Guinea pigs are available a variety of colours and patterns, from the favored self (or single-colored) guinea pigs to the rarer Dalmatian, fox, and magpie patterns.
Guinea pig colours embody beige, black, buff, chocolate, cream, gold, lilac, purple, saffron, slate, and white. Many guinea pigs are a mixture of two to 3 of those colours.
On this article, I’ve taken a have a look at numerous breed requirements and compiled an inventory of guinea pig colours, adopted by patterns you would possibly see and colours they could are available.
Whereas I point out present requirements right here, don’t fear in case your guinea pig doesn’t meet them. Each piggy is ideal regardless of how they give the impression of being!
Guinea Pig Colours
All guinea pigs have between one and three completely different coat colours. They could be a mixture of any of the next:
- Beige
- Black
- Buff
- Chocolate
- Cream
- Gold
- Lilac
- Purple
- Saffron
- Slate/Silver
- White
Guinea Pig Coat Patterns
Self
Self guinea pigs are one stable shade with out ticking or brindling. They are often any of the colours listed above.
Pure white, cream, or gold guinea pigs could also be both dark-eyed or red-eyed.
Agouti
These piggies have ticked coats which can be attributable to alternating, single-colored strands of fur. In keeping with the British Cavy Council breed standard, Agouti guinea pigs could also be any of the next colours:
- Golden – Black with gold ticking
- Silver – Black with silver ticking
- Lemon – Black with buff ticking
- Chocolate – Brown with purple ticking
- Cream – Brown with cream ticking
- Cinnamon – Brown with silver ticking
Usually, an Agouti guinea pig’s underbelly is the colour of their ticked fur. So, a golden Agouti could have a gold-colored abdomen.
Argente
These guinea pigs have ticked coats attributable to bi-colored strands of hair. Most Argentes have purple eyes as effectively.
They are often bred within the following colours:
- Lilac and white
- Beige and gold
- Lilac and gold
- Cream and beige
- Beige and white
Bicolor
These guinea pigs have two coat colours which don’t overlap, however as an alternative seem in distinct patches all through the coat. Whereas they will have many shade mixtures, typically they’re white alongside a secondary shade corresponding to purple or black.
The Dutch sample is in style for bicolored guinea pigs. They’ve coloured patches on their face and rear, with white fur elsewhere.
Tricolor
Tricolor guinea pigs are much like bicolors however with three coat colours as an alternative of two! One of the crucial frequent tricolor guinea pig shade mixtures are tortoiseshell and white piggies, that are purple, black, and white.
Brindle
Brindle guinea pigs have patches of black and purple fur with brindling the place the colours come collectively. In guinea pig exhibits, extra brindling is most popular, however all piggies are cute it doesn’t matter what!
Dalmatian
These guinea pigs are white with black spots, like Dalmatian canine. They’ve giant black patches on both facet of their faces with a strip of white on the nostril.
It’s not beneficial to breed Dalmatian guinea pigs collectively or with roan guinea pigs as piggies with two Dalmatian or roan genes may cause lethal white guinea pigs to be born. These infants have many well being issues and have a tendency to reside quick lives. Typically they’re even stillborn.
Fox
Fox guinea pigs have a darker base coat with lighter fur across the nostril, eyes, and underside. These distinctive guinea pigs are fairly uncommon, and I’ve personally by no means seen one in actual life!
They’re bred within the following colours:
- Chocolate
- Beige
- Lilac
- Black
Himalayan
Himalayan guinea pigs have white fur and purple eyes. They’ve darkish factors like a Himalayan cat, which happen on the nostril, ears, and ft.
In keeping with breed standard, desire is given to piggies with a pointy distinction between their markings, somewhat than colours that fade into each other.
The 2 Himalayan guinea pig colours are:
- Black level
- Chocolate level
Roan
These piggies have a dominant fur shade with white hairs dispersed all through the coat. They don’t have any white on their face or ft.
Please by no means breed roan guinea pigs collectively or with Dalmatian guinea pigs, or help breeders who do. That is an unethical follow which produces lethal white guinea pigs.
Tan
Tan guinea pigs have small tan patches across the chin, eyes, snout, ears, and abdomen. Their base coat could also be any of the next colours:
- Chocolate
- Black
- Lilac
- Beige
Tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell guinea pigs have purple and black patches with some overlap. Judges at guinea pig exhibits favor the patches to be sq. and never meet on the middle of the piggy’s again.
Magpie
Lastly, magpie guinea pigs are black and white with a singular checkerboard sample. There could also be overlap corresponding to ticking or recognizing within the fur as effectively.
I hope you’ve discovered extra about guinea pigs and their coat colours from this text. Please bear in mind to by no means undertake a pet primarily based on shade or cuteness alone–additionally take into consideration their personalities, and whether or not you’ll be able to present them with a great life!
