Ten guinea pigs, each with its own unique color

There's a four-character idiom, "ten people, ten colors," which means that everyone has different thoughts and preferences; if there are ten people, there will be ten different tastes and personalities.

Tama Zoo currently (as of March 19, 2026) houses 56 Domestic Guinea Pig pigs, but no two guinea pigs are alike.

When administering medication for injuries or illnesses, it's often problematic if you don't know which individual animal is being treated, so the caretakers identify every single animal. The key to distinguishing them is their unique appearance and personality, which are "ten animals, ten different personalities."

Guinea pigs are animals with great individual variation in appearance, including fur color, texture, and size. While their base colors are white, black, brown, cream, and gray, some individuals have a single color, while others have a mix of multiple colors, and there are even albino individuals with red eyes and white fur. Some have short fur, others have long, fluffy fur, and some have many cowlicks, and the texture of their fur also varies depending on the individual.

No two individuals have the same color or fur pattern. Occasionally, you'll see parents and offspring that look exactly alike, which makes you think, "That must be genetics!"

Furthermore, not only do they look different, but each individual has a completely different personality. Some have a favorite spot in their cage and will always be in the same place, and they also have their own unique ways of drinking water.

In terms of dietary preferences, besides their main food of hay (dried, hard grass), they have varying tastes when it comes to vegetables and fruits given as treats. Some individuals like apples, others prefer cabbage, and still others love branches and leaves (mainly Japanese evergreen oak) and eat the branches more than apples.

Furthermore, some individuals are quick to pick fights and immediately start bothering those around them, while others remain calm and go at their own pace even when a fight is happening nearby, and still others are very timid and stay hidden under the grass.

Observing them every day like this allows for various discoveries, and it becomes clear that each one is completely different.

Even if not every day, during the "Ask the Guinea Pig Doctor!" hands-on program that everyone can participate in, you'll find some guinea pigs that sit still on participants' laps, others that look around curiously, and still others that make a lot of noise.

By carefully observing the guinea pigs in the outdoor exercise area, you can see a variety of behaviors and witness the unique personalities of each individual guinea pig.

Finally, when observing guinea pigs, remember to be quiet and gentle. They are timid creatures, so loud noises or movements may startle them and cause them to hide. Take your time to observe them carefully and try to discover the individual colors of each guinea pig.

[Tama Zoo Education and Outreach Section, Inudo]

(March 29, 2026)