway to the thoracic

inlet (Cooper and Schiller, 1975).

(6) Accessory thymic lobes in most guinea

pigs; usually paired and adjacent to the

parathyroid gland or fused to it (Cooper

and Schiller, 1975).

(7) Guinea Pig used extensively for

immunologic studies because the cervical thymus is easily

removed (LAS 25, 82-84,1975).

b. Parathymic Lymph Nodes:

(1) Located in cervical region.

(2) Receive lymph from the thymus.

(3) Studied to determine the immunologic

inter-relationship between the thymus

and lymph nodes.

7. Gastrointestinal System

a. Tongue:

(1) Rostral one-third is free.

(2) Remainder attached to floor of oral

cavity.

(3) Small filiform papillae anteriorly,

large fungiform papillae posteriorly.

b. Stomach:

(1) No keratinized non-glandular portion

present i.e., all glandular.

c. Small Intestine:

(1) About 125 cm (50 in) in length

(2) Common bile duct enters duodenum 1 cm

caudal to pylorus.

d. Cecum:

(1) Occupies left side of abdominal cavity

(2) Large thin-walled sac 15-20 cm long.

(3) Accounts for about 15% of body weight.

(4) Has 3 taenia coli (dorsal, ventral and

medial)

(5) Produces out-pouchings called haustra.

e. Peyers patches:

(1) About nine flat white 1 mm diameter area

of lymphocyte aggregates on mucosal

surface.

f. Colon:

(1) Ascending, spiral ascending, transverse,and descending

portions.

g. Liver:

(1) 6 lobes: right and left lateral, right

and left medial, caudate and quadrate.

(2) Cystic duct from gallbladder joins

common hepatic duct to form commonbile

duct.

h. Pancreas:

(1) Divided into cranial and caudal lobes.

(2) Pancreatic duct enters duodenum 7 cm

distal to common bile duct.

i. Salivary Glands: 4 pairs present

Parotid

Mandibular

Sublingual

Molar (Zygomatic).

j. Microscopic Features of GI tract:

(1) Pseudohemosiderosis: normal

accumulation of hemosiderin in the lamina propria of the villa

of small and large intestines.

-*-

GUINEA PIG MODELING AND TEXTURING

(Gayathri)

We started by taking the pictures of our character guinea pig at the Zoo. Then as a modeler i needed some more images showing each and every part of guinea pig in detail.So i collected as many references i could from internet for eyes,mouth,legs andbody.Then to know the shapes properly,i collected images of skeleton

For the model sheet i used images as reference for getting front and profile views for head...

Then for body, legs i used one picture as an image plane for proportions to be maintained properly.This pic was scaled to 9cm in maya as the average size of guineapig was 9 inches of the whole character.

MODELING

I started with eye and basic shape of head

After basic shape of the head is done. I started with nose

Then I moved on to the placement of mouth

Next I moved onto the placement of ear

After complition of placement of the ear. I started the modeling of the ear

Modeling of the head was completed. I started the modeling body of the

guinea pig

Then I moved to placements of the legs

After complition of the body part. i started the modeling of the foot

Guinea pig front and back legs

After complition of the foot model I started the details to the model.

Model with wire frame....Front.

Model with wire frame....side view.

Model with wire frame....top view.

Now i exported the model as .obj....then for unwraping the model i used

Headus UV Layout, where i imported the .obj file and unwrappd the model. I

used 2 UV sets, for head, body and legs

This UV layout in maya.

TEXTURING

Now the model was ready with UV s unwrapped. Then i went

through the basic checklist and sent it for rigging and skinning. As the rigging

part was started i started the texturing part. Initially i broke up the body into 3

parts Head, legs and body, based on the 2 UV sets and exported each of them

as .obj. I used Mud box for texturing. I started preparing stencils for texturing

of guinea pig.

I started sculpting for head

After the Head was done i started sculpting the body

part....

Now the sculpting part is done and it was the time for the color to be

done....again i went back to reference images for colors of scales and the body

as a whole. As ours was a white guinea pig the character has to be in white

shades. So similarly to sculpting i started painting of guinea pig…………

So finally the coloring was done with sculpting...........

EXTRACTING TEXTURE MAPS

After the texturing was done, the Normal map, diffuse map, Displacement

map, and the VectorDisplacement maps are extracted from mud box.

Example: Diffuse map of Head and body

Then after all the maps are extracted, I imported them into maya using the

shading network where all the maps are connected to their respective

shaders.so now the model was finally ready with all the textures and was

ready for lighting.

Animation : (Amith)

While coming to animation part of Guinea Pig we

had taken many references of the guinea pig.

Also we had taken live video reference of guinea pig

and we observed the movements of it.We had

studied the movements of the character in

deepth.so,we understood the movements of the

guinea pig without confusion and it became

easy to make an overview of character,then we

started drawing and analyzing the character.

Then we had noted down some important points to

remember while animating the guinea pig.

It helped us to give basic movements of the

character how it responds to the sorroundings and

environments, the appeal of the character .

Main basic things are walk,run,jump,.etc we had got

certain idea through it. To what extend we need to

keep the key frames,timing,spacing,and the

secondary actions of the character.

When we have started doing animation we need to

match the character animation the video footage.

So,we have planned accordingly to the given video

footage,how many frames we have got in a

video,how to divide and animate it in limited frames

with perfect timing.Its a basic challenge to the

animation department to sink the animation with

live footage givinig realistic look.

Shot-1

In this shot we animated the walk and its head

movement ,the standing position of the character.

# In this shot there were problems arised to us.

Like wise we had got problem in gettng correct

spacing of the animation also we have got some

technical aspect in tracked footage.We also got

jerks in between the animation while keeping the

key poses.we need to maintain the volume of

character as per its proportions.

Shot-2

As the shot is zoom in shot we need to take care of

the facial expressions & the eye,mouth movements.

There is no need of animating lot of body parts in

this shot because they will not effect this shot in

camera view.

# after that we had got a small thing missing to this

animation,we have seen that ears are in static

postion then we reedited the shots.then Appeal of

character increased due to secodary animation in it.

Shot-3

The final shot is the character must go back into the

hole.we tried to animate the character to turn from

front to back to hole then walk towards hole.But it

didnt worked out in given limited frames.so we

directly kept the walk animation without the turn

but it took lot frames to animate.And there are

jerks & sliding in animation at the end.we

reanimated & slowed down the action in end.

RIGGINING & SKINING (Dinesh)

Before doing rigging we had studied the anotomy of

the guinea pig.Then we analyzied and how weights r

distributed to the bones on the body .Then we

started the rigging process

The rigging part of our character is included of two

stages.When we got the model we have done test

rig to the character.

Then we had got some problems in that rig test .

The loops of the model & proportions are not

appropriate & it doesnot supported to rig the

character.

Then it look awkward to work on that file .Then we

send that model back to modelling work to correct

the model again.

Then we got the model we have done rigging to the

new file we have done rig test with that model &

also we had animated it.

So we too got some more mistakes in the skinning

part.But up to the nessecity it was good.

Rigged model

Then we had got the final model with the correct

loops & approximate proportions then we easily

completed the rigging part .

And also the skinning part .we given the neccessary

controls over the body likee controlling the leg parts

& its fingers up to claws etc.

Again we have got to give model for blend

shapes.again its remodified and rigged it.

Bone structure

Match Moving

Match mover: J.VIVEK JOEL

As the shooted footage was forwarded to me.

There are 3 shots in our project ,.

Shot 01 – 320 frames

Shot 02 –164 frames

Shot 03 –192 frames.

The shots were tracked by me using pfTrack 0.5 software.

Problems faced by me:

There were few problems in shot01.

The white balance of the footage made the points to slide.

The focal length was not appropriate.

The grid was not getting arranged.

There were no problems in 2nd and 3rd shots.

Due to 1st shot it made easier for me to track 2nd and 3rd shots.

The shots were also well shooted and they were only pan

Solving:

I manipulated the footage by increasing the sharpness and contrast for a better track. For shot 1

The tracking was a trial and error method and I had to do it repeatedly.After the shots got exported into

Maya, now it was a real challenge for me.

I had to cross check the footage repeatedly to see whether the grid was moving or not.

I created the mesh of the paper weight and the surface by snapping the polygons to the track points.

Then I applied the Lambert and applied checker map to the mesh. Then I adjusted the uv in uv texture

editor.

Thus the tracking part of the project was completed and I forwarded it to the animator for alignment of

the character into the footag

SHOT: 1

SHOT: 2

SHOT:3

DISSERTATION – GUINEA PIG

P.ADITYA ( FUR, LIGHTING, RENDERING, COMPOSITIING )

My Dissertation character is GUINEA PIG. Our team did very hard work to complete this project

successfully. We took our footage on a table using a camera NIKON D7000. I faced some problems while

working on this project, but managed to get what we actually needed in final out put. My part in this

project is VFX (Fur, Lighting, Rendering, Compositing).

Final Model with Texture

FUR:

- I got the final model of guinea pig with textures. My job here is to apply fur to the existing final

model.

- I used shave and hair cut plugin to apply fur to the character.

- Starting, I have drawn the curves to the character according to reference I took for fur.

- I almost drawn 1400 curves and snapped to every vertex of the model.

- I then applied ‘default’ fur type from shave and hair cut and I combed the fur according to

curves I drawn.

- After making some tweets and modifications, I got what is necessary needed for my character.

- Faced some problems while applying fur, but finally everything is solved.

- In-between got problems in textures. Solved those things with our modeller. Again applied new

textures to the character.

- Got problems to fur after applying animation to the character. The fur went out of shape and

took lot of time to solve it. I again created curves and snapped to the new model file. Applied

everything again and got the final one what I actually needed.

- Now our model is ready with fur and its time for lighting and matching it to the environment.

LIGHTING:

- Lighting to the character is fun and completed in very less time.

- I used manual lighting as our character has fur and it doesn’t support IBL (Image Based Lighting)

- I used spot lights and area lights for lighting.

- I used mental ray shadows for fur and everything.

- I took HDR image as reference and kept lights according to the environment.

- After tweaking all lights and shadows, finally I got what I actually needed.

- In between got some problems in improving shadows, solved with the help of our faculty.

RENDERING:

- I got a hell problems in rendering passes. Most of them are unsolved.

- I used mental ray for rendering.

- I rendered only master beauty pass for our character, as occlusion and other passes didn’t work

out properly. Shave and hair cut doesn’t support occlusion for fur. That made big difference in

our final out put.

- Tried to use puppet shader for fur, but puppet doesn’t support batch render, again that is a big

problem for us.

- After applying animation to the character, at last I compromised everything and rendered only

master beauty pass. Still searching for solutions of this problems and i will solve this everything

soon.

Final Model with Fur and lighting

COMPOSITING:

- I composed everything using fusion and edited in after effects.

- I removed or cloned all tracking points from all footages that we used for tracking purpose.

- Tried to match the shadow of character and matched to the environment or footage.

- Did some color correction to the beauty pass to merge everything in the footage.

- Edited and arranged all shots according to our story board.

- Finally I created credits and added to the composition.

- Rendered in QuickTime(.mov) format using photo jpeg codec.

Final Composition