Rabbit Color Genetics 101
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Recently in a genetic discussion with another breeder, I was asked two very good questions. What does a,b,c,d, and e mean? What do they all do?
First of all, a, b, c, d, and e are 5 basic genes found in every rabbit’s color genotype. There are others but some of these are not listed in every genotype.
Before I get into the actual genes, let me first cover a few basics.
Gene Series:
This is a term used to described a family of genes that affect the same part of a rabbit's coat color. In rabbit color genetics these gene series include the A gene series, B gene series, C gene series, D gene series, E gene series, and several others. Each series has a name. The A gene series is called the Agouti gene series, the B gene series is called the Brown/Black Series, the C gene series is called the Color gene series, the D series is called the Dilution gene series, the E series is called the Extension gene series. Each gene series can have 2-5 (possibly 6. Will explain further below) different genes (called alleles) that affect that part of the color differently. I like to think of a gene series like a family of genes (alleles) that can have 2-5 (possibly 6) family members (each gene/allele). Some of these family members are recessive and some are dominant. Each member affects the color differently but are related.
Dominant Genes and Recessive Genes:
This is one of the most important aspects to genetics. All genetics have what we call Dominant Genes and Recessive Genes. Dominant genes are called dominant because their appearance or function will cover up any recessive gene's appearance or function. Dominant genes are often expressed with capital letters such as A, B, C, D, Es, E, ... in rabbit genetics. Recessive genes are those that cause a recessive appearance or function. If a dominant gene is present, their appearance or function will be hidden. Recessive genes are often expressed with lower case letters such as a, b, c, chl, d, e, ej.... in rabbit genetics. In order for a rabbit's color to show a certain recessive appearance, it must carry 2 identical recessive genes. For example, a rabbit must carry aa, bb, cc, dd, or ee to show those recessive gene's appearances. Middle dominant genes are genes in a series that are recessive to one gene but dominant over another. For instance, in the A gene series, we have A, at and a genes. at is middle dominant because it is recessive to A but dominant over a.
The 5 Basic Gene Series:
The A series:
This is commonly referred to as the Agouti gene series even though some rabbits in this gene series don’t show an Agouti appearance. There are 3 different known alleles (genes) in this series. A, at, and a. The A gene series is the first gene series in a rabbit’s genotype. This series controls pattern. A is the most dominant in this gene series. This means that when A is present, it covers up the appearance of any other genes in this series. This gene is called the Agouti gene because it causes an Agouti appearance. Colors showing an Agouti appearance include Chestnut/Castor/Copper, Opal, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Lynx, Chinchilla, Red/Orange, Fawn, Frosted Pearl… at is middle dominant meaning that it is recessive to A but slightly more dominant over a. This gene is called the Tan pattern gene because it causes a Tan pattern. Colors showing a Tan pattern include, Tan, Otter, Silver Marten, Sable Martin… a is the most recessive in this series. In order for a to show its appearance, there must be 2 copies or aa. a is called the Self gene because it causes a Self pattern. Self Colors include Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Tort, Sable/Siamese Sable, Sable Point, Self Chinchilla (a rabbit that carries cchd but shows a self appearance much like a Seal), Seal, Sallander (Called Siamese in Satins only)…
The B series:
I like to call it the Base color series. Or, in some opinions, it is called the Brown series. This series has only 2 different known alleles. B and b. This series controls whether the rabbit shows Black color or Brown (Chocolate) color. B is most dominant in this series and causes the rabbit to have Black color even if you can’t actually see black on the coat. Black based colors (rabbits carrying B) include Black, Blue, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Opal, Black Based Red/Orange, Blue Fawn, Chinchilla, Blue Chinchilla (Squirrel), Black Tort, Blue Tort, Siamese Sable/Sable, Smoked Pearl, Sable Point, Blue Point, Sallander/Siamese, Seal, Black Otter, Blue Otter, Black Silver Martin, Blue Silver Martin…. b is commonly called the Chocolate or Brown gene because it causes a rabbit to have Chocolate/Brown color even if you can’t actually see Chocolate color on the coat. b is recessive and must carry 2 copies of bb to show its appearance. Chocolate based colors include Chocolate, Lilac, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Lynx, Chocolate Tort, Lilac Tort, Lilac Fawn, Chocolate based Red/Orange, Chocolate Chinchilla, Lilac Chinchilla, Chocolate Otter, Lilac Otter, Chocolate Silver Marten, Lilac Silver Marten….
The C series:
This is called the Color gene series.This one is a bit more complicated because it has 5 (possibly 6) known alleles that all affect the color a little differently. C, cchd, cchl, ch, and c. This series controls the color saturation (or pattern of color saturation) in different areas of the coat. The C gene is the most dominant in this series. We call this the Full color gene because it causes the coat to have full color saturation. Colors showing full color saturation include Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Opal, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Lynx, Tort, Otter, Red/Orange, Fawn… cchd is the next and is recessive to C. This gene is commonly called the Dark Shading gene, Dark Chinchilla gene, or Chinchilla color gene. Colors showing a cchd appearance include, Chinchilla, Self Chinchilla (carrying the cchd gene and the aa genes with an appearance similar to a Seal), Silver Marten, Sallander/Siamese (Satins), Frosted Pearl, Ermine (Gray or Brown eyed white)… cchl is the next. This gene is recessive to C and cchd. This gene is commonly called that Light Shading gene, Light Chinchilla gene, or Sable color gene. Colors showing a Light shaded appearance include Sable/Siamese Sable, Smoked Pearl, Sable Point, Sable Marten, Sable Agouti (Sometimes called Sable Chinchilla because of its similar appearance to Chinchilla)…. ch is the next. This gene is recessive to C, cchd, and cchl. This is commonly called the Himalayan or Pointed gene. ch causes a White rabbit with a colored nose, ears, feet and tail called points with pink eyes. Depending on the breed, this color can be known as Californian, Himalayan, or Pointed White. These rabbits have very limited color saturation showing the appearance of full color saturation in only certain places of the body and no color saturation in others. In addition, the intensity of point color can easily be affected by factors such as temperature and genetic influence which is why some pointed rabbits have more intense point color than others. c is the last gene in this series and is recessive to C, cchd, cchl, and ch. Because c is most recessive, it must carry 2 copies or cc to show its appearance. This gene is called the Albino or REW (Red or Ruby Eyed White) gene. Of course, rabbits showing these gene’s appearances are pure white with pink eyes. These rabbits have no color saturation. The REW genes prohibit all pigment from showing which is why these Albinos have pink eyes. Their eyes have no pigment so the pink color is the natural flesh color of the eye.
cchm?
? is exactly what I thought when I first heard of cchm. First learning about genetics, this gene was never introduced to me or even mentioned until I started talking to some other breeders about genetics and the Color gene series. This gene is the possible 6th gene in the Color Gene Series. It seems to be more rarely seen and not well understood. Why is this gene not mentioned above in the C Gene Series? Well, after doing some research and talking to other breeders, I found that there is some controversy over this gene. While it is said that cchm is a proven gene present in a rabbit's color genetics, this gene is still not well known and sometimes confusing to deal with. I like to think this is because it creates and appearance so similar to cchd and cchl, in some cases, breeders have a hard time figuring out if their rabbit is a genetic cchd, cchm, or cchl. cchm is said to create a shade of color between that of cchm and cchl. A slightly lighter shade of color than cchd creates and a slightly darker shade of color than cchl. cchm is said to be recessive to cchd but dominant over cchl. If I were to include cchm into the the Color series by dominance, the list would look like this. C, cchd, cchm, cchl, cch, c. However, here is where the controversy comes in. There is another theory for rabbits that have the cchm like appearance I described above. This theory is that these rabbits are actually genetic cchl rabbits that carry what we call gene modifiers that make color darker than normal. This is also a very good theory because gene modifiers are not uncommon in rabbit genetics. These rabbits have been described by breeders to lack a ruby glow to their eyes much like a cchd rabbit. However, ee (non extension) rabbits tend to have a little lighter shading and sometimes lack belly shading that a cchd non extension (Sallander) rabbit usually has. However, unlike a normal Sable Point (cchl ee), they have a more silvery cool color tone while a normal Sable Point will have a more brown warm color tone. These rabbits also tend to have more sensitivity to temperature and light often developing more smut than a normal colored Sable Point would. Full extension (E) rabbits are described to look much like a Seal or Self Chin colored rabbit. They lack a ruby glow to the eyes and lack the lighter sepia shaded look like a normal Sable because their color is darker from the modifier's presence. What do I think about these 2 theories? I think they could both be right but would take a long time to prove if they are both correct or not.
The D series:
This is called the Dilution Series. This series controls whether the color shows a Dense or Diluted appearance. There are 2 alleles in this series. D and d. D is dominant in this series and causes a Dense appearance to the coat’s color. Colors showing a Dense appearance include Black, Chocolate, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Red, Black Tort, Chocolate Tort, Black Otter, Chocolate Otter, Chinchilla, Chocolate Chinchilla, Seal, Sable, Sable Point, Black Tort, Chocolate Tort, Black Silver Martin, Chocolate Silver Martin… d is recessive and in order to show its appearance, it must carry 2 copies or dd. d is called the Dilute gene because it causes the color to have a diluted appearance. Dilute colors include Blue, Lilac, Opal, Lynx, Fawn, Blue Chinchilla (Squirrel), Lilac Chinchilla, Smoked Pearl, Blue Tort, Lilac Tort, Blue Otter, Lilac Otter....
The E series:
This is called the Extension gene series. This series affects the extension of the color on the coat from skin to tip of each hair. Some describe this gene series as affecting the extension of dark color verses light color on the coat. In this series there are at least 4 (possibly 5) different known alleles (genes) that affect the extension of color differently or cause different patterns of color extension on the coat. Es, E, ej, and e. Es is most dominant. This is called the Steel gene. The steel genes causes a normal Agouti rabbit's color to change creating a solid colored coat with what we describe as Gold or Silver hairs dispersed throughout the coat. Colors showing a Steel appearance include, Gold Tipped Steel and Silver Tipped Steel. E is the next most dominant well known gene in this series. It is only recessive to Es. This is called the Full Extension gene and causes the coat to show a full extension of dark color from the skin to tip of each hair. Colors showing a full extension appearance include, Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Opal, Lynx, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Chinchilla, Self Chinchilla (Self cchd color showing an appearance similar to Seal), Seal, Sable, Smoked Pearl, Otter (except for Tort Otter), Silver Martin…. ej is the next most dominant color in this series. E is only partially dominant over ej. ej is commonly called the Brindling gene. Colors that show an ej appearance include Harlequin or Tricolor. These rabbits usually show Black, Chocolate, Blue or Lilac brindling on an Orange, Fawn, or White background but can also show brindling on some Agouti full extension colors like Chestnut/Caster/Copper… The next is e. e is recessive to Es, E, and ej. This gene is commonly called the Non Extension gene. This gene limits the extension of dark color on the coat. In order for this gene to completely show its appearance, it must carry 2 copies or ee. Colors that show a Non Extension appearance include Red/Orange, Fawn, Tort, Sable Point, Sallander (Siamese in Satin breeds), Seal Point, Frosted Pearl/Ermine…
Ed?
This is another interesting gene. This gene is very new to me and I am just starting to find information on it. This gene is said to be the 5th gene in the Extension (E) series. This gene is also said to be the most dominant in the Extension (E) Series. This is about all I know about it other than it seems to be rare.
Other Color Genes:
En gene series:
This is commonly called the Broken Gene series. This series controls whether the rabbit has a solid body color or color broken up by white. A Solid pattern or a Broken Pattern. While this gene is not one of the 5 basics listed in every genotype, it is a very important gene and I think it should always be listed in every genotype even if the rabbit is a solid. There are 2 basic alleles (genes) in this series. En and en. En is the most dominant in this series. This gene causes a broken pattern on the coat. These patterns appear to be color broken up by white. Rabbits carrying 2 copies or EnEn are commonly called Charlie brokens and usually have very little color and a lot of white. Rabbits carrying one copy of the En genes and one copy of the en genes (Enen) are commonly called regular Broken. These rabbits usually have more color than Charlie Brokens. en is the least dominant in these series and in order to show its appearance completely, a rabbit must carry two copies or enen. Colors carrying enen are called Solid.
The V gene series:
This series is called the Vienna or BEW (Blue Eyed White) gene series. This gene series is not one of the genes I like to include in the basic 5, or 6 (if you want to consider the broken genes as one of the basic genes), but it can have a huge affect on the color. In this series, there are 2 alleles. V and v. V is most dominant. This is called the Non Vienna or non BEW gene because it causes a normal non Vienna or non BEW appearance (normal color) when it carries VV or sometimes even Vv. v is recessive and in order for v to fully show its appearance in the color, it must carry 2 copies or vv. When a rabbit carries vv, it is called a BEW (Blue Eyed White) and shows a pure white body with blue eyes. Sometimes, however, when a rabbit carries Vv, something strange happens with the color. It becomes what is called Vienna Marked. These rabbits usually have color with white toes or feet and may have white blazes or snips on the noses. They can have normal colored eyes or blue eyes. Vienna Marked rabbits can be broken or solid and can show white on other parts of the body as well.
The W series:
This is called the Wideband gene series. This gene series affects the width of the intermediate ring of color on Agouti rabbits. It can also partially affect a Tan patterned rabbit’s color. This gene’s appearance only affects the color with certain genetics. For instance, you cannot see the wideband’s appearance on Self, Full extension colors like Black, Chocolate, Blue or Lilac but you may be able to see its appearance on Self, Non extension colors like Sable Point or Tort. On Agouti colors, the wideband gene widens the intermediate color band making the surface color become very light or totally disappear. The wideband genes will often let the rufus (Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown pigment) show itself more intensely as well. It also takes away the undercolor on the belly of an Agouti and in some cases, will totally take away the belly color all together leaving a rabbit that looks a lot like a Self (A good example of this is a Newzealand Red or Thrianta). On Tan patterned rabbits, the wideband gene will often take away the undercolor on the belly and can let the rufus (Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown color pigment) show itself more intensely on the belly, underside of tail, insides of legs and feet, chest, chin, jowls, nostrils, eye circles, insides of ears and back of neck. In some cases, these wideband tan patterned rabbits will also gain what we call a collar of color stretching from the chest to behind the neck like a collar on a shirt. W is most dominant and is called the Non Wideband gene because it causes normal non wideband color. w is recessive and in order for it to show its appearance, it must carry 2 copies or ww. This gene is called the Wideband gene and causes the change in color that I mentioned above.
Other Genes that can effect the color?
There are several other less well know gene series such as the Du gene series (Known as the Dutch Marking genes), the Si gene series (Known as the Silvering gene series that cause the Champagne D'Argent, Creme D'Argent, and Silver's appearance), and the P gene series (Known as the Pink Eye Dilution series.) but I will not be going into these since there is still a lot I don’t know about these.
Albino Rabbits and their Genotypes:
A common question that always seems to arise among breeders is the question of "do Albino/REW (Red or Ruby Eyed White) rabbits carry any other color genetics or not?" The answer is Yes. An Albino rabbit must always carry all the same color genetics that any other colored rabbit would carry in its genotype. Just because the rabbit shows no color, does not mean it doesn’t carry any other color genes. Of course, we know from above that the cc genes cause this Albino appearance. When a rabbit carries cc (Albino genes), it does not eliminate all those other genes, it only blocks out the appearance that all the other genes show. If an Albino rabbit is bred to another Albino rabbit, you will always get 100% Albino babies. However, since the Albino/REW genes are recessive to all the other color genes in the color gene series (recessive to C, cchd, cchl, and cch), as soon as you breed that Albino to any colored rabbit, you will start getting colored babies again. You can get REW/Albino rabbits out of 2 colored rabbits because they can carry the Albino gene c recessivelly without showing it's appearance. As soon as two Albino carriers are bred together, they can produce Albino babies even if they are not Albinos themselves. For example, If I breed a Black parent that carries REW/Albino to another Black parent that also carries Albino/REW, I can get Black babies and Albino/REW babies. These Albino/REW babies will carry all the same genetics as their black siblings except they carry cc making them have no color while the black babies carry C- letting them show full color. These full colored siblings can carry CC or Cc without showing c's appearance.
For quick reference:
Gene Series: A group of alleles (genes) that affect the same part of a color's appearance a little differently.
Dominant Genes: Expressed with Capital letters. Hide recessive genes appearances.
Recessive Genes: Expressed with lower case letters. Appearance is hidden by dominant genes. Must carry 2 copies of identical recessive genes to show a recessive appearance.
Middle Dominant Genes: Recessive to one gene in a series but dominant over another gene in that same series.
A Gene series: Called the Agouti Gene series. Has 3 alleles (genes). A, at, and a. A: Agouti gene (Most dominant). at: Tan Pattern gene (Middle Dominant), a: Self gene (Recessive).
B Gene Series: Called the Base color or Brown color gene series. Has 2 alleles (genes). B and b. B: Black base gene (Most dominant). b: Chocolate (Brown) gene (Recessive)
C Gene Series: Called the Color Saturation gene series. Has 6 alleles. C, cchd, cchm, cchl, cch, and c. C: Full color gene (Most dominant), cchd: Dark Shading gene/Dark Chinchilla/Chinchilla color gene (Middle Dominant), cchm: Medium Shading/Medium Chinchilla gene (Middle Dominant), cchl: Light shading/Light Chichilla/Sable color gene (Middle Dominant), ch: Pointing/Himalayan gene (Middle Dominant), c: Albino/REW gene (Recessive). Order of Dominance from most Dominant to least dominant (most recessive): C, cchd, cchm, cchl, ch, c.
D Gene Series: Called the Dilution gene series. Has 2 alleles (genes). D and d. D: Dense gene (Dominant). d: Dilute gene (Recessive)
E Gene Series: Called the Extension Color series. Has 5 alleles. Ed, Es, E, ej, and e. Es: Steel Gene (Dominant), E: Full Extension Gene (Middle Dominant), ej: Brindling Gene (Middle Dominant), e: Non Extension Gene (Recessive).
En Gene Series: Called the Broken Series. Has 2 alleles (genes) En and en. En: Broken Gene (Dominant), en: Solid gene (Recessive). EnEn: Charlie Broken Enen: Normal Broken enen: Solid.
W Gene Series: Called the Wideband Series. Has 2 alleles (genes). W and w. W: Non Wideband Gene (Dominant), w: Wideband gene (Recessive).
V Gene Series: Called the Vienna/BEW gene series. Has 2 alleles (genes). V: Non Vienna/BEW gene (Dominant), v: Vienna/BEW gene (Recessive). VV: Non BEW/Vienna carrier. Vv: BEW/Vienna carrier or Vienna Marked. vv: BEW (Blue Eyed White)
Du Gene Series: Called Dutch Mark Gene Series.
Si Genes Series: Called the Silvering Gene series.
P Gene Series: Called the Pink Eye Dilution Gene Series.
Thank you and enjoy!
Recently in a genetic discussion with another breeder, I was asked two very good questions. What does a,b,c,d, and e mean? What do they all do?
First of all, a, b, c, d, and e are 5 basic genes found in every rabbit’s color genotype. There are others but some of these are not listed in every genotype.
Before I get into the actual genes, let me first cover a few basics.
Gene Series:
This is a term used to described a family of genes that affect the same part of a rabbit's coat color. In rabbit color genetics these gene series include the A gene series, B gene series, C gene series, D gene series, E gene series, and several others. Each series has a name. The A gene series is called the Agouti gene series, the B gene series is called the Brown/Black Series, the C gene series is called the Color gene series, the D series is called the Dilution gene series, the E series is called the Extension gene series. Each gene series can have 2-5 (possibly 6. Will explain further below) different genes (called alleles) that affect that part of the color differently. I like to think of a gene series like a family of genes (alleles) that can have 2-5 (possibly 6) family members (each gene/allele). Some of these family members are recessive and some are dominant. Each member affects the color differently but are related.
Dominant Genes and Recessive Genes:
This is one of the most important aspects to genetics. All genetics have what we call Dominant Genes and Recessive Genes. Dominant genes are called dominant because their appearance or function will cover up any recessive gene's appearance or function. Dominant genes are often expressed with capital letters such as A, B, C, D, Es, E, ... in rabbit genetics. Recessive genes are those that cause a recessive appearance or function. If a dominant gene is present, their appearance or function will be hidden. Recessive genes are often expressed with lower case letters such as a, b, c, chl, d, e, ej.... in rabbit genetics. In order for a rabbit's color to show a certain recessive appearance, it must carry 2 identical recessive genes. For example, a rabbit must carry aa, bb, cc, dd, or ee to show those recessive gene's appearances. Middle dominant genes are genes in a series that are recessive to one gene but dominant over another. For instance, in the A gene series, we have A, at and a genes. at is middle dominant because it is recessive to A but dominant over a.
The 5 Basic Gene Series:
The A series:
This is commonly referred to as the Agouti gene series even though some rabbits in this gene series don’t show an Agouti appearance. There are 3 different known alleles (genes) in this series. A, at, and a. The A gene series is the first gene series in a rabbit’s genotype. This series controls pattern. A is the most dominant in this gene series. This means that when A is present, it covers up the appearance of any other genes in this series. This gene is called the Agouti gene because it causes an Agouti appearance. Colors showing an Agouti appearance include Chestnut/Castor/Copper, Opal, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Lynx, Chinchilla, Red/Orange, Fawn, Frosted Pearl… at is middle dominant meaning that it is recessive to A but slightly more dominant over a. This gene is called the Tan pattern gene because it causes a Tan pattern. Colors showing a Tan pattern include, Tan, Otter, Silver Marten, Sable Martin… a is the most recessive in this series. In order for a to show its appearance, there must be 2 copies or aa. a is called the Self gene because it causes a Self pattern. Self Colors include Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Tort, Sable/Siamese Sable, Sable Point, Self Chinchilla (a rabbit that carries cchd but shows a self appearance much like a Seal), Seal, Sallander (Called Siamese in Satins only)…
The B series:
I like to call it the Base color series. Or, in some opinions, it is called the Brown series. This series has only 2 different known alleles. B and b. This series controls whether the rabbit shows Black color or Brown (Chocolate) color. B is most dominant in this series and causes the rabbit to have Black color even if you can’t actually see black on the coat. Black based colors (rabbits carrying B) include Black, Blue, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Opal, Black Based Red/Orange, Blue Fawn, Chinchilla, Blue Chinchilla (Squirrel), Black Tort, Blue Tort, Siamese Sable/Sable, Smoked Pearl, Sable Point, Blue Point, Sallander/Siamese, Seal, Black Otter, Blue Otter, Black Silver Martin, Blue Silver Martin…. b is commonly called the Chocolate or Brown gene because it causes a rabbit to have Chocolate/Brown color even if you can’t actually see Chocolate color on the coat. b is recessive and must carry 2 copies of bb to show its appearance. Chocolate based colors include Chocolate, Lilac, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Lynx, Chocolate Tort, Lilac Tort, Lilac Fawn, Chocolate based Red/Orange, Chocolate Chinchilla, Lilac Chinchilla, Chocolate Otter, Lilac Otter, Chocolate Silver Marten, Lilac Silver Marten….
The C series:
This is called the Color gene series.This one is a bit more complicated because it has 5 (possibly 6) known alleles that all affect the color a little differently. C, cchd, cchl, ch, and c. This series controls the color saturation (or pattern of color saturation) in different areas of the coat. The C gene is the most dominant in this series. We call this the Full color gene because it causes the coat to have full color saturation. Colors showing full color saturation include Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Opal, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Lynx, Tort, Otter, Red/Orange, Fawn… cchd is the next and is recessive to C. This gene is commonly called the Dark Shading gene, Dark Chinchilla gene, or Chinchilla color gene. Colors showing a cchd appearance include, Chinchilla, Self Chinchilla (carrying the cchd gene and the aa genes with an appearance similar to a Seal), Silver Marten, Sallander/Siamese (Satins), Frosted Pearl, Ermine (Gray or Brown eyed white)… cchl is the next. This gene is recessive to C and cchd. This gene is commonly called that Light Shading gene, Light Chinchilla gene, or Sable color gene. Colors showing a Light shaded appearance include Sable/Siamese Sable, Smoked Pearl, Sable Point, Sable Marten, Sable Agouti (Sometimes called Sable Chinchilla because of its similar appearance to Chinchilla)…. ch is the next. This gene is recessive to C, cchd, and cchl. This is commonly called the Himalayan or Pointed gene. ch causes a White rabbit with a colored nose, ears, feet and tail called points with pink eyes. Depending on the breed, this color can be known as Californian, Himalayan, or Pointed White. These rabbits have very limited color saturation showing the appearance of full color saturation in only certain places of the body and no color saturation in others. In addition, the intensity of point color can easily be affected by factors such as temperature and genetic influence which is why some pointed rabbits have more intense point color than others. c is the last gene in this series and is recessive to C, cchd, cchl, and ch. Because c is most recessive, it must carry 2 copies or cc to show its appearance. This gene is called the Albino or REW (Red or Ruby Eyed White) gene. Of course, rabbits showing these gene’s appearances are pure white with pink eyes. These rabbits have no color saturation. The REW genes prohibit all pigment from showing which is why these Albinos have pink eyes. Their eyes have no pigment so the pink color is the natural flesh color of the eye.
cchm?
? is exactly what I thought when I first heard of cchm. First learning about genetics, this gene was never introduced to me or even mentioned until I started talking to some other breeders about genetics and the Color gene series. This gene is the possible 6th gene in the Color Gene Series. It seems to be more rarely seen and not well understood. Why is this gene not mentioned above in the C Gene Series? Well, after doing some research and talking to other breeders, I found that there is some controversy over this gene. While it is said that cchm is a proven gene present in a rabbit's color genetics, this gene is still not well known and sometimes confusing to deal with. I like to think this is because it creates and appearance so similar to cchd and cchl, in some cases, breeders have a hard time figuring out if their rabbit is a genetic cchd, cchm, or cchl. cchm is said to create a shade of color between that of cchm and cchl. A slightly lighter shade of color than cchd creates and a slightly darker shade of color than cchl. cchm is said to be recessive to cchd but dominant over cchl. If I were to include cchm into the the Color series by dominance, the list would look like this. C, cchd, cchm, cchl, cch, c. However, here is where the controversy comes in. There is another theory for rabbits that have the cchm like appearance I described above. This theory is that these rabbits are actually genetic cchl rabbits that carry what we call gene modifiers that make color darker than normal. This is also a very good theory because gene modifiers are not uncommon in rabbit genetics. These rabbits have been described by breeders to lack a ruby glow to their eyes much like a cchd rabbit. However, ee (non extension) rabbits tend to have a little lighter shading and sometimes lack belly shading that a cchd non extension (Sallander) rabbit usually has. However, unlike a normal Sable Point (cchl ee), they have a more silvery cool color tone while a normal Sable Point will have a more brown warm color tone. These rabbits also tend to have more sensitivity to temperature and light often developing more smut than a normal colored Sable Point would. Full extension (E) rabbits are described to look much like a Seal or Self Chin colored rabbit. They lack a ruby glow to the eyes and lack the lighter sepia shaded look like a normal Sable because their color is darker from the modifier's presence. What do I think about these 2 theories? I think they could both be right but would take a long time to prove if they are both correct or not.
The D series:
This is called the Dilution Series. This series controls whether the color shows a Dense or Diluted appearance. There are 2 alleles in this series. D and d. D is dominant in this series and causes a Dense appearance to the coat’s color. Colors showing a Dense appearance include Black, Chocolate, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Red, Black Tort, Chocolate Tort, Black Otter, Chocolate Otter, Chinchilla, Chocolate Chinchilla, Seal, Sable, Sable Point, Black Tort, Chocolate Tort, Black Silver Martin, Chocolate Silver Martin… d is recessive and in order to show its appearance, it must carry 2 copies or dd. d is called the Dilute gene because it causes the color to have a diluted appearance. Dilute colors include Blue, Lilac, Opal, Lynx, Fawn, Blue Chinchilla (Squirrel), Lilac Chinchilla, Smoked Pearl, Blue Tort, Lilac Tort, Blue Otter, Lilac Otter....
The E series:
This is called the Extension gene series. This series affects the extension of the color on the coat from skin to tip of each hair. Some describe this gene series as affecting the extension of dark color verses light color on the coat. In this series there are at least 4 (possibly 5) different known alleles (genes) that affect the extension of color differently or cause different patterns of color extension on the coat. Es, E, ej, and e. Es is most dominant. This is called the Steel gene. The steel genes causes a normal Agouti rabbit's color to change creating a solid colored coat with what we describe as Gold or Silver hairs dispersed throughout the coat. Colors showing a Steel appearance include, Gold Tipped Steel and Silver Tipped Steel. E is the next most dominant well known gene in this series. It is only recessive to Es. This is called the Full Extension gene and causes the coat to show a full extension of dark color from the skin to tip of each hair. Colors showing a full extension appearance include, Black, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Chestnut/Caster/Copper, Opal, Lynx, Chocolate Agouti/Chocolate Chestnut, Chinchilla, Self Chinchilla (Self cchd color showing an appearance similar to Seal), Seal, Sable, Smoked Pearl, Otter (except for Tort Otter), Silver Martin…. ej is the next most dominant color in this series. E is only partially dominant over ej. ej is commonly called the Brindling gene. Colors that show an ej appearance include Harlequin or Tricolor. These rabbits usually show Black, Chocolate, Blue or Lilac brindling on an Orange, Fawn, or White background but can also show brindling on some Agouti full extension colors like Chestnut/Caster/Copper… The next is e. e is recessive to Es, E, and ej. This gene is commonly called the Non Extension gene. This gene limits the extension of dark color on the coat. In order for this gene to completely show its appearance, it must carry 2 copies or ee. Colors that show a Non Extension appearance include Red/Orange, Fawn, Tort, Sable Point, Sallander (Siamese in Satin breeds), Seal Point, Frosted Pearl/Ermine…
Ed?
This is another interesting gene. This gene is very new to me and I am just starting to find information on it. This gene is said to be the 5th gene in the Extension (E) series. This gene is also said to be the most dominant in the Extension (E) Series. This is about all I know about it other than it seems to be rare.
Other Color Genes:
En gene series:
This is commonly called the Broken Gene series. This series controls whether the rabbit has a solid body color or color broken up by white. A Solid pattern or a Broken Pattern. While this gene is not one of the 5 basics listed in every genotype, it is a very important gene and I think it should always be listed in every genotype even if the rabbit is a solid. There are 2 basic alleles (genes) in this series. En and en. En is the most dominant in this series. This gene causes a broken pattern on the coat. These patterns appear to be color broken up by white. Rabbits carrying 2 copies or EnEn are commonly called Charlie brokens and usually have very little color and a lot of white. Rabbits carrying one copy of the En genes and one copy of the en genes (Enen) are commonly called regular Broken. These rabbits usually have more color than Charlie Brokens. en is the least dominant in these series and in order to show its appearance completely, a rabbit must carry two copies or enen. Colors carrying enen are called Solid.
The V gene series:
This series is called the Vienna or BEW (Blue Eyed White) gene series. This gene series is not one of the genes I like to include in the basic 5, or 6 (if you want to consider the broken genes as one of the basic genes), but it can have a huge affect on the color. In this series, there are 2 alleles. V and v. V is most dominant. This is called the Non Vienna or non BEW gene because it causes a normal non Vienna or non BEW appearance (normal color) when it carries VV or sometimes even Vv. v is recessive and in order for v to fully show its appearance in the color, it must carry 2 copies or vv. When a rabbit carries vv, it is called a BEW (Blue Eyed White) and shows a pure white body with blue eyes. Sometimes, however, when a rabbit carries Vv, something strange happens with the color. It becomes what is called Vienna Marked. These rabbits usually have color with white toes or feet and may have white blazes or snips on the noses. They can have normal colored eyes or blue eyes. Vienna Marked rabbits can be broken or solid and can show white on other parts of the body as well.
The W series:
This is called the Wideband gene series. This gene series affects the width of the intermediate ring of color on Agouti rabbits. It can also partially affect a Tan patterned rabbit’s color. This gene’s appearance only affects the color with certain genetics. For instance, you cannot see the wideband’s appearance on Self, Full extension colors like Black, Chocolate, Blue or Lilac but you may be able to see its appearance on Self, Non extension colors like Sable Point or Tort. On Agouti colors, the wideband gene widens the intermediate color band making the surface color become very light or totally disappear. The wideband genes will often let the rufus (Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown pigment) show itself more intensely as well. It also takes away the undercolor on the belly of an Agouti and in some cases, will totally take away the belly color all together leaving a rabbit that looks a lot like a Self (A good example of this is a Newzealand Red or Thrianta). On Tan patterned rabbits, the wideband gene will often take away the undercolor on the belly and can let the rufus (Yellow, Orange, Red, Brown color pigment) show itself more intensely on the belly, underside of tail, insides of legs and feet, chest, chin, jowls, nostrils, eye circles, insides of ears and back of neck. In some cases, these wideband tan patterned rabbits will also gain what we call a collar of color stretching from the chest to behind the neck like a collar on a shirt. W is most dominant and is called the Non Wideband gene because it causes normal non wideband color. w is recessive and in order for it to show its appearance, it must carry 2 copies or ww. This gene is called the Wideband gene and causes the change in color that I mentioned above.
Other Genes that can effect the color?
There are several other less well know gene series such as the Du gene series (Known as the Dutch Marking genes), the Si gene series (Known as the Silvering gene series that cause the Champagne D'Argent, Creme D'Argent, and Silver's appearance), and the P gene series (Known as the Pink Eye Dilution series.) but I will not be going into these since there is still a lot I don’t know about these.
Albino Rabbits and their Genotypes:
A common question that always seems to arise among breeders is the question of "do Albino/REW (Red or Ruby Eyed White) rabbits carry any other color genetics or not?" The answer is Yes. An Albino rabbit must always carry all the same color genetics that any other colored rabbit would carry in its genotype. Just because the rabbit shows no color, does not mean it doesn’t carry any other color genes. Of course, we know from above that the cc genes cause this Albino appearance. When a rabbit carries cc (Albino genes), it does not eliminate all those other genes, it only blocks out the appearance that all the other genes show. If an Albino rabbit is bred to another Albino rabbit, you will always get 100% Albino babies. However, since the Albino/REW genes are recessive to all the other color genes in the color gene series (recessive to C, cchd, cchl, and cch), as soon as you breed that Albino to any colored rabbit, you will start getting colored babies again. You can get REW/Albino rabbits out of 2 colored rabbits because they can carry the Albino gene c recessivelly without showing it's appearance. As soon as two Albino carriers are bred together, they can produce Albino babies even if they are not Albinos themselves. For example, If I breed a Black parent that carries REW/Albino to another Black parent that also carries Albino/REW, I can get Black babies and Albino/REW babies. These Albino/REW babies will carry all the same genetics as their black siblings except they carry cc making them have no color while the black babies carry C- letting them show full color. These full colored siblings can carry CC or Cc without showing c's appearance.
For quick reference:
Gene Series: A group of alleles (genes) that affect the same part of a color's appearance a little differently.
Dominant Genes: Expressed with Capital letters. Hide recessive genes appearances.
Recessive Genes: Expressed with lower case letters. Appearance is hidden by dominant genes. Must carry 2 copies of identical recessive genes to show a recessive appearance.
Middle Dominant Genes: Recessive to one gene in a series but dominant over another gene in that same series.
A Gene series: Called the Agouti Gene series. Has 3 alleles (genes). A, at, and a. A: Agouti gene (Most dominant). at: Tan Pattern gene (Middle Dominant), a: Self gene (Recessive).
B Gene Series: Called the Base color or Brown color gene series. Has 2 alleles (genes). B and b. B: Black base gene (Most dominant). b: Chocolate (Brown) gene (Recessive)
C Gene Series: Called the Color Saturation gene series. Has 6 alleles. C, cchd, cchm, cchl, cch, and c. C: Full color gene (Most dominant), cchd: Dark Shading gene/Dark Chinchilla/Chinchilla color gene (Middle Dominant), cchm: Medium Shading/Medium Chinchilla gene (Middle Dominant), cchl: Light shading/Light Chichilla/Sable color gene (Middle Dominant), ch: Pointing/Himalayan gene (Middle Dominant), c: Albino/REW gene (Recessive). Order of Dominance from most Dominant to least dominant (most recessive): C, cchd, cchm, cchl, ch, c.
D Gene Series: Called the Dilution gene series. Has 2 alleles (genes). D and d. D: Dense gene (Dominant). d: Dilute gene (Recessive)
E Gene Series: Called the Extension Color series. Has 5 alleles. Ed, Es, E, ej, and e. Es: Steel Gene (Dominant), E: Full Extension Gene (Middle Dominant), ej: Brindling Gene (Middle Dominant), e: Non Extension Gene (Recessive).
En Gene Series: Called the Broken Series. Has 2 alleles (genes) En and en. En: Broken Gene (Dominant), en: Solid gene (Recessive). EnEn: Charlie Broken Enen: Normal Broken enen: Solid.
W Gene Series: Called the Wideband Series. Has 2 alleles (genes). W and w. W: Non Wideband Gene (Dominant), w: Wideband gene (Recessive).
V Gene Series: Called the Vienna/BEW gene series. Has 2 alleles (genes). V: Non Vienna/BEW gene (Dominant), v: Vienna/BEW gene (Recessive). VV: Non BEW/Vienna carrier. Vv: BEW/Vienna carrier or Vienna Marked. vv: BEW (Blue Eyed White)
Du Gene Series: Called Dutch Mark Gene Series.
Si Genes Series: Called the Silvering Gene series.
P Gene Series: Called the Pink Eye Dilution Gene Series.