Rabbit Color Genetics
Rabbit color genetics is one of my favorite things about rabbits! I love crossing off the wall varieties to each other just to see what varieties pop up! Breeding Mini Rex is one of my hobbies. Figuring out their genetics is another! I am extremely excited to be working with Tris. They have amazing patterns and colors!
A Locux
A locus contains three genes: A, at and a.
*A is the most dominate in the A locus. This is the agouti gene. All agoutis carry this gene. If they carry 2 of these genes they are homozygous (pure) for the agouti gene. This means that they can only can produce agouti colors. The agouti gene creates the the different bands of color on the hair shaft and the agouti markings. Agouti markings would be you white bellies, eye circles, white around the nostrils and the white inside the ears.
a hair shaft of a chestnut agouti (castor) would be: top layer black, 2nd layer red/orange, bottom layer (undercolor) slate blue.
The agouti gene can carry the tan pattern and non-agouti genes.
AA: Aat: Aa
**A correct Tri color or harlequin have an agouti gene. The orange/red, fawn/cream that is seen is created by the agouti gene.
*at is the tan pattern gene. This gene causes the gold ticking in otters. This also creates the silver ticking in Martens. The at gene may carry the non-agouti gene.
atat ata
*a is the most recessive of the A locus. this is the non-agouti or self gene. All self colored rabbits carry two of these genes. It can not carry a gene that is dominante to it so it cant carry the agouti or tan pattern gene.
aa
*A is the most dominate in the A locus. This is the agouti gene. All agoutis carry this gene. If they carry 2 of these genes they are homozygous (pure) for the agouti gene. This means that they can only can produce agouti colors. The agouti gene creates the the different bands of color on the hair shaft and the agouti markings. Agouti markings would be you white bellies, eye circles, white around the nostrils and the white inside the ears.
a hair shaft of a chestnut agouti (castor) would be: top layer black, 2nd layer red/orange, bottom layer (undercolor) slate blue.
The agouti gene can carry the tan pattern and non-agouti genes.
AA: Aat: Aa
**A correct Tri color or harlequin have an agouti gene. The orange/red, fawn/cream that is seen is created by the agouti gene.
*at is the tan pattern gene. This gene causes the gold ticking in otters. This also creates the silver ticking in Martens. The at gene may carry the non-agouti gene.
atat ata
*a is the most recessive of the A locus. this is the non-agouti or self gene. All self colored rabbits carry two of these genes. It can not carry a gene that is dominante to it so it cant carry the agouti or tan pattern gene.
aa
B Locus
B locus only contains 2 genes. B and b
*B is the black gene. A black based rabbit must carry at least one of the B genes. This gene can also carry the chocolate gene.
BB Bb
*b is the chocolate gene. a chocolate based rabbit carries 2 of this gene. Can not carry the black gene.
bb
*B is the black gene. A black based rabbit must carry at least one of the B genes. This gene can also carry the chocolate gene.
BB Bb
*b is the chocolate gene. a chocolate based rabbit carries 2 of this gene. Can not carry the black gene.
bb
C Locus
C locus contains 5 genes: C, chd, chl, ch, c
* C is the full color gene. This gene creates the one color that we see in blacks, blues, etc. This gene can carry chinchilla dark gene, chinchilla light (shaded) gene, pointed white gene and the albino gene.
CC Cchd Cchl Cch Cc
* chd is the chinchilla dark gene. This gene removes all red, orange, ad fawn pigment from the coat, leaving white. This gene can carry chinchilla light (shaded) gene, pointed white gene and te albino gene.
chdchd chdchl chdch chdc
* chl is the chinchilla light or shaded gene. this gene also removes all orange, red and fawn pigments from the coat, leaving white. This gene also creates the color lighter in areas and spreads it into a shaded pattern. the shaded pattern is darker then the body color. This gene can also carry the pointed white gene and the albino gene.
chlchl chlch chlc
*ch is the pointed white gene. This gene removes all red, orange and fawn pigments, leaving only white. This gene also makes the color (black, blue, chocolate and lilac) only show on the nose, ears, tail and feet. This gene can also carry the albino gene.
chch chc
* c is the most recessive C locus. this is called the albino gene. can not carry any other C locus gene. This gene removes all pigment from the rabbit, leaving the rabbit completely white. This also removes the pigment from the rabbits eye, leaving it pink.
cc
* C is the full color gene. This gene creates the one color that we see in blacks, blues, etc. This gene can carry chinchilla dark gene, chinchilla light (shaded) gene, pointed white gene and the albino gene.
CC Cchd Cchl Cch Cc
* chd is the chinchilla dark gene. This gene removes all red, orange, ad fawn pigment from the coat, leaving white. This gene can carry chinchilla light (shaded) gene, pointed white gene and te albino gene.
chdchd chdchl chdch chdc
* chl is the chinchilla light or shaded gene. this gene also removes all orange, red and fawn pigments from the coat, leaving white. This gene also creates the color lighter in areas and spreads it into a shaded pattern. the shaded pattern is darker then the body color. This gene can also carry the pointed white gene and the albino gene.
chlchl chlch chlc
*ch is the pointed white gene. This gene removes all red, orange and fawn pigments, leaving only white. This gene also makes the color (black, blue, chocolate and lilac) only show on the nose, ears, tail and feet. This gene can also carry the albino gene.
chch chc
* c is the most recessive C locus. this is called the albino gene. can not carry any other C locus gene. This gene removes all pigment from the rabbit, leaving the rabbit completely white. This also removes the pigment from the rabbits eye, leaving it pink.
cc
D Locus
D locus only contains 2 genes: D and d
* D is the dense gene. All dense varieties carry at least one of these genes. this gene created the dark colors. this gene can also carry the dilute gene.
DD Dd
* d is called the dilute gene. This gene creates the light color in certain varieties. This gene can not carry the dense gene.
dd
* D is the dense gene. All dense varieties carry at least one of these genes. this gene created the dark colors. this gene can also carry the dilute gene.
DD Dd
* d is called the dilute gene. This gene creates the light color in certain varieties. This gene can not carry the dense gene.
dd
E Locus
E Locus contains 4 genes: Es E ej e
* Es is the Steel gene. This gene creates the ticking in silver tipped steels and the gold tipped steels. this gene does not create the agouti markings. the coat is dark and some of the guard hairs are ticked with silver or gold tipping. this gene can carry
* Es is the Steel gene. This gene creates the ticking in silver tipped steels and the gold tipped steels. this gene does not create the agouti markings. the coat is dark and some of the guard hairs are ticked with silver or gold tipping. this gene can carry