Angora guinea pigs are the hippies of the guinea pig world with long, luscious locks that can grow up to 8 cm long. The hair should have at least four rosettes, symmetrical to the body, one of which causes the fringe to fall in an elegant fashion. Angora guinea pigs come in all colours, including self (one solid colour) and piebald.
A Teddy guinea pig has a very dense and springy coat that comes in all colours. With its cute appearance, this guinea pig certainly lives up to its name: With short, wiry hairs that stand up, this breed resembles a soft toy more than any other..
There are two species of Teddy, the Swiss and the US Teddy. The two are descended from different genetic stock and are therefore entirely separate species, despite their similar appearance. The Swiss does have a slightly longer coat, however.
The Abyssinian guinea pig is known for its short, rough coat that has rosettes of hair sticking up in all directions. The breed standard in Germany requires Abyssinians to have at least eight rosettes, distributed symmetrically over the body with one on each of the animal's hips, and two on the rump. A full moustache around the muzzle is also desired.
The quirky Abyssinian is a comparatively old, yet ever popular breed that is often seen around.
Short-haired guinea pigs have a short, smooth, dense, close-lying coat that grows to 3 cm in length. All colour varieties are possible, including self (one solid colour) and piebald.
Short-haired guinea pigs are the oldest, most common breed of cavy, and the one that most resembles the guinea pig's relatives and ancestors in the Cavia genus. They are known to be particularly robust, but require the same love and attention as other guinea pigs.
The crested guinea pig is so called because of the crest of hair on its head. There are two types: one is the white crested guinea pig (also called American Crested) and the other is the "self" (or English) crested guinea pig. The difference lies in the crest colour. As the name suggests, the white crested guinea pig always has a white crest in contrast with the rest of the coat (with no other white on the body), whereas in the self crested guinea pig, the crest is the same colour as the rest of the coat.
The striking feature of this guinea pig is the crest, which is created by a rosette on its forehead. The rest of its fur is smooth.
The Coronet guinea pig is a long-haired cavy. It has a pretty, round head that is further emphasised by a "moustache" of raised fur over its nose. Its main distinguishing feature is a single rosette ("coronet") in the centre of the forehead. The remainder of its coat is smooth. Coronets come in all colours.
The breed was created as a cross between the long-haired Shelties and short-haired crested guinea pigs.