Genetics can often times be confusing and frustrating, especially for a new-commer. There are several good resources on genetics...if you read one and dont understand, read another. Sometimes the wording, or terminology used just doesnt click. Just keep at it and you will begin to get the basics.
First things first:
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples in Dwarfs |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Agouti pattern of banded hair | Has tan, fawn, or white at eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, and inside of ears. Has white belly. | Chestnut, Opal, Lynx, and Chinchilla |
| at | Tan pattern | Solid color instead of banded hair. Has tan, fawn, or white at eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, inside of ears, and belly. | Marten, Tan, Otter |
| a | Self-Color (non-agouti) | The hair lacks the banding, there is generally one color throughout. | Black, Blue, Chocolate |
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| B | Black | In agouti it produces the black band.
In self (solids) (aa), produces solid black color. |
With (A_)Chestnut and Chinchilla
With (at_) Black Silver Marten |
| b | Brown (Chocolate) | In agouti it produces a brown band instead of black.
In self (solids) produces solid chocolate color. |
With (A_) Chocolate Chestnut
With (at_) Chocolate Silver Marten. With (aa) Chocolate |
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| C | Full color development | Allows all 4 dark and all 3 yellow pigments to be present. Completely dominant. | All except REW |
| cchd | Dark Chinchilla | Allows all 4 dark and only 1 of the 3 yellow pigments to be present. Area becomes white or pearl. Completely dominant over the following c genes. | Chinchilla |
| cchl | Light Chinchilla (Shading) | Allows 2 of the 4 dark and none of the 3 yellow pigments to be present. This lightens the color to sepia brown. Causes shading effects. Incompletely dominant over the following c genes. Shading is fine-tuned with the color intensifier genes. | Sable and smoke pearl |
| ch | Himalayan | Causes dark extremities (points) which include the ears, nose, feet, and tail. Produces red eyes with other ch or c. Incompletely dominant over c. | Himi |
| c | Albino | Blocks the expression of all other color genes, producing a white rabbit with red eyes. | Ruby-Eyed White (rew) |
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| D | Dense coat color | Produces the full color shade. Causes the eye to be brown. | Black, Chocolate, Chestnut |
| d | Diluted coat color | Changes black to blue, chocolate to lilac, chestnut to opal, orange to fawn. Causes eye to be gray-blue. | Blue, Lilac, Squirrel |
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| Es | Steel | With agouti, covers the middle band with dark pigment. Darkens the agouti type landmarks: eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, and inside of ears. Leaves white guard hairs (ticking). | Black, Chestnut, and Chinchilla Steel |
| E | Normal Extension of dark pigment | Working with the C series genes, allows the complete expression of the dark brown pigment. | Black, Blue, chestnut, Ottter.. |
| e | Non-extension of the dark pigment | Working with the C gene series and the rufus modifiers, this gene removes all or most of the dark pigment, leaving yellow, orange or white. | Fawn, Orange, Sable Pt. |
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| V | Vienna White | VV: Normal coat color. Vv: Dutch type markings on colored coat and colored spots on white coat. vv: Causes no color to express itselt and produces an all white rabbit with blue eyes. |
VV: Almost all rabbits,
Vv: no known breeds, vv: Blue-Eyed White |
| v | Vienna White | See V for description. | Blue Eyed White (bew) |
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| W | Normal Width of the middle yellow or white agouti band | Normal coloring | Chinchilla |
| w | Doubles Width of the middle yellow or white agouti band | Colors the agouti pattern areas: eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, inside of ears, and belly. | Tan |
Genetic codes for Dwarf color varieties
| Ruby-Eyed White | ?? | ?? | cc | ?? | ?? | ?? |
| Blue-Eyed White | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | vv |
| Black | aa | B? | C? | D? | E? | VV |
| Blue | aa | B? | C? | dd | E? | VV |
| Chocolate | aa | bb | C? | D? | E? | VV |
| Lilac | aa | bb | C? | dd | E? | VV |
| Sable Point | aa | B? | cchl? | D? | ee | VV |
| Siamese Sable | aa | B? | cchl? | D? | E? | VV |
| Siamese Smoke Pearl | aa | B? | cchl? | dd | E? | VV |
| Chestnut | A? | B? | C? | D? | E? | VV |
| Opal | A? | B? | C? | dd | E? | VV |
| Lynx | A? | bb | C? | dd | E? | VV |
| Chinchilla | A? | B? | cchd? | D? | E? | VV |
| Squirrel | A? | B? | cchd? | dd | E? | VV |
| Black Tan | aT? | B? | CC | D? | E? | VV |
| Blue Tan | aT? | B? | CC | dd | E? | VV |
| Chocolate Tan | aT? | bb | CC | D? | E? | VV |
| Lilac Tan | aT? | bb | CC | bb | E? | VV |
| Black Silver Marten | aT? | B? | cchd? | D? | E? | VV |
| Blue Silver Marten | aT? | B? | cchd? | dd | E? | VV |
| Chocolate Silver Marten | aT? | bb | cchd? | D? | E? | VV |
| Lilac Silver Marten | aT? | bb | cchd? | dd | E? | VV |
| Sable Marten | aT? | B? | cchl? | D? | E? | VV |
| Smoke Pearl Marten | aT? | B? | cchl? | dd | E? | VV |
| Black Otter | aT? | B? | C? | D? | E? | VV |
| Blue Otter | aT? | B? | C? | dd | E? | VV |
| Chocolate Otter | aT? | bb | C? | D? | E? | VV |
| Lilac Otter | aT? | bb | C? | dd | E? | VV |
| Black Himalayan | aa | B? | ch? | D? | E? | VV |
| Blue Himalayan | aa | B? | ch? | dd | E? | VV |
| Chocolate Himalayan | aa | bb | ch? | D? | E? | VV |
| Lilac Himalayan | aa | bb | ch? | dd | E? | VV |
| Orange | A? | B? | C? | D? | ee | VV |
| Fawn | A? | B? | C? | dd | ee | VV |
| Tortoise Shell | aa | B? | C? | D? | ee | VV |
| Steel | aa | B? | C? | D? | ES | VV |
Copyright © 1995-2003 All rights reserved
Island Gems Rabbitry