From curly to velvety-soft – guinea pig breeds are incredibly diverse.

Domestic guinea pigs can be broadly categorized into short-haired and long-haired breeds. Depending on the breed, they differ not only in coat length and color but also in temperament. Originally, the guinea pig comes from abroad—specifically from Peru in South America. Modern domestic breeds descend from Tschudi’s guinea pig, a subspecies within the genus *Cavia* (true guinea pigs). Guinea pigs are still kept in Peru today, though generally not as pets, but primarily for their meat.

Short-haired guinea pigs bear a striking resemblance to their ancestors, the Tschudi guinea pigs. The short coat of this type of guinea pig is very low-maintenance. However, unlike their ancestors—which featured understated gray coloring—the various short-haired subspecies surprise us with their diversity in appearance and coat texture. Perhaps the most popular variety within this breed is the Smooth-Haired guinea pig. A distinction is made between the standard smooth-haired type and the Satin variety, with the latter boasting a beautiful sheen.

The Rosette or Abyssinian guinea pig, on the other hand, is known for its thick, fluffy coat featuring hair whorls; this variety also comes in Satin and Roan colorations. The Teddy guinea pig is equally fluffy; its coat is reminiscent of a teddy bear, which inspired its name. The Ridgeback guinea pig also owes its name to a distinctive feature: a ridge of hair running along its back. Like the Smooth-Haired guinea pig, the Crested guinea pig has a silky, lustrous coat, but it is distinguished by a single rosette on its forehead—the breed’s defining characteristic.

There is a wide variety of breeds among long-haired guinea pigs. However, they all share one common trait: keeping them requires more grooming than caring for short-haired guinea pigs. To prevent their long fur from matting or restricting their movement, you must comb and trim it regularly. In summer, you also need to ensure the animals do not overheat under their long coats. Long-haired varieties include both straight-haired and curly-haired guinea pigs.

The Sheltie guinea pig has a straight coat that forms a parting along the back and is shorter towards the head. It closely resembles the Coronet guinea pig, though the Coronet features an additional crown of fur on its forehead. Like the Texel, the Merino guinea pig is classified as a long, curly-haired breed with fur that trails behind like a train; both breeds also share the Sheltie’s characteristic back parting.

The Angora is one of the best-known long-haired guinea pig breeds and, along with the Peruvian and Lunkarya, boasts the longest fur. Finally, the Alpaca guinea pig bears a slight resemblance to the Peruvian, but its coat is denser and particularly curly.

In fact, the capybara also belongs to the guinea pig family and is the world’s largest rodent. However, unlike the smaller guinea pig breeds, keeping a capybara as a pet in Germany is not a simple matter.