All About Black Guinea Pigs: Breeds, Cost, Names (With Pictures)

Guinea pigs come in all sorts of colors, combinations, and patterns. While all guinea pig coat colors are beautiful, solid black guinea pigs are on a whole other level. And if you happen to be a lover of black color and have an all-black wardrobe, you may want to get yourself a black beauty—a solid black guinea pig that will go with everything black that you have got.

If you have been looking for a black guinea pig, stay with us. In this article, we are going to discuss all about black guinea pigs.

Black Guinea Pig Breeds

The black guinea pig is not a distinct breed, but rather a majestic color pattern that is featured by various guinea pig breeds. You can have a black longhaired guinea pig as well as a black shorthaired guinea pig. So, if you are looking for a black guinea pig, here are a few guinea pig breeds that you should look into.

American Guinea Pig

American guinea pigs are one of the most common and oldest guinea pig breeds. In fact, when people are generally talking about guinea pigs, they are picturing American guinea pigs in their mind, at least in America. They are highly sociable, friendly, and laid back in nature. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns—solid, bicolor, tricolor, etc. But what we are interested in is the solid black color.

Solid black guinea pigs are very rare, but as compared to other guinea pig breeds, they are most common in American guinea pigs.

Abyssinian Guinea Pig

Abyssinian guinea pigs don’t have an extremely long-hair coat like Peruvian or Silkie guinea pigs, but their coats could grow up to 2 inches. Their coat is a bit spiky. What really set Abyssinian guinea pigs apart from most other guinea pig breeds is their rosettes. While generally, Abyssinian guinea pigs have 8 rosettes, they could also have either 6 or 10. They come in a variety of color combinations, but as far as self-Abyssinian guinea pigs are concerned, they usually come in black and red. If you are looking for a black guinea pig with a bit rough coat, you should consider black Abyssinian guinea pigs.

Silkie Guinea Pig

Also known as Sheltie guinea pigs, Silkies are longhaired guinea pigs. they are quite popular at shows. If you have got well-taken care of a solid black Silkie guinea pig, you are definitely going to win awards or at least the hearts of guinea pig lovers. Their dazzling coats are to die for but keep in mind that they are high-maintenance pets and don’t make a good choice for children unless there is an adult to take care of the grooming needs of these longhaired guinea pigs. They need to be brushed daily and bathed more often, otherwise, their long hair starts to mat and knot.

Like other guinea pig breeds, they also come in a wide range of coat colors and patterns. If you want a black longhaired guinea pig, you should definitely consider black Sheltie guinea pigs. They have not only long but also the silkiest hair. You would just love to comb through their long silky hair with your fingers. Black Sheltie guinea pigs are very rare. So, if you are going to find a black silkie guinea pig, you might have to pay a hefty price for it.

Peruvian Guinea Pig

Fluffy, adorable, and highly sociable, Peruvian is another longhaired guinea pig breed. Because of their long-haired coats, they were amongst the first guinea pig breeds that were selectively bred for showing purposes. Peruvian guinea pigs seen at shows often have hair up to 24 inches in length. Like Silkies, the long hair of Peruvian guinea pigs also needs daily brushing and regular bathing. This is the reason that they are only suitable for adults and not for small kids. Their long-haired coat also makes them susceptible to fly strikes, especially if the coat is not groomed properly and regularly. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you should not get your young ones a Peruvian guinea pig unless you or some other adult in the house is going to take the responsibility of grooming the black Peruvian guinea pig.

Teddy Guinea Pig

Teddy guinea pigs get their name from their teddy bear-like appearances. They are slightly smaller than other guinea pig breeds—the largest they will grow is about 1 foot long, and about 1.5 to 3 pounds in weight.

Having short and coarse coats. Teddy guinea pigs are low-maintenance guinea pigs. Unlike longhaired guinea pigs that require daily brushing, Teddy guinea pigs need to be combed once or twice a week, with a stiff brush. As far as bathing is concerned, you should not bathe them more than three times a year, or else they will develop dry skin.

Like other guinea pig breeds, Teddy guinea pigs also come in a wide range of colors, solid black being the rarest. If you are looking for a Shorthaired black guinea pig with a coarse coat, you should get a black Teddy guinea pig; and if you want a curly black longhaired guinea pig, you should consider Texel guinea pigs.

Texel Guinea Pig

Often called Shirley Temple, Texel guinea pig is a relatively new breed. But despite that, they have gained a lot of popularity because of their long curly-haired coat. Besides their glamorous curly coat, they are also known for their friendly and amiable nature.

But before bringing home a black Texel guinea pig, you should know that their long curly hair is prone to knotting and matting, if not groomed regularly. Given their high maintenance, they don’t make a good choice for children. But if there is some adult in the house to take care of the grooming, Texel guinea pigs could make great pets for children. Texel guinea pigs come in all kinds of colors and color combinations, including solid black.

Merino Guinea Pig

Also known as Merino Peruvian, Merino Rexoid, and English Merino, the Merino guinea pig is another long curly-haired guinea pig breed. They look a lot like Texel guinea pigs and it is difficult for untrained eyes to tell the two breeds apart. But you can easily identify Merino guinea pigs as they have a unique short forehead crest.

Their long curly haired coat resembles a lot of the coat of Merino Sheep and perhaps that is why they are called Merinos.

As you might have guessed, these fluffballs are really high-maintenance-requiring daily brushing and regular bathing sessions. Had it not been for their high maintenance, they would have made a great choice for children.

They come in a variety of color patterns, including solid black. So, yes, you can have a solid Black Merino guinea pig. 

Black Skinny Guinea Pig

One might think that since skinny guinea pigs have no coat, they must be colorless or all must come in one color. But it is not the case. Skinny guinea pigs are no less colorful than their haired counterparts. Like hairy guinea pigs, skinny guinea pigs also come in a variety of colors, including solid black. So, yes, you can get a Black skinny pig. They are adorable.

Getting a Solid Black Guinea Pig

If you have been looking for a Black guinea pig for a while, you will be ecstatic to find one and would be dying to bring it home. But we suggest that you don’t rush; you should be a bit careful in making the final decision. You don’t want to bring home a black guinea pig that looks cute and all but is not healthy and has underlying health issues.

Before making the purchase, you should make sure that the black guinea pig is in perfect health and active. A healthy black guinea pig should have bright eyes, clear of any discharge, redness, or any other signs of eye infection. Guinea pig ears should also be free of any sores or discharge. Besides that, you should also check the guinea pig skin for fleas or signs of allergy.

You should also check where the guinea pig came from. Where it was kept before you got it. You don’t want to be furthering the inhumane practice of guinea pig mills, who are run for profits, without any regard for guinea pigs’ physical and mental health in mind.  You should make sure that the guinea pig has not been abused by its previous parent.

Black Guinea Pig Health Issues

As the black guinea pig is not a distinct guinea pig breed, there are no common health issues related to black guinea pigs. That said black guinea pigs are susceptible to growing overweight and becoming obese.

This is not because of their genetic makeup but because of the attention and love, they get from guinea pig enthusiasts. They are just the cutest, and everyone wants to handle them and offer them treats with their hands. Doing this, oftentimes, guinea pig owners ignore the caloric intake of their Black guinea pigs and in the long run, they become overweight and eventually obese.

While fat black guinea pigs do not look less cute, being overweight is not healthy. It not only negatively affects the guinea pig’s lifestyle but also leads to health issues like arthritis, blood pressure issues, and cardiovascular diseases in guinea pigs. 

How Do Black Guinea Pigs Get Their Black Coat?

Guinea pigs come in all sorts of colors and color combinations. But what is really fascinating about guinea pig colors is that all guinea pig colors and patterns come from two basic pigments—black and red. Besides black, chocolate (the second darkest color in guinea pigs), lilac, beige, and slate are among the black series colors. The red series colors include red, orange, gold, and cream.

You must be thinking then how do white guinea pigs get their color? Well, white is the lack of pigmentation; it comes from the absence of pigmentation. 

Are Black Guinea Pigs Rare?

Solid black guinea pigs are hard to find. The guinea pigs that we commonly see are multi-colored; we rarely see an all-black guinea pig. This is because black guinea pigs are quite rare to find.

There is no substantial evidence, but anecdotal evidence suggests that solid black coat color is comparatively more common in American guinea pigs.

How Much Does a Black Guinea Pig Cost?

Because of the rarity of solid black guinea pigs, they tend to be costlier than common guinea pigs. Where usually guinea pigs cost between $20 to 50$, black guinea pigs may cost double the price or even more, depending on the breed of the guinea pig, location, and availability.

Black Guinea Pig Names

Getting your hands on a black guinea pig is difficult, but finding a befitting name for your black guinea pig, once you get hold of it, is even more challenging. But to help you get started on your search for a suitable name for your unique black guinea pig, we have listed a few black guinea pig names below.