Adorable Hairless Guinea Pigs, Known As 'Skinny Pigs' Look Like Tiny Baby Hippos

The skinny pig is an almost hairless breed of guinea pig they typically have hair on their muzzles. But their bodies are completely hairless. The hairless strain was a spontaneous genetic mutation that was first identified at Montreal's Armand Frappier Institute in 1978.

The pets are described as 'gentle and loving': "Love my house hippo, Lexi!" Brittany Parlipiano Powell wrote in the comments alongside a photo of her lighter-colored pet. When asked if not having hair affected the animal's smell, she replied: "Nope. Although they are not smelly animals to begin with." Christine Anthony, owned of "Handsome Hagrid the House Hippo," told Insider her daughter bought him for her in Pennsylvania at a PetSmart. "I like having him because he's just so darn cute and he's the closest I'll ever get to having an actual hippo," she said. A huge hippo fan, she added: "He even has his own room where he is surrounded by a lot of my hippo collection, even though there are hippos in almost every room of my house."