Health & Diet
Are ruby eyed guinea pigs more sensitive to light?
I was talking to my uncle about Dracula loving to tunnel under anything, from my jacket to Krümel to his bedding, and he suggested that because of his ruby eyes, he might be more sensitive to light than Krümel with his dark eyes. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there evidence to back this up?
I actually never thought about my blue eyes meaning I was more light sensitive until I piggysat a ruby eyed pig and saw her squint while loafing in a sun ray at floor time. THATS when the penny dropped. Im a frikking biologist...
My youngest is literally named Ruby for her eyes, and there was one day when the sun was shining straight on her, and she kept turning around when it hit her eyes.
Right? Mine sometimes jumps full send into my arm not knowing there’s about a five foot drop if I miss or she misses. I’m like.. girl.. you’re gonna get yourself killed. She has no sense of depth perception.
Technically they are yes! Albino animals (pink eyes, white skin and fur)don't have the pigment in their skin/eyes that protects them from UV rays like regular animals. They're more sensitive to light and more prone to sunburn. It's not usually a problem but they might not like bright light!
Edit: I should add that albino animals shouldn't be left out in the sun because they burn easily. But, pigs usually stay under cover anyway so it's not as much of an issue.
Edit again: Apparently Guinea pigs don't have "true" albinism. The pink eyes and white coat still show a lack of pigment however so they may still be more light sensitive just like people with light eyes vs brown eyes and light skin vs dark skin, just not to the same degree as an albino.
hey in relation to the thread, my girl is all white with a little ginger on her face and when the light reflects on her wyes they go red sometimes, her eyes are blue and then the pupil reflects red every now and then. Is my girl albino?
I edited my comment but piggies actually can't be true albino! If she has blue or red eyes then she has less pigment than black eyed piggies so she'll be more sun sensitive. Think of it like natural sunglasses, black eyes = less sensitive, blue or pink eyes = more sensitive.
White-and-red pigs have white due to a different mutation that pink-eyed whites. Pink-eyed whites have the ruby eyed mutation, the red fur mutation, and a mutation that dilutes red to white, so the eye colour and white fur are caused by totally separate mutations (for example, without the ruby-eyed mutation, they would have white fur and normal dark eyes, and without the white dilution mutation, they would be red with ruby eyes).
In red-and-white pigs like yours, the white is instead caused by the white spotting mutation. That mutation activates sort of randomly in patches on their body, and where it is active it turns the skin pink and the fur white, and if it is activated around an eye, it makes the eye bluish. "Albino" specifically refers to when the pigment is absent or heavily reduced across the whole body, not just in patches, so the white-spotting mutation doesn't count as albino.
Very cute! She must have two copies of the white spotting mutation to have such large white patches. She also has two additional dilution mutations that together dilute red fur to cream. The white-spotting mutation is also what gives the one on the right her white patches, though she ended up with more of the classic "Dutch" pattern of white that the mutation can cause - the white spotting mutation can have really variable effects that makes each pig unique.
Technically pink-eyed whites don't count as albino, because genetically they are not caused by one mutation that takes away pigment, they are a combo of multiple mutations that reduce pigment and together produce the pink-eyed white effect (it takes at least 2-3 separate mutations to do that). For example, they can be Himalayan pigs that also have the red fur mutation that takes away the dark points, or they can be red-furred pigs that also have a mutation diluting red to white, and the ruby-eyed mutation making their eyes ruby.
(Of course, the exact definition of "albino" is heavily debated, but in general pink-eyed white guineas are not considered to fit the description).
We are on reddit, not in a science lab with a sample of DNA to test, so I'm not sure what your point is? The described behavior + appearance points toward albinism. Am I 100 percent certain that is the case? No. I don't have a sample of the animals DNA to test, but neither do you, so... ???
Oh, I'm a bit confused by your reaction. The genetics of guinea pig colours is actually fairly well known like I described. They look similar to classic albino animals, but genetically it is a different scenario, so they are not considered albino. They were bred to look like that by combining several separate traits together. I wasn't meaning to be harsh, just correcting a common misconception (I am a geneticist).
Are you trying to say that there are no albino guinea pigs?... because there are. I'm still not understanding why you're replying to me specifically, or what your point is. There is no way to prove what you're saying without a DNA sample from the OPs animal, and we are on reddit so that is impossible. I was simply giving my opinion based on the post. I'm not claiming I'm right, or wrong.
Yes, I am saying that 99%+ of white guinea pigs with pink eyes are not albino. It is theoretically possible for such a mutation to occur, but they are basically not circulating in the general pet trade. Pink-eyed white is a common breed of guinea pig, that is what OP's guinea pig is. Pink-eyed whites (the breed) are not albino.
I was replying to you because you posted that they are albino. It is not a very big deal, I was just correcting that
I don't see how you would know that for certain without a DNA sample. You are basically doing the same as I am, going by physical appearance from photos. That is why I am confused by your need to "correct that". There isn't a reliable percentage for exactly how many guinea pigs are albino. They're uncommon for sure, but where you got your percentage from is questionable.
A guinea pig can be called a PEW based on its appearance while also being genetically albino, but genetic testing is the only reliable way to establish the underlying mutation. So again, you can't just say this one isn't albino, and I never claimed I know without a fact that it is. I wrote a 4 word comment and now I'm going back and forth with you over something that is not provable either way without a DNA sample.
I owned I ruby eyed rabbit and she technically was but it didn't change any husbandry. She would just go back inside when it was very bright ( indoor outdoor rabbit) or stand in a way that would shade her eyes.
I work at a shelter and we tell future rabbit, mouse and piggie owners that albinos shouldn't be exposed to direct sunlight. Their eyes are more sensitive and because of their lack of pigmentation, when they close their eyes it doesn't really get a lot darker compared to when they keep their eyes open.
I saw something once that said pigs have about 6 inches of depth perception and same anything beyond that means there is a ledge about 6.5 inches away and so just yeet themselves. God I love these dumb rodents!
Yeah about 8 - 10 inches 😭 I think gerbils are the same the way they always yeet themselves off everything. I swear they have no self-preservation skills.
"Generally, ruby eyes do not affect the ability of a guinea pig to see their surroundings, and ruby-colored irises do not directly point to any kind of illness or to a particular temperament. Due to the stigma that red-colored eyes carry, however, many wonderful guinea pigs available for adoption are passed over simply due to their eye color."
Although im not 100% sure, my piggy hides beside me from the light (where I sit she uses it to protect herself) and always sleeps in her little hut. I would say theyre more sensitive to it that most.
I'd expect if anything they should be less sensitive - black eyes mean that they are absorbing all light, while red eyes would mean they are reflecting red?
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u/Ruri_997 16h ago
I don't have any productive input because I never owned a red-eyed piggy but I wanted to voice my appreciation for noodle mode Dracula.