guinea pig breeds
The three main varieties of domestic Guinea Pigs are the : The English, The Abyssinian and The Peruvian.
Abyssinian: The Abyssinian cavy has 10 rosettes — one on each shoulder, four across the "saddle", one on each hip, and two on the rump. An ideal Abyssinian has a harsh textured coat that stands on end in straight ridges, forming the rosette pattern. Rosettes should have pinpoint centers.
English (Smooth Coat): The English cavy has short smooth hair all over the body.
Crested: A Crested is like an American, but has a single rosette on the top of the head. According to ACBA standards, the Crest must be white coloured with no white present on the body of the animal. Other clubs allow the crest to be any colour.
Teddy: A Teddy guinea pig has short, rough hair that stands on end all over the body, resembling a plush teddy bear.
Silkie: A Silkie has long hair, sometimes up to 24 inches, that flows back over its body. When viewed from above it should be a teardrop shape.
Peruvian: A Peruvian cavy has long hair like a Silkie, but the hair flows over the whole body from the center and spreads out, covering the face. When viewed from above it should look like an oval and the head cannot be distinguished from the rear.
Coronet: A Coronet cavy has long hair like a Silkie, and a crest like a Crested.
Texel: A Texel is like a Silkie, but with curls. The curls should ideally be tightly wound corkscrew curls.
Merino and Boucle: Merino is the curly equivalent of a Coronet and a Boucle is the curly equivalent of a Peruvian. These breeds are not yet accepted according to ACBA regulations.
All breeds also come in a Satin variety. A satin cavy has a different type of hair shaft that reflects light, giving it a beautiful, shiny appearance.
