Guide to guinea pig breeds.
There are many different breeds of guinea pigs, that come in all different shapes and sizes, here are just a few.
Short HairThe short coated cavy - often called the American or English- has consistently short, glossy hair without a part.
TexelA Texel Guinea pig is like a Silkie, but with curls. The curls should ideally be tightly wound corkscrew curls and should cover the entire body, including the stomach.
AlpaccaA curly coated Peruvian. Hair grows over face like a Peruvian. Most are first generation hybrids of Peruvians and other breeds.
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AbbyssinianThe Abyssinian breed of Guinea pig is known for its short and long, rough coat that has rosetted of hair.
PeruvianThe Peruvian is the progenitor of all modern long haired breeds, being a Guinea pig with hair that grows long continuously all over its body, sometimes to an excess of 20 inches
CrestedThe Crested is similar to the American, but has one rosette on the top of the head. According to ACBA standards, the Crest must be white, with no other white hair present on the animal.
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HimalayanThe Himalayan Guinea pig is similar to the Siamese cat in coat. It is solid white for the first few weeks after birth. The ears, face, paws, and feet grow darker with age.
RexA Rex Guinea pig has short, fuzzy hair that stands on end all over the body.The Rex breed sometimes looks similar to the Teddy.
Skinny PigSkinnies were developed from a hairless lab strain crossed with Teddies and other haired breeds. They have curly Teddy hair on their noses, feet and legs. Skinnies are born nearly hairless.
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