Since their domestication around 5000BC there have been different breeds of guinea pig, due to selective breeding by different civilisations since that time.
Varying greatly in appearance they range from silky flowing hair, to scraggly curls to totally hairless. Some breeds such as the Montane and American Guinea Pig are very traditional looking guinea pigs who bare a close resemblance to the first guinea pigs in the Andean Region of South America. There are other breeds such as the skinny guinea pig and the baldwin guinea pig that are very new breeds, bred in laboratories for research purposes in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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For the most part, the development of breeds of guinea pig have always been for the creation of pets to appeal to the common owner.
There have been many organizations that have been established to help breeders and owners alike. Across the world, clubs and associations such as the American Cavy Breeders Association and the British Cavy Council and the Austrailian Cavy Council help to keep the standard of guinea pigs high in each of their established countries. Each council or club has its own standards which they issue and serve as a guide to breeders in developing guinea pigs to a high standard.
However, new breeds continue to emerge as existing breeds are cross-bred with each other.
All guinea pig breeds share the similar standards of appearance;
- Their head should be round.
- They should have large smooth ears
- They should have large eyes.
- Their body should be compact and strong
- The colour of their coat should have a clear definition from their tip to their root.
We have endeavoured to look at all the breeds of guinea pig from Abynissian’s to Montane’s, from Baldwin’s to Texel’s.
Here below are the breeds of guinea pig that are available today.
Hairless Breeds
Rough Coated Breeds
Long Haired Breeds
Sheba Guinea Pig
Lunkaya Guinea Pig
Short Haired Breeds
Ridgeback Guinea Pig
Roan Guinea Pig
Brindle Guinea Pig
Dutch Guinea Pig
Magpie Guinea Pig
Tortoise-shell Guinea Pig
Tan Guinea Pig
Otter Guinea Pig
Fox Guinea Pig
