Alpaca guinea pig
The alpaca is a long-coated guinea pig variety combining length with a curled or wavy texture and rosettes — essentially a curly-coated Peruvian.
The coat grows forward over the head as well as back along the body.
It is a high-maintenance show variety rather than a practical pet coat, and it is not recognised by every registry. Underneath, it is an ordinary guinea pig of around a kilogram with the usual social, vocal temperament. The coat, left ungroomed, mats to the skin and traps urine and faeces at the rear, so this is a variety that asks for real daily commitment.
- Origin
- Long curly-coated show variety
- Size
- 700–1200 g
- Lifespan
- 5–7 years
- Coat
- Long, curled and rosetted; grows continuously
- Temperament
- As any guinea pig — social and vocal
- Grooming
- Daily; regular trimming around the rear
Related: Guinea pig · Abyssinian guinea pig · Abyssinian satin guinea pig · American guinea pig · American satin guinea pig
2 alpaca guinea pig photos, newest first
Living with a alpaca guinea pig
The coat is the whole commitment. It needs combing daily, and most keepers trim it — particularly around the rear, where a long coat collects droppings and urine and quickly leads to soreness and, in warm weather, flystrike.
Check and clean the rear end daily in summer.
Beyond the coat, the species rules are unchanged and matter more: vitamin C daily, unlimited hay, company always, generous floor space rather than height.
The long coat also hides weight loss, so weigh weekly rather than judging by eye. A guinea pig that stops eating is a same-day emergency.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual critters vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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