VARIETIES
And you thought there were a lot of breeds!!
"Define Variety", you ask. Well, okay! I'll give it my best shot!!
Varieties are COLORS or COAT PATTERNS
SELF - All one color with no white markings
WHITE - A SELF WHITE is an even, pure China white with pink or dark eyes and pink ears and feet. PINK-EYED WHITES are never referred to as being albino.
CREAM - A SELF CREAM is a delicate shade that is neither yellow nor brassy with eyes of pink or dark brown.
BUFF - A SELF BUFF is deep and rich; like buff-colored paper. Darker than cream.
SAFFRON - Deep, lemon yellow with pink eyes.
GOLDEN - Rich, golden color without yellow, brassy, or orange tones.
BEIGE - A lighter shade of chocolate; a light, rich brown with matching ears and feet and pink eyes.
LILAC - A pale gray coat with a pinkish cast. Eyes are pink.
BLUE - Pale, silvery color of blue with slate-blue tinge to the coat. Ears and feet are dark. Eyesa re dark blue. Very rare color.
RED - A deep, rich, red color. Some have darker ears and feet.
ORANGE - A bright, golden red color with eyes of dark brown, pink, or ruby.
CHOCOLATE - Get out a Hershey bar and you will see this color. Eyes are ruby.
SABLE - A paler shade of chocolate with a greyish undercolor. Eyes are dark. Feet and ears match the body color.
SEAL - Dark shade of chocolate that is almost black. Matching eyes and feet.
BLACK - A deep, rich color with matching ears, feet, and eyes.
AGOUTI - Color or the original, wild guinea pigs. Each hair of the undercoat is banded with a dark color at the base and a lighter color at the tip, giving the overall coat a "ticked" appearance. The belly color matches the hair tips and is plain and non-ticked.
SOLID AGOUTI - Same as the Agouti except the belly does not differ in color from the rest of the body and there is ticking overall.
GOLDEN AGOUTI - A rich, red color with a black undercoat and red hair tips. Belly is deep red and eyes are dark.
SILVER AGOUTI - A bright, silvery color with a deep blue-black undercoat the white hair tips. Belly is also white while the eyes are dark or ruby in color.
DILUTES - Agouti coloring other than golden or silver. For example, black or chocolate undercoat with red, cream or white hair tips or a beige or lilac undercoat with hairtips of cream, orange, or white.
MARKED VARIETIES
No, we're not done just yet!!
Specific patterns or markings
in Self or Agouti colors
often combined with white
DUTCH - Have a round patch of color on both sides of their head covering the ears and cheeks. Usually a wedge-shaped blaze on face.
DALMATION - Think of the movie, '101 Dalmations'. Got the picture now!
HIMALAYAN - White with black or chocolate-colored 'points' on the ears, feet, and nose. Eyes are pink.
TORTOISESHELL - Distinct and uniform patches of red and black. Best if positioned in a checkerboard pattern.
TORTOISESHELL & WHITE - Same as the TORTOISESHELL but add white to the mix.
BRINDLE - Red and black hairs evenly intermixed over the body.
ROAN - One or two self or agouti colors mixed evenly with white hairs.
PARTICOLORED (BROKEN) - Several patches of two or more colors that are clear-cut, distinct, and evenly distributed on both sides of the body.
RAINBOW - Two of the following colors (cream, beige, buff, orange, or lilac) with white. The eyes are pink. Ears and feet may match any one of the colors.
DAPPLE - A white guinea pig combined with a self color intermixed to a lesser degree, creating a "silvered" appearance.