Short Haired

Smooth Coat

• Short, smooth fur

• Often one color

• Also referred to as the American or English short hair

• Does not require regular grooming or trimming unlike long haired breeds.

• Oldest breed of guinea pig    

• First domesticated in 5000 B.C.

• Originally known as the English Guinea pig and the American Guinea pig in the 1960's

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American Crested

Smooth Coat

• Resembles the English Crested guinea pig

• Has a single rosette on the crown of its head which is a different colour to the rest of its body

• They usually have a white crest but it can differ

Ridgeback

Smooth Coat

• Has a raised "ridge" on its back coat

• Is not a common breed of guinea pig

• Can be any color

Sheltie

Long Coat

• Has a long coat of fur which does not sweep over the face

• No rosettes

• The coat does not have a part in the middle section

• Hair has a longer length in the rear compared to the front

• Has a very silk-like coat and can also be referred to as a "Silkie"

• A recognized breed in 1973

• Often seen as lap pigs, mellow and docile

• MUST be groomed daily

Peruvian

Long Coat

• Has a long sweeping coat which extends to the face in a "fringe"

• Have rosettes

• Have a part in the fur

• They are usually born with two rosettes with the hair extending forward and one extending the hair towards the rear in maturity

• One of the oldest breeds

• First seen in Paris in 1886

• MUST be groomed daily

Texel

Long Coat

• Similar to a Sheltie with the coat being curly instead of straight

• Can be any coat color

• Can have a part in the middle, but usually this is not seen

• Originated in England

• MUST be groomed daily

Alpaca

Long Coat

• Similar to a Peruvian with a curly coat

• Has two rosettes at the rear

• Heavy textured coat

• Not a common breed

• Originated from English Peruvian Guinea Pigs

Coronet

Long Coat

• Similar to a Sheltie with a long silky coat

• Has a rosette at the top of its head where the hair grows downwards

• Originated in England in 1970

• Recognized breed in 1998

Sheba

Long Coat

• A long-haired coat with numerous rosettes

• Also called the "Sheba Mini Yak"

• The rosettes push the coat upwards creating an appearance of hair in all directions

• originated in Australia

• MUST be groomed daily

Merino

Long Coat

• A long-haired curly coat with a rosette on its head

• Also called the "English Merino"

• The rosette or crest is positioned evenly between the ears and eyes

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Lunkarya

Long Coat

• Rough and coarse coat structure which causes a myriad of curls and waves

• They can have rosettes which are underneath the coat, and are not plainly visible, usually two on the rump

• Dense thick undercoat

• Coat falls in “corkscrews”

• Variation of a Peruvian guinea pig

• Originated in Europe in 1986

• The coat cannot be combed out and doesnot lie flat

• Can be any colour 

Abyssinian

Rough Coat

• A short coated guinea pig with many rosettes across the body

• Usually 8 to 10 rosettes

• Hair can be any color or variation

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Teddy

Rough Coat

• A thick dense coat which is even. Thecoat will tend to stand on end giving a puff-like appearance

• Can have longer fur over the ears

• Straight Whiskers

Rex

Rough Coat

• A short coat with a crimped erect fur over the body

• The fur can be slightly wavy in appearance

• Curly/crimped whiskers

Swiss

Rough Coat

• Short coat with a crimped erect fur over the body

• The fur can be slightly wavy in appearance

• Curly/crimped whiskers

Baldwin

Hairless

• Completely hairless except for the nose and paws, the hair may fall out completely

• Have wrinkles and folds of skin even on the head

• The skin is marked as per the coat color would be

• Born with hair which falls out at 2 months of age

• Not available in Australia

Skinny

Hairless

• Completely hairless

• Skin is marked as per the coat color would be

• Originated in Canada in 1982

• A genetic mutation caused the lack of fur

• Not available in Australia

Himalayan

Colorations

• A short white coat with dark chocolate or black colored fur on the nose, ears and feet

• Usually have red eyes

• An albino guinea pig with pigmentation

Self

Colorations

• A short coat which is all of one color

• Black, chocolate, red and white shades

• Can have red or dark eyes

Tortoiseshell

Colorations

• Short coat which has red, black and white patches on the body

• A central line is formed when the patches meet

• Smooth coat

• Patches are usually one solid color

Agouti

Colorations

• Smooth coat with a base colour of black or chocolate. The coat then has a “ticked” color throughout the fur.

• Shades of ticking can vary with the most common being seen as gold, silver and cinnamon

• The stomach usually has the base color

Dutch

Colorations

• A smooth coat with a white band on the back with a distinct upside down “V” in white on the face.

• White on the chest and front paws

Brindle

Colorations

• Specks of red and brown in a continuous even pattern throughout the coat

Magpie

Colorations

• Black and White coat with a distinct patching of colors

• Usually has black ears

• Harlequin guinea pigs are the color red version of the Magpie

• Derived from Roans, brindles and Dalmatian

• Roans should not be bred with another Roan or Dalmatian breed. Roans and dalmatians have a 25% chance of producing microthalmic babies, commonly known as lethal whites

Dalmation

Colorations

• Specks of black on a coat of white fur

• Roans should not be bred with another Roan or Dalmatian breed. Roans and dalmatians have a 25% chance of producing microthalmic babies, commonly known as lethal whites.

Roan

Colorations

• A speckled coat of fur similar to an Agouti.

• Coat has a solid under layer and a top layer of fur tips that are white in color

• Commonly referred to as a “dappled”coat

• Roans should not be bred with another Roan or Dalmatian breed. Roans and dalmatians have a 25% chance of producing microthalmic babies, commonly known as lethal whites.

Harlequin

Colorations

• Primary black coat with specks or bands of orange/white.

• Colors fade near the rear and have increased bands

• Colored variation of the Magpie

• Derived from Roans, brindles and Dalmatians

• Roans should not be bred with another Roan or Dalmatian breed. Roans and dalmatians have a 25% chance of producing microthalmic babies, commonly known as lethal whites.