Harlequin is actually a color and not a breed of guinea pig (cavy) but many guinea pig breeders and showers use the words "color" and "breed" interchangeably. Harlequin guinea pigs get their name because they look similar to the already established Harlequin breed of rabbits.

General Description

Harlequin guinea pigs are mostly black in color with little bands of white or orange, usually with solid colors on the face fading to more mixed color bands on the abdomen and rump.

This is a relatively new color variety and very hard to find. Peter Gurney only gives it (as well as Magpies) a brief mention in his book "What's My Guinea Pig? A Guide to Guinea Pig Breeds" (TFH, 1997).

His own Harlequin is pictured in the book, although it was only a profile shot and may actually be considered by modern breeders as a Magpie. His Harlequin had a white nose and cheeks, a black band around the eyes, ears and shoulders, a white and black mixed belly band, another much darker band next to that, a mostly white band and a black spot around the base of the rump. These bands are not usually sharply defined but have a lot of mixing of both colors.

Harlequin or Magpie?

Another rare guinea pig color variety is called the Magpie, which is basically a black and white Harlequin. According to the Rare Varieties Cavy Club in the UK, Magpies should ideally have their heads be half black and half white "divided down the centre of the face". The body has three color bands or black, white and a black-white mixture.

Harlequins tend to have a solid color on both sides of their heads/ Although the bands of light orange, cream or white are supposed to be even in thickness, this is next to impossible to achieve. One band or more tends to be much thicker than the others. Also, some Harlequins and Magpies may have one or both ears be another color entirely than what is presented on the rest of the body.

Breeding Difficulties

Harlequins were derived from roans, brindles and Dalmatians with the occasional solid black or white thrown in for health reasons. As common with the rarer color varieties of guinea pig, Harlequins usually cannot be bred with other Harlequins because the resulting offspring soon die of congenital defects. It's for this reason that most people should not try to breed their Harlequin cavies.

The Harlequin coloration most often appears in short haired guinea pigs (called Americans or English, depending where you live). But it is theoretically possible to breed the Harlequin pattern in all coat types except for bald guinea pigs, often called "skinny pigs".

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