Post by angelwyche - ADMIN on Jan 8, 2008 19:52:23 GMT
Guinea pig types and Colours
This is not a guide to the standards of the different breeds, it is for pet owners who are wanting to classify what type and colour their piggy is.
The colours
There are basically 2 colours and white in guinea pig colours these are red and black. There are various genes and combinations which may change and modify these colours to paler colours, and change eye colour. Then there are gene combinations that cause patching, mingling of colours cause ticking, spotting, roaning, tan and fox markings and in the case of Himalayans temperature sensitive points.
The Selfs
A self is a guinea pig that is all one colour.
Black A deep Shiny black colour. Eyes black
Red A deep mahogany shade. Eyes ruby
Golden A rich golden colour. May have dark or pink eyes
Saffron A medium sandy colour. Eyes pink
Cream A pale cream colour. Eyes dark
Chocolate A rich dark chocolate. Eyes ruby
Beige A medium beige cloth colour. Eyes pink
Lilac A medium dove grey. Eyes pink
Buff A deep rich buff shade. Eyes dark
White Pure white. Eyes can be pink, ruby or black
Slate Slate blue with dark eyes
Smooth marked or ticked types
Tortoiseshell Clearly defined black and Red patches
Brindle A mixing of red and black hairs
Bi colour Patches of any two colours apart from red and
black
Magpie Chocolate – Patches of chocolate, white and
chocolate/white mixture
Black Patches of black, white and black/white mixture
Harlequin
Black Patches of Black, Cream or Buff and a mixture
Chocolate Patches of Chocolate, Cream of Buff and a
mixture.
Tortoiseshell and white - Clearly defined patches of black, red
and white
Tri colour Clearly defined patches or any two colours (not
black and red) and white but can include agouti.
Agouti Each hair is composed of two colours, one at
the base (under colour) another at the ends
(ticking), giving the coat a ticked appearance.
Silver Agouti A black under colour with silver ticking
Cinnamon A deep cinnamon under colour and Silver ticking.
Golden Black under colour, with dark golden ticking
Lemon Black under colour with buff ticking
Cream A deep chocolate under colour with cream ticking
Chocolate A deep chocolate under colour with golden
ticking.
Argente
Again this is a ticked colouring but these are the lighter
than the agoutis. Pink eyes.
Golden/Lilac Lilac under colour with gold ticking
Golden/beige Beige under colour with gold ticking
Lilac/white Lilac under colour with White ticking
Lilac/lemon Lilac under colour with cream (lemon) ticking
White/beige Beige under colour with white ticking
Lemon/beige Beige under colour with Lemon ticking
Himalayan
A white/ivory body colour with black or chocolate points on nose, ears and feet. The babies are born white and the points come in as they get older.
Dutch
A patched guinea pig of white and another colour in specific markings. Coloured cheeks with a white blaze white shoulders and front limbs, coloured rump and white hind feet.
Roan
An intermingling of white and another colour. May appear in patched guinea pigs. A guinea pig with roan anywhere on its body is classed as a roan.
Roans must never be bred to other roans or Dalmatians/Dalmations, as this may result in white deformed babies
Dalmatian/Dalmation
A spotted guinea pig with any colour spots with white.
Dalmatians/Dalmation must never be bred to other Dalmatians/Dalmation or roans, as this may result in white deformed babies
Tans
Black, chocolate, slate, lilac or beige body colour with tan eye circles, belly, nares and chest
Fox
Black, chocolate, slate, lilac or beige body colour with silver eye circles, belly, nares and chest
Coated Types
Can be any of the colours above, but the coats type gives the guinea pigs it breed.
Rex
A rough coated guinea pig whose hair is harsh, short and curly.
[
Teddy
Looks much like a rex at first glance but it coat is shorter and plusher.
Abyssinian
A harsh coated guinea pig with rosettes and ridges in its coat.
Crested
All smooth but for a single crest/rosette on its head set between the eyes and the ears.
[/url]
Ridgeback
Smooth coated but for a ridge down its spine
Satin
A smooth coated guinea pig with a very shiny coat
Please note there is a genetic problem connected to this breed called Osteodytrophy (OD). If you are going to, or do own a satin it is best to be aware of this problem.
Long hairs
Long coats that grow though out life at a rate of 2 – 3cms a month. They will need more care and the coat needs to be trimmed regularly
Sheltie
Long straight hair sweeping away from the face
Coronet
Like the sheltie but has a crest
Texel
Long curly hair sweeping away from the face
Marino
Like the Texelbut has a crest
Peruvian
Long straight haired guinea pig that has 2 rosettes on its rump causing the coat to come forward over it face
Alpaca
Long curly haired guinea pig that has 2 rosettes on its rump causing the coat to come forward over it face
(photos will be added)
This is not a guide to the standards of the different breeds, it is for pet owners who are wanting to classify what type and colour their piggy is.
The colours
There are basically 2 colours and white in guinea pig colours these are red and black. There are various genes and combinations which may change and modify these colours to paler colours, and change eye colour. Then there are gene combinations that cause patching, mingling of colours cause ticking, spotting, roaning, tan and fox markings and in the case of Himalayans temperature sensitive points.
The Selfs
A self is a guinea pig that is all one colour.
Black A deep Shiny black colour. Eyes black
Red A deep mahogany shade. Eyes ruby
Golden A rich golden colour. May have dark or pink eyes
Saffron A medium sandy colour. Eyes pink
Cream A pale cream colour. Eyes dark
Chocolate A rich dark chocolate. Eyes ruby
Beige A medium beige cloth colour. Eyes pink
Lilac A medium dove grey. Eyes pink
Buff A deep rich buff shade. Eyes dark
White Pure white. Eyes can be pink, ruby or black
Slate Slate blue with dark eyes
Smooth marked or ticked types
Tortoiseshell Clearly defined black and Red patches
Brindle A mixing of red and black hairs
Bi colour Patches of any two colours apart from red and
black
Magpie Chocolate – Patches of chocolate, white and
chocolate/white mixture
Black Patches of black, white and black/white mixture
Harlequin
Black Patches of Black, Cream or Buff and a mixture
Chocolate Patches of Chocolate, Cream of Buff and a
mixture.
Tortoiseshell and white - Clearly defined patches of black, red
and white
Tri colour Clearly defined patches or any two colours (not
black and red) and white but can include agouti.
Agouti Each hair is composed of two colours, one at
the base (under colour) another at the ends
(ticking), giving the coat a ticked appearance.
Silver Agouti A black under colour with silver ticking
Cinnamon A deep cinnamon under colour and Silver ticking.
Golden Black under colour, with dark golden ticking
Lemon Black under colour with buff ticking
Cream A deep chocolate under colour with cream ticking
Chocolate A deep chocolate under colour with golden
ticking.
Argente
Again this is a ticked colouring but these are the lighter
than the agoutis. Pink eyes.
Golden/Lilac Lilac under colour with gold ticking
Golden/beige Beige under colour with gold ticking
Lilac/white Lilac under colour with White ticking
Lilac/lemon Lilac under colour with cream (lemon) ticking
White/beige Beige under colour with white ticking
Lemon/beige Beige under colour with Lemon ticking
Himalayan
A white/ivory body colour with black or chocolate points on nose, ears and feet. The babies are born white and the points come in as they get older.
Dutch
A patched guinea pig of white and another colour in specific markings. Coloured cheeks with a white blaze white shoulders and front limbs, coloured rump and white hind feet.
Roan
An intermingling of white and another colour. May appear in patched guinea pigs. A guinea pig with roan anywhere on its body is classed as a roan.
Roans must never be bred to other roans or Dalmatians/Dalmations, as this may result in white deformed babies
Dalmatian/Dalmation
A spotted guinea pig with any colour spots with white.
Dalmatians/Dalmation must never be bred to other Dalmatians/Dalmation or roans, as this may result in white deformed babies
Tans
Black, chocolate, slate, lilac or beige body colour with tan eye circles, belly, nares and chest
Fox
Black, chocolate, slate, lilac or beige body colour with silver eye circles, belly, nares and chest
Coated Types
Can be any of the colours above, but the coats type gives the guinea pigs it breed.
Rex
A rough coated guinea pig whose hair is harsh, short and curly.
[
Teddy
Looks much like a rex at first glance but it coat is shorter and plusher.
Abyssinian
A harsh coated guinea pig with rosettes and ridges in its coat.
Crested
All smooth but for a single crest/rosette on its head set between the eyes and the ears.
[/url]Ridgeback
Smooth coated but for a ridge down its spine
Satin
A smooth coated guinea pig with a very shiny coat
Please note there is a genetic problem connected to this breed called Osteodytrophy (OD). If you are going to, or do own a satin it is best to be aware of this problem.
Long hairs
Long coats that grow though out life at a rate of 2 – 3cms a month. They will need more care and the coat needs to be trimmed regularly
Sheltie
Long straight hair sweeping away from the face
Coronet
Like the sheltie but has a crest
Texel
Long curly hair sweeping away from the face
Marino
Like the Texelbut has a crest
Peruvian
Long straight haired guinea pig that has 2 rosettes on its rump causing the coat to come forward over it face
Alpaca
Long curly haired guinea pig that has 2 rosettes on its rump causing the coat to come forward over it face
(photos will be added)
