Ultimate List of All Guinea Pig Breeds

11 Guinea Pig

Are you looking forward to having some cute and cuddly pets around? You may want to consider choosing from some guinea pig cages, lettuce varieties and of course, a fluffy little guinea pig (or two). They are available in various types in terms of colours, size, and temperament.

Abyssinian

1-Guinea-Pig-AbyssinianCommon Breed Names: Abyssinian
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
The Abyssinian guinea pigs have a unique coat with eight rosettes neatly arranged by pair across their body. They have a rough coat that often grows up to 4 cm. Abyssinians without well-arranged rosettes often get rejected as show guinea pigs, thus ending up being pets. They are found in various colours – brindle, roans, tortoiseshell, and solid colours

Agouti

2-Guinea-Pig-AgoutiCommon Breed Names: Agouti
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Agoutis are smooth-coated guinea pigs that look almost the same as the wild guinea pigs in South America. Their coat has flecks with each strand of hair displaying two different shades of the same colour. This ends up showing a banded effect on their body. The coat is also covered with solid black guard hairs.

Alpaca

3-Gunea-Pig-AlpacaCommon Breed Names: Alpaca
Alternative Breed Names:Boucle, Merino Peruvian, Curly Coated Coronet, Merino
Description:
Alpaca guinea pigs are considered by many pet lovers as among the most beautiful of all the breeds. They are also called as a Merino Peruvian because they do look like one with their forelock, although they have a curly coat. They are a rare breed, especially for those who want to get a guinea pig to show because of their unique looks and puffy fur. They need constant grooming although bathing should not be overdone to prevent their skin from going dry

American Guinea Pig

4-Guinea-Pig-American-Guinea-PigAmerican Guinea Pig Alpaca
Alternative Breed Names:Caviidse porcellus
Description:
The American guinea pig originated in South America, particularly in the Peruvian Andes. Its average height is about 8 to 9 inches and has a life expectancy of 7 years. It is a short haired guinea pig that does not have any rosettes at all. American guinea pigs are noted for their prominent ears and round nose. Their coat is also smooth. They are active and friendly.

American Crested

5-Guinea-Pig-American-CrestedCommon Breed Names: American Crested
Alternative Breed Names:White Crested, Crested
Description:
American Crested guinea pigs look almost the same as the English Crested guinea pigs because of their single rosette right on the forehead. However, the former’s chest has a unique colour not found in other guinea pigs. The crest is usually white without any other white part on their body.

Coronet

6-Guinea-Pig-CoronetCommon Breed Names: Coronet
Alternative Breed Names:N/A
Description:
Coronets look like Silkies mainly due to their smooth coat that grows backwards over the entire body. The only difference is that the former has a crest on their forehead that should be symmetrical with a definite centre and with neatly arranged hairs. Like any other long-haired guinea pigs, Coronets need frequent grooming.

Himalayan

7-Guinea-Pig-HimalayanCommon Breed Names: Himalayan
Alternative Breed Names:N/A
Description:
Himalayan guinea pigs are considered as the Siamese cat among the breeds. A white coat with highlights of brown or black on the ears, feet, and nose. Their toenails and feet also have dark coloured pads. These guinea pigs are born white, with the darker highlights only showing after the first few weeks. If exposed to bright sunlight or hot weather, the highlights may seem to fade. It also does the same thing when the pigs are scared, shocked, or sick.

Lunkarya

8-Guinea-Pig-LunkaryaCommon Breed Names: Lunkarya
Alternative Breed Names:Lunk
Description:
Lunkarya guinea pigs were developed in Sweden in 1986 and are often found in the Nordic countries. They have a rough, long and curly coat that eventually grows dense and dull. They are found in three variations – the Lunkarya Sheltie, the Lunkarya Peruvian, and the Lunkarya Coronet. Their name came from the last name of the developer Lundqvist.

Merino

9-Guinea-Pig-MerinoCommon Breed Names: Merino
Alternative Breed Names: English Merino
Description:
The Merino shares almost the same look as the Coronet with the only difference being their curly hair. They also have a head covered in short hair and a rosette or crest on top of head. In terms of behaviour, these guinea pigs do not present much of a problem to pet owners because of their sweet temperament.

Peruvian

10-Guinea-Pig-PeruvianCommon Breed Names: Peruvian
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Peruvians are among the oldest guinea pig breeds. They are believed to have originated in South America. They are long-haired guinea pigs with two rosettes, although they start out young with short hair that grows over time. Even their bottom can be covered with as long as 20-inch hair. Their eyes are usually covered with a long fringe as well. Peruvians are high maintenance pets that need regular trimming and grooming for their long hair.

Rex

11-Guinea-Pig-RexCommon Breed Names: Rex
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Rex guinea pigs are among the rough-coated breeds. They have no guard hairs, which give their coat a woolly texture. Their hairs are just about 1 cm tall at their longest, although they form a dense coat. The Rex are also noted for their huge droopy ears and broad head. The hair on their underbelly is curly and dense as well.

Ridgeback

12-Guinea-Pig-RidgebackCommon Breed Names: Ridgeback
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Ridgebacks are recognised as a Cavy breed in the UK. They are noted more for their smooth coat that’s close to their body, except for the ridge of their hair on their back. Based on the standards, the ridge should be long, straight, regular, and stand up even without undergoing regular trimming. These guinea pigs also have tufty feet, just like the non-ridged types, with the feet growing hair upwards.

Satin

13-Guinea-Pig-SatinCommon Breed Names: Satin
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Satin guinea pigs are called as such because of their glossy and reflective coat. Each hair is fine and silky. They are most noted for their hollow hair shaft, which makes it possible the for the light to pass through each single hair. This is something that you cannot find in other types of guinea pigs.

Sheba

14-Guinea-Pig-ShebaCommon Breed Names: Sheba
Alternative Breed Names: Sheba Mini Yak
Description:
Shebas are long-haired guinea pigs with a rosette. They are also noted for their mutton chop whiskers and seem to look tousled at all times. They are a recognised breed of guinea pigs in Australia. These breeds were first developed in New South Wales, Sydney in the 1970s.

Silkie

15-Guinea-Pig-SilkieCommon Breed Names: Silkie
Alternative Breed Names: Sheltie
Description:
Silkie is known for its long, smooth coat. It should not have any rosette on its body or have growing hair pointed upwards right towards the face. Its coat should be whole, not parted. A Silkie also has a teardrop shape.

Teddy

16-Guinea-Pig-TeddyCommon Breed Names: Teddy
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Teddy guinea pigs have a springy coat that is dense, harsh, and short. Their hairs stand all over their body and often grow up to a moderate length. It is mainly the reason why they look more like a soft toy than a guinea pig. Teddies that are commonly raised in the US can be recognised for the long hair coating covering their bellies.

Texel

17-Guinea-Pig-TexelCommon Breed Names: Texel
Alternative Breed Names: N/A
Description:
Texels are known for their soft, thick hair that ends up on ringlets or curls. They have compact bodies with a broad and well-rounded head. They can be compared to a Silkie in terms of appearance, only with curly hair. To pass the standards, their curls should be tightly wound and should be found all over the body, even the stomach.

More Info

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4 thoughts on “Ultimate List of All Guinea Pig Breeds

  1. Parakoura Tenta says:

    What was the completely bald guinea pig that is similar to skinny guinea pig but it doesn’t have hair at all. Please email me at least today I need it .

  2. Joyce says:

    I still don’t know what my guinea pig breed is, my guinea is almost white, it had black eyes, one black ear and a patch of black around it’s eyes, and it’s short haired, plz help me with this!!!

  3. Vicious says:

    I have an American, a Silkie, and a, Abyssinian. And I love them so much guinea pigs are the absolute best pets in the world to have I’ll never own another pet other than my fish!

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