Guinea Pig Breeds - different types of guinea pigs

A guide to guinea pig breeds will tell you more about its, physical traits, temperament, hair type, maintenance and health conditions.

Guinea pigs make popular pets because they are adorable, have charming personalities and does not require a lot of space. Unlike hamsters, they are also far less prone to nipping making them great pets for children.

Guinea pigs come in a range of coat colours, eye colours, and hair textures. Find out which guinea pig breed suits you here.

Personality

Sweet and friendly

The American Guinea pig is one of the more common types of guinea pigs at pet stores. It has a short, shiny coat that lays smooth without any rosettes (a whorl of hair that fans outward in all directions from a center point) in all colors or color combinations. Their short hair requires minimal grooming, making them easy first-time pet.

Personality

Very friendly, affectionate breeds and they can be very energetic and excitable for younger children.

Abyssinian guinea pigs are striking due to their eye-catching hair formations. The hair of these animals grows in rosettes outwards from their body, making their silhouette spiky and ridged. Abyssinians come in lots of different colours and colour combinations, such as black and red, white and red, or grey.

Personality

Sweet and friendly

Crested guinea pigs have a small patch of white hair in between their ears that looks like a small white crown. which is essentially a guinea pig hair parting. Instead of growing in the usual way as in other parts of the body, the hair radiates out from a single point.

Personality

Affectionate and playful

The Coronet guinea pig has a long, silky coat with a single rosette in the middle of the forehead which is referred to as a coronet. Their hair grows long just like the rest of the coat, falling over the eyes in the front and blending with the rest of the coat in the back. Because their coat requires daily care, they may not be a good first-time owner choice.

Unlike the Silkie, the Coronet guinea pigs have what a crown in the centre of their foreheads, radiating out from a central point, often clashing with growth from the rest of their bodies to create ridges.

Personality

Calm, curious and alert

Peruvians have a long, silky and thick coat. The hair grows in a series of rosettes which grows quite long to almost two feet in length. The hair eventually falls over the head in the front and sweeps outward on the sides and rear. When the coat reaches its full length, it is almost impossible to tell the head from the rear. The Peruvian requires much more grooming care than a short-coat guinea pig making it unpopular to first-time owners

Personality

Shy, docile and calm. Most gentlest of guinea pig breed.

Of the long-haired guinea pig breeds, Silkies or Shelties are the most popular. Silkies have a long dense, luxurious coat which sweeps back from the face and grows quite long. They are similar to coronet Guinea pigs, except they do not have a rosette on their foreheads. Since they require more care than a short-coat Guinea pig, they are not a good choice for first-time owners or younger children.

Personality

Most friendliest of guinea pig breed

The Teddy guinea pig has a short to medium-length, evencoat which is stiff and wiry with a kink to it. The texture of their coat resembles a teddy bear, hence the name. Teddies come in multiple colors and color combinations. Teddies are the only guinea pig breed that has an upturned nose. Their coat does need regular brushing on a weekly basis.

Personality

Sweet and curious

Sheba guinea pigs are also known as guinea pigs with a “bad hair day”, thanks to the swirls (known as rosettes) in their coat that make it stick out in different directions. Although cute and a little funny looking, their coat requires a lot of maintenance.

Personality

Most active of the long-haired guinea pig breeds and the cuddliest

The Texel guinea pig has a long, shiny and curly coat. The hair on the face is short and gradually becomes longer at the top of the head to blend in with the rest of the coat over the shoulders. Be mindful that frequent grooming can actually be detrimental to the health of their coat.