The American Cavy Breeders Association (ACBA) acknowledges 13 totally different guinea pig breeds.
Among the 13 totally different breeds of guinea pigs, there are additionally a number of fundamental acknowledged coat colours in addition to innumerable colour combos and patterns.
Continue studying our full guinea pig breed record to search out out extra!
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian guinea pig has a brief coat with whorls of fur referred to as rosettes. Ideally, a present Abyssinian has eight to 10 rosettes spaced evenly over the physique.
Their coat is delicate and coarse textured. Personality-wise, Abyssinians are fairly energetic, clever, and personable.
Abyssinian Satin
Abyssinian Satins are similar to the usual Abyssinian guinea pig breed, however they’ll have a shiny, satin sheen to their coat.
This breed can even have a brief, delicate, and coarse textured coat with rosettes throughout their physique.
However, the gene that causes satin sheens in guinea pigs is linked to a gene that causes a lot of deformities and different lethal well being issues. So, it’s finest to keep away from satin varieties.
American
The American guinea pig breed has a brief clean coat with no rosettes. It has a matte look and customarily wants much less grooming than different guinea pig breeds.
These cavies are simple going, social and really folks oriented. And, they arrive in an enormous number of colours.
American Satin
Like the usual American model, the American Satin guinea pig has a brief, clean coat with no rosettes. The primary distinction is that the American Satin could have a shiny, shiny coat.
But, American Satins are additionally susceptible to the identical Satin Guinea Pig Syndrome we talked about earlier. They typically endure from deformities and different critical well being points.
Coronet
The Coronet guinea pig has one single whorl (rosette) of fur within the middle of their brow and a protracted, tousled coat.
Coronets get their title from their head crest, which frequently resembles a coronet (crown) worn by royalty.
Coronet guinea pigs are curious, affectionate, and playful cavies.
Peruvian
The Peruvian guinea pig’s fur grows from again to entrance alongside a middle half, with two whorls (rosettes), one on the entrance and one on the again. These direct hair progress over the face after which again over the hind quarters.
The Peruvian’s fur can fairly simply attain lengths of 20 inches (50 cm) or longer!
This guinea pig breed’s character is charming, alert and curious.
Peruvian Satin
As earlier than, the Peruvian Satin guinea pig breed is distinguished by the shiny, shiny sheen to its coat.
Like the usual Peruvian selection, it can have lengthy fur, rising alongside a middle half with two rosettes to direct hair progress.
A well being concern of Peruvian guinea pigs is their behavior of chewing on their very own hair, even when they’re supplied with loads of chew-worthy supplies! This may cause inside impaction (just like how hairballs have an effect on cats).
And, on prime of this the Peruvian Satin is susceptible to the identical Satin Guinea Pig Syndrome as different satin varieties we’ve already checked out.
Silkie
The Silkie is usually additionally referred to as the Sheltie, notably within the UK. The Sheltie will not be a unique breed of guinea pig.
Silkies have a delicate, luxurious “curtain” of fur that naturally falls away from the face and is barely longer close to the hind quarters. They don’t have any rosettes.
Viewed aerially, fans purpose for a “teardrop” conformation within the physique.
Silkie Satin
The Silkie Satin might also go by the title of Sheltie Satin.
Like the Silkie guinea pig, the Silkie Satin guinea pig breed has a protracted coat that grows from entrance to again with no middle half. They don’t have any rosettes so their hair is totally straight and clean.
But, they’re a a lot much less wholesome model, susceptible to dental and bone deformities, and different critical well being issues.
Teddy
Teddy guinea pigs actually seem like spherical furballs. Instead of acknowledging gravity and laying down flat, every quick fur strand sticks straight out from the physique. Making this guinea pig breed look loads like a protracted, plump and lushly bristled bottle brush.
Even although this breed has quick hair, the Teddy pig wants day by day consideration to its thick, curly coat to take away tangles, mats and particles earlier than they trigger pores and skin irritation.
Teddy Satin
Just like the usual Teddy guinea pig breed, the Teddy Satin guinea pig has quick fur that sticks straight out from its physique. But, the Teddy Satin could have a shiny, shiny sheen to its fur.
These guinea pig breeds are light, quiet, and affectionate. But, the satin gene sadly leaves them with quite a few critical well being issues that makes them poor pets.
Texel
The Texel guinea pig breed has a really distinctive coat. They have lengthy, fluffy spiral curls that spring out and canopy your entire physique, together with the stomach area.
This breed can have a middle half in its curly lengthy hair, and the fur itself could be very delicate to the contact.
Texels are calm, candy-natured, and affected person.
White Crested
Regardless of what colour this quick haired guinea pig breed’s coat could also be, the White Crested at all times has a lone white whorl (rosette) of fur smack dab within the middle of its brow.
For present functions, the remainder of the coat should at all times be a unique strong colour from the white brow whorl.
White crested guinea pigs are shy and mild, so they might take some time to heat as much as homeowners.
Other Guinea Pig Breeds
The above breeds are the one ones recognised by the ACBA. The British Cavy Council acknowledges many extra totally different breeds, as does the Australian National Cavy Council.
In addition to quick haired, lengthy haired, clean coated, curly coated, rosettes, no rosettes and blended fur, there are additionally breeds of guinea pig which have little to no fur in any respect. The two hairless guinea pig breeds are the Skinny Pig and the Baldwin.
The ACBA breeds are fairly constant in dimension, however throughout the pond the Rex guinea pig – a British acknowledged purebred breed – undoubtedly takes prime honors within the “largest guinea pig breeds” class.
The Rex guinea pig can develop to a whopping 17 inches lengthy and will take upwards of 24 months to get there!
Some different guinea pig breeds to contemplate are:
Smallest Guinea Pig Breed
Size-wise, the American guinea pig and the Texel guinea pig may be considerably smaller than different breeds, topping out at 9 or 10 inches lengthy.
And after all, there may be (and infrequently are) noticeable guinea pig dimension variations inside any given litter.
For instance, the primary-born guinea pig has the very best entry to nursing and thus will get a head begin in progress.
Conversely, the final-born guinea pig is usually smaller than the others as a result of it will get much less time to nurse and develop earlier than weaning begins.
While sure breeders might promote “dwarf” guinea pigs, there are not any acknowledged dwarf guinea pig breeds.
More seemingly, so-referred to as dwarf guinea pigs shall be runts of the litter, or pups who’ve didn’t thrive and develop as they need to, both by congenital defects, lack of correct care, or each.
Guinea Pig Breeds
All guinea pig breeds are distinctive and particular, as each guinea pig lover is aware of. There is not any single perfect breed, however solely the precise breed for you!
Here, an important side is solely to contemplate the care wants of various guinea pig breeds earlier than deciding on your new pet.
This means, you can also make certain what you may supply and what your new pig will want are a superb match.
If this text helped you select a brand new piggie companion, please tell us which breed you selected within the remark part under!
References and Resources
- Bradford, A., ‘Guinea Pig Facts’, Live Science (2015)
- Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), (*13*), CCAC (2005-2018)
- ACBA Online, ‘Recognized Cavy Breeds’, American Cavy Breeders Association (ACBA), (2014)
- Etherington, S. (et al), ‘Australian National Standards for Exhibition Cavies’, Australian National Cavy Council (ANCC), (2018)
- Vanderlip, S.L., ‘The Guinea Pig Handbook’, Barron’s Educational Series (2003)
- Gallego, M. ‘Case Report of a Satin Guinea Pig with Fibrous Osteodystrophy that Resembles Human Pseudohypoparathyroidism’, Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine (2017)