Occasionally Butterflies
© Copyright 2003 - 2008 - Ruskin Miniature Lops - All rights reserved
The 'A' series governs the pattern of the coat. The B, C, D and E govern the colour. These are the genes that can change Black to Blue/Chocolate, Agouti to Opal/Orange and Sable to Smoke, Sealpoint to Bluepoint and so on. With some colours only one pair of genes needs to be changed, with others more. NB. There are two genes in the 'E' series, i.e: Harlequin and Steel that have other effects on the coat. The Harlequin gives a brindled coat and the Steel will turn a white Agouti belly black etc.
| Gene | Name | Description | Examples |
| B | Black | If combined with Agouti (A_) this gene produces the black band. If combined with the Tan Pattern (at_) it produces the base colour of your rabbit In self (solids) (aa), produces solid black colour. |
|
| b | Chocolate | If combined with Agouti (A_), this gene produces a brown band instead of black. If combined with the Tan Patten (at_) it prduces the base colour of your rabbit In self (solids) (aa), produces solid chocolate colour. |
|
| C | Full Colour Development | Allows all 4 dark and all 3 yellow pigments to be present. Completely dominant. | |
| cchd | Dark Chinchillation | 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 below. | Chinchilla, Squirrel & Wiltshire also Fox when expressed with (at ) When expressed with Self (aa) and non extension -also Iron Grey |
| cchl | Light Chinchillation (Shading gene) |
Allows 2 of the 4 dark and none of the 3 yellow pigments to be present. This lightens the colour to sepia brown. Causes shading effects. Incompletely dominant over the following c genes below. Shading is fine-tuned with the colour intensifier genes. | Sable, Smoke & Sealpoint and other dilute versions of above, also marten when expressed with (at ) |
| 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. | Himalayan, Californian |
| c | Albino (REW) | This is what we call an ‘epistatic’ gene and it blocks the expression of all other colour genes, producing a white rabbit with red eyes. Also known as ‘masking’ | White (red eyes) |
| D | Dense Coat Colour | Produces the full colour shade. Causes the eye to be brown. | |
| d | Diluted Coat Colour | Changes black to blue, chocolate to lilac, agouti to opal, orange to fawn, Sable to smoke, sealpoint to bluepoint etc… Causes eye to be grey-blue. | |
| Es | Steel | This is a modifier gene and the most dominant of the E series. It covers the middle band with dark pigment. Darkens the agouti’s eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, inside of ears and belly. Leaving behind coloured tips to the guard hair. | |
| E | Full Extension of dark pigment | Working with the C series genes it allows the complete and full expression of the dark brown pigment. | |
| ej | Japanses | This gene works with the Agouti pattern gene and causes the black and yellow colours to be arranged in individual areas instead of individual hairs in a mosaic like pattern. | Harlequin, Magpie (with cchd) Rhinelander (with Enen) and Tri Dutch (with Dudu) |
| 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 or white. | Orange, Fawn, Sooty, Sealpoint, Frostie, Beige… |
