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Cavy Colours

I think this has to be one of the things that most cavy owners struggle with - what colour is my piggy!?

This is an ongoing research page, but I will endeavor to compile as much information on the correct names for piggy colours as I can. If you read something here that you don't think is correct, please let me know (eleb2000@hotmail.com) and I'll correct it asap.

A fantastic (and much more thorough reference point) is found on Malibu Cavy Stud's Page here.
A basic guide to breeding for colour can be found here.
A pretty comprehensive guide to breeds/coat types can be found here (including breeds not found in Australia)

*** Please note that the vast majority of these images are not mine, but have been sourced from google***


Black Series: 



Chocolate
(rich, deep chocolate brown tones)




Lilac
(many shades of lilac, this is a lighter one)





Beige




Black





Slate






Red Series:
(Cream, Saffron, Buff, P/E Gold, D/E Gold and Red)



Gold




Red




Buff




Cream





Saffron





Agouti Types:
(for more info visit the National Agouti Cavy Club - UK)

Chocolate Agouti
(Chocolate base, red ticking)





Golden Agouti 
(Black base, red ticking)




Lemon Agouti
(black base, lemon/buff ticking)






Cinnamon Agouti
(chocolate base, silver ticking)





Silver Agouti
(Black base, silver ticking)




Cream Agouti
(Chocolate base, buff ticking)








Argente Types:
(For more info visit this Argente page)


White/Lilac




Gold/Beige






Lilac/gold (on a long-coated baby, 4 weeks old here)
Lilac base, gold tips





Cream/Beige





White/Beige





Whites:


P/E White
(pink-eyed white)




D/E White
(dark-eyed white)




P/E White Satin 
(Satin coat can be in any colour/coat length, it just shows up nicely in the whites. 
It is a genetic difference that produces a hollow hair fibre that appears to shine)



Mixed Colour Types:



Black Dalmation




Black Roan





Chocolate Roan




Red Roan





Harlequin 
(Cream/black half/half patchwork look)





Magpie
(Black/white, head half/half, markings divided in uniform patches down the body)




Brindle
(Red/Black) 





Other Marked Types:


Dutch
(This is the black version. Can be other colours so long as the markings are placed symmetrically with the white banding/blaise) 





Tortoiseshell 
(Black/Red. Clearly defined patches as opposed to the mixed colour of the 'brindle')





Tortoiseshell and White
(Black, Red and White - evenly place, clean patches of solid colour)







18 comments:

  1. How may guinea pigs do you have?

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  2. I have a texel baby that was just born that looks like red and choc with some white on its belly, would it be a tortoiseshell and white. or does it have to be black and red

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    Replies
    1. Tortoishell & white (even if there are only small patches of one of colours).

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  3. My sisters guinea pig Sweetie had 2 babies, and both boys. In their dads family the same breed occours with all (exepct 1) boys. They are brown, orange, black ticked and white, and all short haired.They are named Hazelnut (dominant and also the dad), Chestnut (eldest child), Peanut (2nd eldest and favourite child) and Jack 2 (second youngest male). Then there is Bubba, the black-ticked agouti. I dont know what colour breed the many-boys are, but could you possibly tell me?

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  4. So what do you call one that is marked like the TSW, but instead of black white red it's black white cream?

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  5. i have a abyssinian magpie and bit of beige boar and a american 2 month old roan boar

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  6. So I have a buff (possibly) and white dutch-looking piggy with a crest right on her(his?) head. Up until now I thought she was a guy, I'm still not entirely sure. She's not really symmetrical, because on her left side the belt of white turns into a pointy and broken line that stops half way down her side. She has a patch of white on her entire leg, flank and possibly a bit extra. Would she still be a dutch, or just a very strange something else?

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  7. I have a dark buff called Milo.
    He's a boar (boy).

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  8. I have a chocolate/golden guinea pig with the rear half of the body light golden/orange to me and front half is chocolate with tiny spots of orange and he has a white mouth and a white stripe in the face. What is that called?

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  9. What is a Zobel-agouti? What do you Call agouti guinea pigs like the one in Your Picture on the top of the menu ( dark gray base, white ticking ) ?

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  10. Looks like cream agouti, but slate instead of cream

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  11. I have a guinea pig with a white undercoat with hints of lilac and chocolate brown tipps. I haven't found anything similar online. I suspect it is some form of albinism, as the eyes have a redish tint to them?

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  12. I have a gray and white female. Her name is Tenshi and I was wondering what patter she would be. And she is a mix of American and Absiden Guinea Pig.

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  13. Are you selling your guinea pigs? Because if so I should buy 46,60 and 62 for £3 of the Nursery and was wondering if you were going to sell for me?

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