ALL COLOURS AND
PATTERNS
You can get
many different breeds of guinea pigs, short haired long haired
etc. I will try naming all the colours and patterns ( in
alphabetical order) so you can see which type your guinea pig(s)
are. I have managed to include pictures for most of the different
breeds mentioned, but not all. Please be patient this page will
take over 3 minutes to download due to the amount of pics
included.
ABYSSINIAN GUINEA
- PIGS
Now the names
get even stranger and harder to pronounce. These gps have hair
growing from one centre which is called a hair crown. Some gps
have rough hair which can look similar to an Abyssinian, but
probably their coats are just very untidy looking. If you have
ever see an Abyssinian gp you'll quickly know the difference,
their fur stands up arranged in a pattern of rosettes. At least 8
to 10 rosettes are distributed along the ridge of the spine with
the hair standing up like brushes. As a result the gp has a
comical shaggy look, with the different colour combinations
giving them a multi coloured tufty look.
So they look a bit like someone who's fell out of bed without brushing their hair then! The difference is they look so sweet looking like this, but you wont get away with looking like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards.
ABYSSINIAN GUINEA PIG
AGOUTI
The hair on
Agouti's changes in colour from the root to the tip, which makes
them look speckled, even bushy coated, see pic below, or if they
have a pepper and salt appearance this is the result of their
hairs being tipped with black. All wild gps are Agouti's, most of
the variations we now have are due to cross-breeding or
self-breeding certain breeds to produce specific types.
AGOUTI GUNIEA PIG
CROWNING CRESTS
This name
sounds quite regal. These little gps are the same as short haired
gps but instead of having smooth fur on their heads they have a
crown called a crest. Its a single rosette smack bang in the
middle of their wee heads. It really looks like a wee parting on
their heads, with some of the hair falling down the sides and the
front of their heads, similar to a fringe, again so very cute.
Some gps crests are a totally different colour to the rest of
their coat as you can see in the pic below.
DALMATIONS
Well there's
not a lot to say about these little darlings, except they look
exactly like the dogs of the same name, with their white and
black speckled coats, as the pic shows below. As I mentioned
above, this type of breed is achieved by breeding only the same
self-bred gps, yes dalmations.
DALMATION
GUINEA PIG
PERUVIANS
Here we go
with the strange names again, well these little gps have silky
long hair that grows down to the ground their hair is so long
that you must brush back their fringes so that they can see. How
cutey pie is that! The hair on the hind-quarters forms a train,
on their heads they have a kinda curl which gives them a thick
longish fringe. Again I have not seen one of these gps
personally, but by viewing the pics of them in books they look
very sweet and adorable.
PERUVIAN GUINEA PIG
SHAGGY SHELTIES
Isn't this
name funny it sounds very Scottish don't you agree? (och aye the
noo) well these gps have long coats but their hair does not grow
over their faces, unlike the Peruvians mentioned above, so they
can see far easier.
Having a glance at one of these gps pics in the books makes me think how they look very much like long haired dogs. A dense parting on their backs causes the hair on their shoulders and sides to slope downwards to the ground like a mane, with the hair at the back spreading out like a fan. From the top of their heads to the tip of their noses, all you see is their cute wee head popping out. These gps will take a lot of grooming to keep them looking smart. I think they look really funny, with no offence to anyone who has one, again they are just so cuddlesome.
SHELTIE GUINEA PIGS
SHORT HAIRED
GUINEA - PIGS
Short haired
gps have smooth, shiny coats, making them easy to care for. With
short haired gps you can get a few different patterns across the
gps coat. This is usually known as a Dutch stripe, which is
mainly one stripe any colour (though white seems to be the most
common) going over the middle of the gps coat (near the stomach).
Or you can get the Tortoiseshell pattern which is not all the
same colour.
Our piggies Sophie and Leia are short haired gps. Sophie has the predominant white Dutch stripe across the middle of her back, (she's tan and white in colour) while Leia has more of the Tortoiseshell pattern (she's brown with black stripes). What we have noticed is after a bath their coats become even more glossy and healthy looking, the good thing about owning two short haired gps is that they don't need brushed as often as a long haired gp.
SMOOTH-HAIRED GUINEA PIGS, MAINLY DUTCH TYPE
SILKY SATINS
Now this
sounds a bit better, the books that I have been reading do not
say a lot about them except to state that they have very soft and
shiny coats, and very strange red or albino eyes, see pic below.
Not exactly a brilliant description, but I will try explaining in
my own words. Silky Satins are really the same as short haired
gps they don't really look much different, Ok they may have
softer fur and red eyes, but that's about it, but their still
irresistible.
SILKY SATIN GUINEA PIG
WAVY REXES
This name
sounds quite interesting, a bit like a hairstyle don't you think?
These little gps have short and very thick hair. Their wavy hair
feels rough when you stroke them.
Have you ever seen your guinea pig's outside when they are feeling cold? or when they are eating? Well you may have noticed how their fur looks very puffy, that's the way these gps look like, the only difference is that their hair stays this way all the time.
According to books about gps, there is approximately 25 different varieties as you will notice I have not gone into to many details, there are enough books covering this subject, which I believe will only appeal to breeders, or owners who show their gps.
When you think of all the cross breeds there are about, especially when it comes to colours and patterns you will probably have many choices. All gps are different, you can have one gp all the same colour, or you can have a gp with different colours, or a smooth haired, or a Peruvian, a Sheltie etc, the list is endless, as long as you love and care for the wee piggies, does their colours and patterns really matter? each and every one is 100% adorable.