Coronet Guinea Pig
The Coronet Guinea Pig is a Silkie with the addition of a single rosette (the "coronet") positioned at the centre of the forehead — created by crossing Silkie and Crested guinea pigs in the UK.
Photo: Image from Wikipedia: "Coronet Guinea Pig" — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%20of%20guinea%20pig%20breeds. Verify licence at commons.wikimedia.org. · CC BY-SA 4.0 (verify per-image licence on Wikimedia Commons)
Origin
United Kingdom
Lifespan
4–8 years
Weight
700–1,200 g
Height
20–30 cm
Diet
Herbivore — unlimited hay, fresh greens, pellets, daily vitamin C.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Caviidae
Genus
Cavia
The Story
The Coronet Guinea Pig is a Silkie with the addition of a single rosette (the "coronet") positioned at the centre of the forehead — created by crossing Silkie and Crested guinea pigs in the UK. The long, backward-flowing coat of the Silkie flows from around this single forward-facing rosette, creating the crown effect that gives the breed its name. The Coronet is considered one of the more spectacular show breeds, requiring the same intensive coat maintenance as the Silkie. In show judging, a Coronet with an off-centre rosette or an asymmetric coat is significantly penalised.
Also Known As
Quick Facts
Discover which pets match your lifestyle
Physical Profile
Source: wikimedia
Identical to the Silkie in body and coat type — long, soft, backward-flowing coat with no centre part — with the single addition of a well-centred rosette on the forehead that creates a natural parting and a crest of hair. The rosette should be as circular as possible, positioned precisely at the centre of the forehead. The long coat can reach 30–40 cm in show animals.
Grooming
Very High
Shedding
High
Coat Colors
Recognized By
Source: wikimedia
Temperament & Personality
Gentle, calm, and patient — same temperament as the Silkie. The breed is tolerant of handling and grooming, making it one of the calmer of the long-coated guinea pig breeds. Affectionate with its family.
Living Profile
Care & Wellness
Professional Care Protocol
- •Same as Silkie — daily brushing, regular trimming (especially around the perianal area), pairs kept together, unlimited hay, daily vitamin C. Not suitable for children due to grooming demands. The forehead coronet requires particular attention to prevent matting around the rosette centre.
Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination Schedule
Health Overview
Same as American Guinea Pig. Coat-related skin infection risk if grooming is neglected. The coronet area around the rosette requires extra attention as hair around the rosette tends to trap debris.
Common Conditions
Fun Facts
The Coronet's defining crown rosette must be precisely centred on the forehead for show purposes — an off-centre rosette is a significant fault. Show judges measure the symmetry of the rosette and the evenness of the coat flowing from it.
The Coronet was developed as a distinct breed only in the late 20th century — it is one of the more recently established guinea pig breeds, combining two parent breeds that themselves were only standardised in the 1970s.
Despite being a long-coated breed, the Coronet's coat grows at the same rate as the Peruvian and Silkie — approximately 1 cm per month — meaning a show-quality Coronet coat takes 3–4 years to develop fully.
Also Known As
Related Tags
More Guinea Pigs
View All
Abyssinian Guinea Pig
South America — breed type developed in Europe
Alpaca Guinea Pig
Developed in USA — cross between Peruvian and Texel guinea pigs
American Guinea Pig
Andes Mountains, South America — domesticated 3,000+ years ago
Baldwin Guinea Pig
Spontaneous mutation in a White Crested line in California, USA (1980s)