X Locus
Description to follow
Xo | Red
Description to follow
X | No Red
Description to follow
Y | Male
B Locus
B | Black
Description to follow
b | Chocolate
Description to follow
bl | Cinnamon
Description to follow
D Locus
D | Wild-type
d | Dilute
Dilutes all colors of the coat. Turns black to blue/grey, chocolate to lilac, cinnamon to fawn, and red to cream.
C Locus
C | Wild-type
cb | Sable
Causes a partial reduction in the color of the body. Black becomes black sable, blue becomes blue sable, chocolate becomes champagne, lilac becomes platinum, cinnamon becomes cinnamon sable, fawn becomes fawn sable, red becomes red sable, and cream becomes cream sable.
cbcs | Mink
Colorpoint markings, but over a darker base coat. Black becomes natural mink, blue becomes blue mink, chocolate becomes honey mink, lilac becomes champagne mink, cinnamon becomes cinnamon mink, fawn becomes fawn mink, red becomes red mink, and cream becomes cream mink.
cs | Colorpoint
Pale to white body with colored points on the muzzle, feet, ears, and tail. Black becomes "seal point".
c | Albino
Description to follow
A Locus
A | Wild-type (agouti)
Description to follow
a | Non-agouti
Description to follow
T Locus
TaTa | Full Ticked Tabby
Description to follow
Ta- | Ticked tabby, striping on legs
Description to follow
Tb | Rosettes
Homozygous leads to rosettes, heterozygous leads to faded rosettes. Only appears in conjunction with Spotted Tabby. Otherwise, kits appear as classic tabbies.
T | Mackerel Tabby
Description to follow
t | Classic Tabby
Description to follow
Sp Locus
Sp | Spotted tabby
Only expressed on mackerel tabbies. The mackerel stripes are broken up into round spots.
sp | Wild-type
I Locus
I | Silver
Description to follow
i | Wild-type
S Locus
S | Whitespotting
Variable white spotting over the whole coat. Can vary from one white hair on a colored cat to one colored hair on a white cat. 1-in-20 chance of having odd eyes (one blue, one natural color. For other eye colors, see eye chart below.)
Sb | White feet ("birman")
White feet (And occasionally chest star or tail tip) on an otherwise colored cat.
s | Wild-type
No whitespotting
W Locus
W | Dominant white
A solid white coat with orange or pale blue eyes. 1-in-10 chance of having odd eyes (one blue, one orange)
Wv | Van white
Description to follow
w | Wild-type
L Locus
L | Wild-type shorthair coat
l | Longhair coat
Hr Locus
Hr | Wild-type coat
hr | Hairless sphinx coat
Description to follow
R Locus
R | Wild-type coat
r | Cornish Rex coat
Very short, curly coat with no guard hairs.
Re Locus
Re | Wild-type coat
re | Devon Rex coat
Short, curly coat with guard hairs.
Ro Locus
Ro | Wild-type coat
ro | Oregon Rex coat
Very short, curly coat with no guard hairs.
Wh Locus
Wh | Wirehair
Short, stiff, wiry coat.
wh | Wild-type
Fd Locus
Fd | Scottish Fold ears
Description to follow
fd | Wild-type ears
Jb Locus
Jb | Wild-type tail
jb | Japanese Bobtail
Description to follow
M Locus
MM | Homozygous lethal
Mm | Manx tail
Description to follow
mm | Wild-type tail
Pd Locus
Pd | Polydactyl feet
Description to follow
pd | Wild-type feet
Pra Locus
Pra | Wild-type
pra | Progressive Retinal Atrophy
The cat will go blind as it ages
Typical Eye Color Reference List:
Solid black: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Solid blue: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Solid chocolate: Deep copper-orange or bright orange.
Solid lilac: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or dark yellow with a hint of green.
Solid cinnamon: Bright orange.
Solid fawn: Bright orange or dark yellow with a hint of green
Black with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Blue with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Chocolate with white: Deep copper-orange or bright orange.
Lilac with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Cinnamon with white: Bright orange.
Fawn with white: Bright orange, or green.
Black-and-red tortie or calico: Deep copper-orange, or bright orange.
Blue-and-cream tortie or calico: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Chocolate-and-red tortie or calico: Deep copper-orange, or bright orange.
Lilac-and-cream tortie or calico: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or green.
Cinnamon-and-red tortie or calico: Bright orange
Fawn-and-cream tortie or calico: Bright orange, or green.
Brown tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Blue tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Chocolate tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Lilac tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Cinnamon tabby: Bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Fawn tabby: Bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Red tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Cream tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Brown tabby with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Blue tabby with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Chocolate tabby with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Lilac tabby with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Cinnamon tabby with white: Bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Fawn tabby with white: Bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Red tabby with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Cream tabby with white: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Black-and-red torbie or torbico: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Blue-and-cream torbie or torbico: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Chocolate-and-red torbie or torbico: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Lilac-and-cream torbie or torbico: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Cinnamon-and-red torbie or torbico: Bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Fawn-and-cream torbie or torbico: Bright orange, yellow, or dark greenish-yellow.
Black Smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Blue Smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Chocolate Smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Lilac Smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Red Smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Cream Smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Black-and-red tortie smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Blue-and-cream tortie smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Chocolate-and-red tortie smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Lilac-and-cream tortie smoke: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, or yellow.
Brown ticked tabby: Bright orange, yellow-orange, green.
Blue ticked tabby: Bright orange, yellow-orange, green.
Chocolate ticked tabby: Bright orange, yellow-orange, green.
Lilac ticked tabby: Bright orange, yellow-orange, green.
Cinnamon ticked tabby: Bright orange, yellow-orange.
Fawn ticked tabby: Bright orange, yellow-orange.
Red ticked tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow-orange.
Cream ticked tabby: Deep copper-orange, bright orange, yellow-orange.
Ticked silver tabby: Green.
Blue ticked silver tabby: Green.
Chocolate ticked silver tabby: Green.
Lilac ticked silver tabby: Green.
Red ticked silver tabby: Yellow.
Cream ticked silver tabby: Yellow.
Brown spotted tabby: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Blue spotted tabby: Deep copper-orange, dark yellow with a hint of green.
Chocolate spotted tabby: Deep copper-orange, dark yellow with a hint of green.
Lilac spotted tabby: Deep copper-orange, dark yellow with a hint of green.
Red spotted tabby: Deep copper-orange.
Cream spotted tabby: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Spotted silver tabby: Dark greenish-yellow, green.
Blue spotted silver tabby: Dark greenish-yellow, green.
Chocolate spotted silver tabby: Dark greenish-yellow, green.
Lilac spotted silver tabby: Dark greenish-yellow, green.
Red spotted silver tabby: Bright orange, dark greenish-yellow, green.
Cream spotted silver tabby: Bright orange, dark greenish-yellow, green.
Sable: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Blue sable: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Champagne: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Platinum: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Cinnamon sable: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Fawn sable: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Red sable: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Cream sable: Dark yellow with a hint of green.
Natural mink: Bluish-green.
Blue mink: Bluish-green.
Honey mink: Bluish-green.
Champagne mink: Bluish-green.
Cinnamon mink: Bluish-green.
Fawn mink: Bluish-green.
Red mink: Bluish-green.
Cream mink: Bluish-green.
Seal point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Blue point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Chocolate point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Red point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Cream point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Seal tortie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Blue tortie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Chocolate tortie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Lilac tortie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Seal lynx point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Blue lynx point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Chocolate lynx point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Lilac lynx point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Seal torbie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Blue torbie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Chocolate torbie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Lilac torbie point: Royal blue, medium blue, pale greyish-blue
Black van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Blue van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Chocolate van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Lilac van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Cinnamon van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Fawn van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Red van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Cream van: Bright orange, medium blue.
Dominant white: Bright orange, medium blue.
Albino: Very pale blue, Pink
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Mice
Mice are easily the most complex species, color-wise, that I have covered on here. I will try to keep things brief, but descriptive. I've also tried to include any health problems that are associated with certain colors.
The A Locus
Ay | Lethal Yellow
Mouse will be a rich yellow or orange color. Lethal when homozygous. Chance of sterility in the heterozygous state, particularly for females. Likely to become obese.
Avy | Viable Yellow
Homozygous will be a rich yellow or orange color. Heterozygous has more of a sooty or mottled appearance to the yellow. Likely to become obese.
Aiy | Intermediate Yellow
Sooty yellow color with a slightly lighter belly, and darker ears than Ay or Avy. Likely to become obese.
Asy | Sienna Yellow
Coat is yellow with black-tipped guard hairs, creating a very dark, sooty yellow color.
Aw | White-belly Agouti
Typical, normal wild-mouse agouti brown with a white, cream, or tan belly.
A | Wild-type Agouti
Same as Aw, but with a darker belly.
Ai | Intermediate Agouti
Dark back, agouti sides, pale belly. Often indistinguishable from Aw
Atd | Tanoid
Similar to a black-and-tan mouse, but with agouti hairs interspersed throughout the black.
au | Agouti Umbrous
Overall a very dark agouti color. auat mice have a dark agouti back and a tan belly.
at | Black-and-tan
Black fur with yellow or cream belly
ada | Non-agouti with Dark Agouti Belly
Solid black mouse with a dark agouti belly.
al | Non-agouti Lethal
Same as Non-agouti, but lethal when homozygous.
a | Non-agouti
Solid black with a few yellow hairs behind the ears and on the belly.
ae | Extreme Non-agouti
Solid black with no yellow hairs at all.
am | Mottled Agouti
Patches of agouti and mottled agouti throughout the coat.
The E Locus
Eso | Sombre
Black mouse with a few yellow hairs, dark ears, and dark grey belly.
E | Wild-type
Etob | Tobacco Darkening
Darker non-agouti stripe down the back.
e | Recessive Yellow
Very similar to Ay in appearance, only more yellow less orange.
The U Locus
U | Umbrous
Darkens the mouse's back, giving a sable appearance.
u | Wild-type
The Mg Locus
Mg | Wild-type
mg | Mahogany
Darkens the coat overall, turning even non-agouti into extreme non-agouti. Ears and tail will be much darker than wild-type.
The Md Locus
Md | Wild type
md | Mahoganoid
Darkens the coat overall, turning even non-agouti into extreme non-agouti. Ears and tail will be much darker than wild-type.
The Nc Locus
Nc | Wild-type
nc | Non-agouti curly
Solid, jet-black coat with no yellow hairs at all. Coat is denser and plushier, and whiskers are curly.
The B Locus
Blt | Light
When homozygous, the mouse is almost white except for having brown tipped hairs, heterozygotes have darker hair tips with color that protrudes further down the hair shaft. When combined with pink-eyed dilute, the mouse is a pale metallic grey.
Bw | White-based Brown
Very similar to Blit.
B | Wild-type
bc | Cordovan
Instead of having the light brown base of bb, or the black base of the Wild-type, the mouse has got a very dark, rich brown base to it's fur.
b | "Cinnamon"
The equivalent of chocolate in dogs.
The C Locus
C | Wild-type
cm | Chinchilla Mottled.
Normal cchcch with patches of cchch fur and a white belly.
cch | Chinchilla
Drastically reduces red pigments, slightly reduces black pigments, browns are entirely unaffected. An otherwise wild-type mouse will become a light sepia color. Turns black nonagouti to a dull slate color, and Ay to a faint cream or ivory color.
ch | Himalayan
Will be indistinguishable from an albino at birth. By the time they reach adulthood, they have a very pale creamy base coat with darker points on the nose, ears, and tail (but not the feet). The eyes are pink at birth, but become ruby-colored by the time they are weaned.
chc -- The points don't become nearly as dark as a homozygous himalayan
chce -- Dark-eyed from birth, and the adult coat is a shade darker, but otherwise the same.
cchch -- Mouse will be a light golden brown, with slight darkening of the nose and tail.
ce | Extreme Dilution
Drastically reduces the production of red pigment. The mouse will be very very light yellowish brown with dark ears. Eyes will be lighter at birth, but darken to black as the mouse ages. When combined with Ay, the result is a black-eyed white mouse.
cp | Platinum
A yellowish shade darker than albino, with a nice luster or sheen to it. When combined with Ay, the result is a mouse that is indistinguishable in appearance from an albino, but is NOT an albino.
c | Albino
Solid white mouse with pink skin and eyes. Severe vision problems.
The D Locus
D | Wild-type
ds | Slight Dilution
Color is intermediate between D and d. At around 4 months of age, the mouse will begin to sway, lean, and lose it's balance. The feet seem unable to support the body properly and slide out sideways.
d | Dilution
Dilutes all pigment.
dl | Lethal Dilution
Looks identical to d, but causes convulsion and arching upward of the head and tail. Will die at weaning.
The P Locus
P | Wild-type
px | Pink Extra-Dark
Dark eyes, and only slightly lighter coat than wild-type.
pd | Dark Pink Eye
An intermediate between PP and pp.
pdn | Pink Darkening
Slightly darker coat than pp, and pink eyes at birth that turn dark by weaning. Light ears.
ps | Pink-Eyed Sterile
Coat appears just like pink-eyed dilution. Mouse will have a low birth weight and be a very small adult. The mouse will be very uncoordinated and have great difficulty walking. Males are completely sterile, and the same is true for most (but not all) females.
pbs | Black-Eyed Sterile
Coat appears just like pink-eyed dilution, but with dark eyes. Males are completely sterile.
pcp | Cleft-palate
Indistinguishable from pink-eyed dilution, but has cleft palate and will die soon after birth.
pm1 | Pink-Eyed Mottled 1
Coat will be patched with wild-type areas and pink-eyed dilute areas.
pm2 | Pink-Eyed Mottled 2
Coat will be patched with wild-type areas and pink-eyed dilute areas.
p | Pink-Eyed Dilution
Drastically reduces black and brown pigment, but does not affect reds. Turns the eyes a lovely clear pink color. Agouti animals look just like 'yellows' but with pink eyes, while non-agouti black plus pink dilution results in a pretty blue lilac color. aabbpp mice are a nice champagne color.
The Ru Locus
Ru | Wild-type
ru | Ruby-eye
Turns black mice to a dull, dark sepia. No obvious pigment change in brown agouti mice. Eyes are a dark ruby color. Not as intense as Pink-Eyed Dilution, but when both occur on the same mouse, the result more closely resembles Pink-Eyed Dilution.
The Ru2 Locus
Ru2 | Wild-type
ru2mr | Maroon
Agouti maroon looks like a wild-type mouse, but with a solid belly and silver underfur. Eyes are pink at birth, and darken to a rich maroon by adulthood. Nonagouti maroon looks very much like nonagouti buff, but with lighter ears, a solid belly, and translucent eyes.
ru2 | Ruby-eye
Turns black mice to a dull, dark sepia. No obvious pigment change in brown agouti mice. Eyes are a dark ruby color. Not as intense as Pink-Eyed Dilution, but when both occur on the same mouse, the result more closely resembles Pink-Eyed Dilution.
The Gl Locus
Gl | Wild-type
gl | Grey Lethal
Removes yellow pigment, turning mice from brown to grey (and turning Yellow mice more of a khaki color). Extreme abnormalities of the skeleton and teeth. The bones grow erratically and are much too dense, and become malformed, while the teeth fail to erupt entirely. The mouse will die as soon as it is weaned, if it even lasts that long.
The Gr Locus
Gr | Wild-type
gr | Grizzled
Looks very much like a cchcch mouse, only the dilution is more pronounced and there is no effect on black pigment. They will be undersized, and there is a chance (1 in 6) of them having kinky tails
The Mh Locus
Mh | Wild-type
mh | Mocha
Appears to be a little bit lighter than Ruby-eyed mice in color. Eyes will be a deep red. Will have a very poor sense of balance, and the head will be constantly tilted to the side, and the mouse will be more active and nervous than most others, and when startled will jump away violently as a reflex. If they are dropped from a height, they cannot catch themselves normally. Deaf.
The Pa Locus
Pa | Wild-type
pa | Pallid
Similar to a Pink-Eyed Dilute, but with a slightly lighter coat color. Combines with pink-eyed dilution to create an even lighter mouse than those two genes separately. Yellow pallids are a light lemon color. Eyes will be a deep red. Will have a very poor sense of balance, and the head will be constantly tilted to the side, and the mouse will be more active and nervous than most others, and when startled will jump away violently as a reflex. If they are dropped from a height, they cannot catch themselves normally.
The Mu Locus
Mu | Wild-type
mu | Muted
Black becomes dark-grey, yellow and brown become a somewhat lighter shade, and most have white underfur. The eyes are dark red. Will have a very poor sense of balance, and the head will be constantly tilted to the side, and the mouse will be more active and nervous than most others, and when startled will jump away violently as a reflex. If they are dropped from a height, they cannot catch themselves normally.
The M Locus
M | Wild-type
m | Misty
Slightly lighter in color, with a white tail tip, white underfur, and white spot on the belly. Eyes will be dark.
The Pe Locus
Pe | Wild-type
pe | Pearl
On agouti mice, the hair is diluted with the undercoat being more diluted than the tips. The nose, ears, feet, and tail are considerably lighter than normal. Nonagouti pearl coats look just like Nonagouti Ruby-Eye, but with a lighter base coat. Dilutes Yellow mice to a cream color. Eyes will be dark.
The Bg Locus
Bg | Wild-type
bg | Beige
In agouti mice, the coat is slightly lighter than a wild-type mouse, with black eyes. Non-agouti mice have a silvery blue color with black eyes. Beige Ruby Eye mice have an off-white coat and pink eyes. Beige and pink-eyed dilute mice are only slightly lighter than pink-eyed alone. Mouse will be more susceptible to infections and will get sick very frequently.
The Si Locus
Si | Wild-type
si | Silver
The guard hairs of non-agouti animals will be white-tipped. Agoutis are much the same, but with white underfur as well.
The Ga Locus
Ga | Progressive Greying
The tips of the mouse's guard hairs turn white around 6 months of age.
ga | Wild-type
The Bf Locus
Bf | Wild-type
bf | Buff
Nonagouti buff mice are khaki colored
The Dfp Locus
Dfp | Dark Footpads
Homozygous lethal. Turns the footpads black.
dfp | Wild-type
The Fkl Locus
Fkl | Freckled
Heterozygotes have small white or pale colored patches in the coat. Homozygotes are a whitish or cream color.
fkl | Wild-type
The Mo Locus
This is an X-linked trait
Mo | Mottled
Regions of off-white hair will be scattered in an apparently patternless fashion all over the body. Whiskers will be curled. Mouse will be plagued by tremors and lack of coordination. Hemizygous lethal in males.
mo | Wild-type
The S Locus
S | Wild-type
s | Piebald
Mouse will have random white patches
sl | Piebald Lethal
Heterozygotes are piebald, and homozygotes are white with black eyes. Both die of megacolon upon weaning.
The Ls Locus
Ls | Wild-type
ls | Lethal Spotting
Mouse will have random white patches, and die of megacolon upon weaning.
The Bt Locus
Bt | Wild-type
bt | Belted
Mouse will have a wide band of white around it's middle.
The W Locus
W | White Spotting
Well-defined white belly with sharp edges, and a variable amount of white in the coat on the rest of the body, giving a roan appearance. Homozygous lethal.
Wa | Ames Dominant Spotting
Homozygotes die soon after birth, as do WWa. Heterozygotes+ resemble W, but with a prominent head blaze and blacks are diluted to grey in the coat.
Wv | Viable Spotting
When heterozygous, this gene dilutes the overall coat color and causes roaning of the coat similar to W.
WWv -- Produces a white spot on the trunk, and a white spot on the head. The rest of the coat is diluted. Sterile.
WvWv -- Produces black-eyed whites. Sterile. Mouse will be anemic and weak.
Wf | W Fertile
When mixed with another dominant spotting trait on the W locus, the result is a black-eyed white with grey patches behind the ears, and will be viable and fertile. In the heterozygous+ state, this causes sharp white markings on the forehead, belly, and tail tip.
w | Wild-type
The F Locus
F | Wild-type
f | Flex-tailed
Mouse will have one white spot on it's lower back. Overall, the mouse's color will be lighter. The tail will have several rigid kinks in it, making a zig-zag pattern (like Brain's tail in Pinky and the Brain).
The Go Gene
Go | Wild-type (short hair)
go | Long hair
The Sa Gene
Sa | Wild-type
sa | Satin
Mouse's coat has a satiny sheen to it.
The Re Gene
Re | Rex coat
Coat will be curly, with wavy whiskers.
re | Wild-type
The A Locus
Ay | Lethal Yellow
Mouse will be a rich yellow or orange color. Lethal when homozygous. Chance of sterility in the heterozygous state, particularly for females. Likely to become obese.
Avy | Viable Yellow
Homozygous will be a rich yellow or orange color. Heterozygous has more of a sooty or mottled appearance to the yellow. Likely to become obese.
Aiy | Intermediate Yellow
Sooty yellow color with a slightly lighter belly, and darker ears than Ay or Avy. Likely to become obese.
Asy | Sienna Yellow
Coat is yellow with black-tipped guard hairs, creating a very dark, sooty yellow color.
Aw | White-belly Agouti
Typical, normal wild-mouse agouti brown with a white, cream, or tan belly.
A | Wild-type Agouti
Same as Aw, but with a darker belly.
Ai | Intermediate Agouti
Dark back, agouti sides, pale belly. Often indistinguishable from Aw
Atd | Tanoid
Similar to a black-and-tan mouse, but with agouti hairs interspersed throughout the black.
au | Agouti Umbrous
Overall a very dark agouti color. auat mice have a dark agouti back and a tan belly.
at | Black-and-tan
Black fur with yellow or cream belly
ada | Non-agouti with Dark Agouti Belly
Solid black mouse with a dark agouti belly.
al | Non-agouti Lethal
Same as Non-agouti, but lethal when homozygous.
a | Non-agouti
Solid black with a few yellow hairs behind the ears and on the belly.
ae | Extreme Non-agouti
Solid black with no yellow hairs at all.
am | Mottled Agouti
Patches of agouti and mottled agouti throughout the coat.
The E Locus
Eso | Sombre
Black mouse with a few yellow hairs, dark ears, and dark grey belly.
E | Wild-type
Etob | Tobacco Darkening
Darker non-agouti stripe down the back.
e | Recessive Yellow
Very similar to Ay in appearance, only more yellow less orange.
The U Locus
U | Umbrous
Darkens the mouse's back, giving a sable appearance.
u | Wild-type
The Mg Locus
Mg | Wild-type
mg | Mahogany
Darkens the coat overall, turning even non-agouti into extreme non-agouti. Ears and tail will be much darker than wild-type.
The Md Locus
Md | Wild type
md | Mahoganoid
Darkens the coat overall, turning even non-agouti into extreme non-agouti. Ears and tail will be much darker than wild-type.
The Nc Locus
Nc | Wild-type
nc | Non-agouti curly
Solid, jet-black coat with no yellow hairs at all. Coat is denser and plushier, and whiskers are curly.
The B Locus
Blt | Light
When homozygous, the mouse is almost white except for having brown tipped hairs, heterozygotes have darker hair tips with color that protrudes further down the hair shaft. When combined with pink-eyed dilute, the mouse is a pale metallic grey.
Bw | White-based Brown
Very similar to Blit.
B | Wild-type
bc | Cordovan
Instead of having the light brown base of bb, or the black base of the Wild-type, the mouse has got a very dark, rich brown base to it's fur.
b | "Cinnamon"
The equivalent of chocolate in dogs.
The C Locus
C | Wild-type
cm | Chinchilla Mottled.
Normal cchcch with patches of cchch fur and a white belly.
cch | Chinchilla
Drastically reduces red pigments, slightly reduces black pigments, browns are entirely unaffected. An otherwise wild-type mouse will become a light sepia color. Turns black nonagouti to a dull slate color, and Ay to a faint cream or ivory color.
ch | Himalayan
Will be indistinguishable from an albino at birth. By the time they reach adulthood, they have a very pale creamy base coat with darker points on the nose, ears, and tail (but not the feet). The eyes are pink at birth, but become ruby-colored by the time they are weaned.
chc -- The points don't become nearly as dark as a homozygous himalayan
chce -- Dark-eyed from birth, and the adult coat is a shade darker, but otherwise the same.
cchch -- Mouse will be a light golden brown, with slight darkening of the nose and tail.
ce | Extreme Dilution
Drastically reduces the production of red pigment. The mouse will be very very light yellowish brown with dark ears. Eyes will be lighter at birth, but darken to black as the mouse ages. When combined with Ay, the result is a black-eyed white mouse.
cp | Platinum
A yellowish shade darker than albino, with a nice luster or sheen to it. When combined with Ay, the result is a mouse that is indistinguishable in appearance from an albino, but is NOT an albino.
c | Albino
Solid white mouse with pink skin and eyes. Severe vision problems.
The D Locus
D | Wild-type
ds | Slight Dilution
Color is intermediate between D and d. At around 4 months of age, the mouse will begin to sway, lean, and lose it's balance. The feet seem unable to support the body properly and slide out sideways.
d | Dilution
Dilutes all pigment.
dl | Lethal Dilution
Looks identical to d, but causes convulsion and arching upward of the head and tail. Will die at weaning.
The P Locus
P | Wild-type
px | Pink Extra-Dark
Dark eyes, and only slightly lighter coat than wild-type.
pd | Dark Pink Eye
An intermediate between PP and pp.
pdn | Pink Darkening
Slightly darker coat than pp, and pink eyes at birth that turn dark by weaning. Light ears.
ps | Pink-Eyed Sterile
Coat appears just like pink-eyed dilution. Mouse will have a low birth weight and be a very small adult. The mouse will be very uncoordinated and have great difficulty walking. Males are completely sterile, and the same is true for most (but not all) females.
pbs | Black-Eyed Sterile
Coat appears just like pink-eyed dilution, but with dark eyes. Males are completely sterile.
pcp | Cleft-palate
Indistinguishable from pink-eyed dilution, but has cleft palate and will die soon after birth.
pm1 | Pink-Eyed Mottled 1
Coat will be patched with wild-type areas and pink-eyed dilute areas.
pm2 | Pink-Eyed Mottled 2
Coat will be patched with wild-type areas and pink-eyed dilute areas.
p | Pink-Eyed Dilution
Drastically reduces black and brown pigment, but does not affect reds. Turns the eyes a lovely clear pink color. Agouti animals look just like 'yellows' but with pink eyes, while non-agouti black plus pink dilution results in a pretty blue lilac color. aabbpp mice are a nice champagne color.
The Ru Locus
Ru | Wild-type
ru | Ruby-eye
Turns black mice to a dull, dark sepia. No obvious pigment change in brown agouti mice. Eyes are a dark ruby color. Not as intense as Pink-Eyed Dilution, but when both occur on the same mouse, the result more closely resembles Pink-Eyed Dilution.
The Ru2 Locus
Ru2 | Wild-type
ru2mr | Maroon
Agouti maroon looks like a wild-type mouse, but with a solid belly and silver underfur. Eyes are pink at birth, and darken to a rich maroon by adulthood. Nonagouti maroon looks very much like nonagouti buff, but with lighter ears, a solid belly, and translucent eyes.
ru2 | Ruby-eye
Turns black mice to a dull, dark sepia. No obvious pigment change in brown agouti mice. Eyes are a dark ruby color. Not as intense as Pink-Eyed Dilution, but when both occur on the same mouse, the result more closely resembles Pink-Eyed Dilution.
The Gl Locus
Gl | Wild-type
gl | Grey Lethal
Removes yellow pigment, turning mice from brown to grey (and turning Yellow mice more of a khaki color). Extreme abnormalities of the skeleton and teeth. The bones grow erratically and are much too dense, and become malformed, while the teeth fail to erupt entirely. The mouse will die as soon as it is weaned, if it even lasts that long.
The Gr Locus
Gr | Wild-type
gr | Grizzled
Looks very much like a cchcch mouse, only the dilution is more pronounced and there is no effect on black pigment. They will be undersized, and there is a chance (1 in 6) of them having kinky tails
The Mh Locus
Mh | Wild-type
mh | Mocha
Appears to be a little bit lighter than Ruby-eyed mice in color. Eyes will be a deep red. Will have a very poor sense of balance, and the head will be constantly tilted to the side, and the mouse will be more active and nervous than most others, and when startled will jump away violently as a reflex. If they are dropped from a height, they cannot catch themselves normally. Deaf.
The Pa Locus
Pa | Wild-type
pa | Pallid
Similar to a Pink-Eyed Dilute, but with a slightly lighter coat color. Combines with pink-eyed dilution to create an even lighter mouse than those two genes separately. Yellow pallids are a light lemon color. Eyes will be a deep red. Will have a very poor sense of balance, and the head will be constantly tilted to the side, and the mouse will be more active and nervous than most others, and when startled will jump away violently as a reflex. If they are dropped from a height, they cannot catch themselves normally.
The Mu Locus
Mu | Wild-type
mu | Muted
Black becomes dark-grey, yellow and brown become a somewhat lighter shade, and most have white underfur. The eyes are dark red. Will have a very poor sense of balance, and the head will be constantly tilted to the side, and the mouse will be more active and nervous than most others, and when startled will jump away violently as a reflex. If they are dropped from a height, they cannot catch themselves normally.
The M Locus
M | Wild-type
m | Misty
Slightly lighter in color, with a white tail tip, white underfur, and white spot on the belly. Eyes will be dark.
The Pe Locus
Pe | Wild-type
pe | Pearl
On agouti mice, the hair is diluted with the undercoat being more diluted than the tips. The nose, ears, feet, and tail are considerably lighter than normal. Nonagouti pearl coats look just like Nonagouti Ruby-Eye, but with a lighter base coat. Dilutes Yellow mice to a cream color. Eyes will be dark.
The Bg Locus
Bg | Wild-type
bg | Beige
In agouti mice, the coat is slightly lighter than a wild-type mouse, with black eyes. Non-agouti mice have a silvery blue color with black eyes. Beige Ruby Eye mice have an off-white coat and pink eyes. Beige and pink-eyed dilute mice are only slightly lighter than pink-eyed alone. Mouse will be more susceptible to infections and will get sick very frequently.
The Si Locus
Si | Wild-type
si | Silver
The guard hairs of non-agouti animals will be white-tipped. Agoutis are much the same, but with white underfur as well.
The Ga Locus
Ga | Progressive Greying
The tips of the mouse's guard hairs turn white around 6 months of age.
ga | Wild-type
The Bf Locus
Bf | Wild-type
bf | Buff
Nonagouti buff mice are khaki colored
The Dfp Locus
Dfp | Dark Footpads
Homozygous lethal. Turns the footpads black.
dfp | Wild-type
The Fkl Locus
Fkl | Freckled
Heterozygotes have small white or pale colored patches in the coat. Homozygotes are a whitish or cream color.
fkl | Wild-type
The Mo Locus
This is an X-linked trait
Mo | Mottled
Regions of off-white hair will be scattered in an apparently patternless fashion all over the body. Whiskers will be curled. Mouse will be plagued by tremors and lack of coordination. Hemizygous lethal in males.
mo | Wild-type
The S Locus
S | Wild-type
s | Piebald
Mouse will have random white patches
sl | Piebald Lethal
Heterozygotes are piebald, and homozygotes are white with black eyes. Both die of megacolon upon weaning.
The Ls Locus
Ls | Wild-type
ls | Lethal Spotting
Mouse will have random white patches, and die of megacolon upon weaning.
The Bt Locus
Bt | Wild-type
bt | Belted
Mouse will have a wide band of white around it's middle.
The W Locus
W | White Spotting
Well-defined white belly with sharp edges, and a variable amount of white in the coat on the rest of the body, giving a roan appearance. Homozygous lethal.
Wa | Ames Dominant Spotting
Homozygotes die soon after birth, as do WWa. Heterozygotes+ resemble W, but with a prominent head blaze and blacks are diluted to grey in the coat.
Wv | Viable Spotting
When heterozygous, this gene dilutes the overall coat color and causes roaning of the coat similar to W.
WWv -- Produces a white spot on the trunk, and a white spot on the head. The rest of the coat is diluted. Sterile.
WvWv -- Produces black-eyed whites. Sterile. Mouse will be anemic and weak.
Wf | W Fertile
When mixed with another dominant spotting trait on the W locus, the result is a black-eyed white with grey patches behind the ears, and will be viable and fertile. In the heterozygous+ state, this causes sharp white markings on the forehead, belly, and tail tip.
w | Wild-type
The F Locus
F | Wild-type
f | Flex-tailed
Mouse will have one white spot on it's lower back. Overall, the mouse's color will be lighter. The tail will have several rigid kinks in it, making a zig-zag pattern (like Brain's tail in Pinky and the Brain).
The Go Gene
Go | Wild-type (short hair)
go | Long hair
The Sa Gene
Sa | Wild-type
sa | Satin
Mouse's coat has a satiny sheen to it.
The Re Gene
Re | Rex coat
Coat will be curly, with wavy whiskers.
re | Wild-type
Monday, August 16, 2010
Whitetail Deer
A Locus
A | Wild-type
Deer will be the normal, wild-type brown color.
a | Melanistic
Deer will be dark brown or black
C Locus
C | Wild-type
c | Albino
Deer will not produce any pigment, and will be snow white with pink nose, hooves, etc. Eyes will be pink or red. Not as healthy as wild-type deer, with severe vision problems.
S Locus
S | Wild-type
sp | Piebald
Deer will have white patches on it.
sw | Leucistic
Deer will be all white, with dark eyes, nose, hooves, etc. Just as healthy as a wild-type deer.
A | Wild-type
Deer will be the normal, wild-type brown color.
a | Melanistic
Deer will be dark brown or black
C Locus
C | Wild-type
c | Albino
Deer will not produce any pigment, and will be snow white with pink nose, hooves, etc. Eyes will be pink or red. Not as healthy as wild-type deer, with severe vision problems.
S Locus
S | Wild-type
sp | Piebald
Deer will have white patches on it.
sw | Leucistic
Deer will be all white, with dark eyes, nose, hooves, etc. Just as healthy as a wild-type deer.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Rabbits
A Locus
A | Wild-type Agouti
This is your typical wild-type rabbit, with different colored bands along each hair. They have tan, fawn, or white circles around their eyes, triangle at the nape of the neck, feet, legs, and the insides of their ears. They also have a white belly.
at | Tan Pattern
The hair is a solid color instead of banded, with the tan, fawn or white at eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, inside of ears, and belly.
a | Non-Agouti
The hair is not banded, and the rabbit is one solid color overall. If there are no other modifiers, the rabbit will be black
B Locus
B | Wild-type
b | Chocolate
In agouti rabbits, the black band in the fur is a brown shade instead, lightening the overall color of the rabbit to a chestnut color. In non-agouti rabbits, it changes them to a nice chocolate brown color.
C Locus
C | Wild-type
cchd | Dark Chinchilla
Turns most of the yellow/red pigment to white or pearl, creating a coat very much like a standard grey chinchilla.
cchl | Light Chinchilla
Blocks some of the black/brown pigment and all of the yellow/red pigment, making a lighter sepia brown color.
ch | Himalayan
Turns the rabbit white with colored points, similar to a Siamese cat. Eyes will be pink.
c | Albino
Turns the rabbit completely white with pink eyes. Severe vision problems.
D Locus
D | Wild-type
d | Dilution
Changes black to blue, chocolate to lilac, chestnut to opal, orange to fawn. Eyes will be grey-blue.
E Locus
Es | Steel
In agouti rabbits, this darkens the middle band on the fur. It also darkens the usually-light agouti markings on the eye circles, neck triangle, feet, legs, and inside of the ears. The white guard hairs are unchanged, leaving a white ticked appearance.
E | Wild type
ej | Japanese Brindle
This causes the black and yellow to be arranged into mottled patches all over the rabbit, similar to a mosaic pattern. Very pretty!
e | Yellow/Orange
This blocks the ability to produce black or brown pigment, creating a rabbit that is entirely yellow, orange, or white.
En Locus
En | English Spotting
A whitespotting gene. If a rabbit is (En)(En), they will have colored spots only on the head. (En)(en) causes colored patches to appear over a greater portion of the body.
(Say hello to my own pet rabbit, Dotty.)
en | Wild-type
Du Locus
Du | Wild-type
du | Dutch Pattern
The rabbit will have a white blaze up it's forehead, and a white "belt" that encompasses it's forequarters. They look kind of like Oreos.
Special Section: Hotot Marking
If a rabbit is EnEnDudu, or EnEndudu, it produces what is called the "Hotot" pattern. This is a solid white rabbit with a small ring of color (usually black) around it's eye.
V Locus
VV | Wild-type
Vv | Dutch
This will cause Dutch-type markings to appear
vv | Vienna White
A solid white rabbit with blue eyes.
W Locus
W | Wild-type
w | Wide Band
This gene doubles the length of the middle band on the hair shaft (which is white or yellow). The main effect of this is to add color to the agouti pattern areas: eye circles, neck triangle, feet, legs, inside of ears, and belly.
Si Locus
Si | Wild Type
si | Silvering
Intermingles silver hairs and silver-tipped hairs throughout the regular coat.
L Locus
L | Wild-type
l | Angora
Causes the hair to grow long and woolly.
Re Locus
Re | Wild-type
re | Rex
This causes the guard hairs to grow no longer than the undercoat, resulting in a plush, dense velveteen texture.
R Locus
RR | Wild-type
Rr | Wild-type, Odd-ear, or Lop
Ears may be wild-type, lopped, or odd-eared (one wild-type, one lopped)
rr | Lopped Ears
Ears will be floppy and hang down
Dw Locus
DwDw | Lethal Factor
Kitten will die a few days after birth.
Dwdw | Dwarf
The rabbit will be a dwarf variety
dwdw | Wild-type
M Locus
M | Mane
Rabbit has a fluffy mane of longer hair around it's head
m | Wild-type
Sat Locus
Sat | Wild-type
sat | Satin
Rabbit will have a sleek, shiny coat
A | Wild-type Agouti
This is your typical wild-type rabbit, with different colored bands along each hair. They have tan, fawn, or white circles around their eyes, triangle at the nape of the neck, feet, legs, and the insides of their ears. They also have a white belly.
at | Tan Pattern
The hair is a solid color instead of banded, with the tan, fawn or white at eye circles, triangle at nape of neck, feet, legs, inside of ears, and belly.
a | Non-Agouti
The hair is not banded, and the rabbit is one solid color overall. If there are no other modifiers, the rabbit will be black
B Locus
B | Wild-type
b | Chocolate
In agouti rabbits, the black band in the fur is a brown shade instead, lightening the overall color of the rabbit to a chestnut color. In non-agouti rabbits, it changes them to a nice chocolate brown color.
C Locus
C | Wild-type
cchd | Dark Chinchilla
Turns most of the yellow/red pigment to white or pearl, creating a coat very much like a standard grey chinchilla.
cchl | Light Chinchilla
Blocks some of the black/brown pigment and all of the yellow/red pigment, making a lighter sepia brown color.
ch | Himalayan
Turns the rabbit white with colored points, similar to a Siamese cat. Eyes will be pink.
c | Albino
Turns the rabbit completely white with pink eyes. Severe vision problems.
D Locus
D | Wild-type
d | Dilution
Changes black to blue, chocolate to lilac, chestnut to opal, orange to fawn. Eyes will be grey-blue.
E Locus
Es | Steel
In agouti rabbits, this darkens the middle band on the fur. It also darkens the usually-light agouti markings on the eye circles, neck triangle, feet, legs, and inside of the ears. The white guard hairs are unchanged, leaving a white ticked appearance.
E | Wild type
ej | Japanese Brindle
This causes the black and yellow to be arranged into mottled patches all over the rabbit, similar to a mosaic pattern. Very pretty!
e | Yellow/Orange
This blocks the ability to produce black or brown pigment, creating a rabbit that is entirely yellow, orange, or white.
En Locus
En | English Spotting
A whitespotting gene. If a rabbit is (En)(En), they will have colored spots only on the head. (En)(en) causes colored patches to appear over a greater portion of the body.
(Say hello to my own pet rabbit, Dotty.)
en | Wild-type
Du Locus
Du | Wild-type
du | Dutch Pattern
The rabbit will have a white blaze up it's forehead, and a white "belt" that encompasses it's forequarters. They look kind of like Oreos.
Special Section: Hotot Marking
If a rabbit is EnEnDudu, or EnEndudu, it produces what is called the "Hotot" pattern. This is a solid white rabbit with a small ring of color (usually black) around it's eye.
V Locus
VV | Wild-type
Vv | Dutch
This will cause Dutch-type markings to appear
vv | Vienna White
A solid white rabbit with blue eyes.
W Locus
W | Wild-type
w | Wide Band
This gene doubles the length of the middle band on the hair shaft (which is white or yellow). The main effect of this is to add color to the agouti pattern areas: eye circles, neck triangle, feet, legs, inside of ears, and belly.
Si Locus
Si | Wild Type
si | Silvering
Intermingles silver hairs and silver-tipped hairs throughout the regular coat.
L Locus
L | Wild-type
l | Angora
Causes the hair to grow long and woolly.
Re Locus
Re | Wild-type
re | Rex
This causes the guard hairs to grow no longer than the undercoat, resulting in a plush, dense velveteen texture.
R Locus
RR | Wild-type
Rr | Wild-type, Odd-ear, or Lop
Ears may be wild-type, lopped, or odd-eared (one wild-type, one lopped)
rr | Lopped Ears
Ears will be floppy and hang down
Dw Locus
DwDw | Lethal Factor
Kitten will die a few days after birth.
Dwdw | Dwarf
The rabbit will be a dwarf variety
dwdw | Wild-type
M Locus
M | Mane
Rabbit has a fluffy mane of longer hair around it's head
m | Wild-type
Sat Locus
Sat | Wild-type
sat | Satin
Rabbit will have a sleek, shiny coat
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Red Fox
This is a work in progress! Red fox coat color genetics are not well-understood, as they are not nearly as widely researched as the genetics behind cat and dog coat colors. I will try to be as accurate as possible in my explanations of various coat colors and effects, but the following may contain errors.
I have also yet to find two sources that use the same letters to denote the same color genes for all genes, so these may not be tagged with the same letters you find elsewhere. The names of different color patterns vary wildly, even from fur-farm to fur-farm, so the terminology here may be a bit different as well.
Section I: Wild-Type Morphs
In the wild, foxes can be grouped into three main colorations: Red, Silver, and Cross, and the grades between these. These colors also form the basis for almost all farmed morphs.
This is controlled by two genes the Agouti gene and the Black/Brown gene, tagged here as A and B.
AABB | Classic Red
This is your classic "fox and the hound" red fox. When you say "Red Fox", this is most likely the animal that comes to mind. Rich red coat, black socks and ears, white belly and tail tip.
AABb | Smoky Red
Overall, these are very similar to the Classic Red, only with a stripe of darker red or brown down their backs. Most also have more black hairs throughout the coat, giving it a smoky appearance. More pronounced black markings on the legs and belly are also common. The few examples of this I've seen IRL seem to have a lighter undercoat as well, but I'm only basing that off of the foxes that live in the local nature preserve, so this might not be an overall trend.
AaBB | Cross Fox
This is a much harder morph to describe, and is extremely variable. They have black feet, ears, tails, and underbellies, with vivid coloration along their sides ranging from butterscotch to dark orange depending on the individual. A broad black streak runs down their back, with more and more silvering as it reaches their hind legs. The face is usually grey or silvered.
AaBb | Blended Cross Fox
Like the Cross Fox, only darker in color. Black/Silver hair covers a greater percentage of the animal's body, and the red in the coat is usually (though not always) darker than in regular cross foxes.
aaBB | Light Silver
The undercoat is dark grey, but the guard hairs are white, giving a silvered or frosted appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
aaBb | Light Silver or Silver
The undercoat is dark grey or black, but the guard hairs are either white-tipped or entirely white, giving a silvered or frosted appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
AAbb | Silver
The undercoat is jet black, but the guard hairs are mostly white or entirely white, giving a silvered or frosted appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
Aabb | Dark Silver
The undercoat is jet black, but the guard-hairs are white tipped over some or all of the body, giving a silvered appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
aabb | Jet Black
Jet-black undercoat and jet-black guard hairs, few to none of the hairs are white-tipped, resulting in an almost entirely black animal. The tail tip almost always remains white. These are very rarely seen in the wild.
Section II: Domestic Morphs
The Ci Locus
Ci | Wild-type
ci | Cinnamon
Also known as "Chocolate" or "Burgundy", this mutation turns the base coat a very nice chocolaty brown color with just a hint of red. The silvering on the coat is unaffected, which in heavily-silvered animals can result in almost a lilac appearance.
The D Locus
This controls coat dilution.
D | Wild-type
d | Dilution
This dilutes the overall color of the coat. It will turn Red into "Fire And Ice", Cinnamon into Amber, Silver into Pearl, and Cross into Pearl Cross.
The S Locus
Sm | Marble
When the fox is homozygous for this trait, they are entirely white. However, when heterozygous, it acts as a co-dominant trait, creating a white fox with a few patches of the natural color are left around the eyes, ears, a stripe running down the back, and part of the tail. "Freckling" around the colored patches is common.
S | Whitemark/Platinum
"Whitemark" or "Platinum" is very similar to "irish white" in dogs. Usually the result is a white blaze down the face, a white collar, white belly, and white socks on the feet. "Freckling" around the colored patches is common.
s | Wild-type
The E locus
This affects eye color.
E | Wild-type
Eyes will range from brown to amber to yellow.
e | Pale blue
Similar to the "china eye" in some breeds of herding dog. Extremely rare, even in domestic stock.
Section III: Genetic Diseases and Disorders
Samson Fox Syndrome
Outwardly, a fox suffering from Samson Syndrome can be identified by the lack of guard-hairs on it's coat (similar to a "rex" cat), giving them a skinny, woolly appearance. Cubs suffering from Samson syndrome have a very high mortality rate, and grow much more slowly than normal cubs.
If a Samson fox does reach adulthood, they are noted for having an abnormally ravenous appetite. A Samson fox is always hungry, and they will eat anything from dung to carrion to satisfy their hunger. The adults are considered to be much less "fit" than a normal adult fox; they have a high mortality rate even in the relatively safe confines of captivity.
It is generally believed to be caused by a recessive genetic factor, which I'm arbitrarily assigning the tag-letter of "S" to. Please keep in mind that due to their reduced viability, this gene is very rare.
Sa | Wild-type
sa | Samson Syndrome
I have also yet to find two sources that use the same letters to denote the same color genes for all genes, so these may not be tagged with the same letters you find elsewhere. The names of different color patterns vary wildly, even from fur-farm to fur-farm, so the terminology here may be a bit different as well.
Section I: Wild-Type Morphs
In the wild, foxes can be grouped into three main colorations: Red, Silver, and Cross, and the grades between these. These colors also form the basis for almost all farmed morphs.
This is controlled by two genes the Agouti gene and the Black/Brown gene, tagged here as A and B.
AABB | Classic Red
This is your classic "fox and the hound" red fox. When you say "Red Fox", this is most likely the animal that comes to mind. Rich red coat, black socks and ears, white belly and tail tip.
AABb | Smoky Red
Overall, these are very similar to the Classic Red, only with a stripe of darker red or brown down their backs. Most also have more black hairs throughout the coat, giving it a smoky appearance. More pronounced black markings on the legs and belly are also common. The few examples of this I've seen IRL seem to have a lighter undercoat as well, but I'm only basing that off of the foxes that live in the local nature preserve, so this might not be an overall trend.
AaBB | Cross Fox
This is a much harder morph to describe, and is extremely variable. They have black feet, ears, tails, and underbellies, with vivid coloration along their sides ranging from butterscotch to dark orange depending on the individual. A broad black streak runs down their back, with more and more silvering as it reaches their hind legs. The face is usually grey or silvered.
AaBb | Blended Cross Fox
Like the Cross Fox, only darker in color. Black/Silver hair covers a greater percentage of the animal's body, and the red in the coat is usually (though not always) darker than in regular cross foxes.
aaBB | Light Silver
The undercoat is dark grey, but the guard hairs are white, giving a silvered or frosted appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
aaBb | Light Silver or Silver
The undercoat is dark grey or black, but the guard hairs are either white-tipped or entirely white, giving a silvered or frosted appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
AAbb | Silver
The undercoat is jet black, but the guard hairs are mostly white or entirely white, giving a silvered or frosted appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
Aabb | Dark Silver
The undercoat is jet black, but the guard-hairs are white tipped over some or all of the body, giving a silvered appearance. The tail tip almost always remains white.
aabb | Jet Black
Jet-black undercoat and jet-black guard hairs, few to none of the hairs are white-tipped, resulting in an almost entirely black animal. The tail tip almost always remains white. These are very rarely seen in the wild.
Section II: Domestic Morphs
The Ci Locus
Ci | Wild-type
ci | Cinnamon
Also known as "Chocolate" or "Burgundy", this mutation turns the base coat a very nice chocolaty brown color with just a hint of red. The silvering on the coat is unaffected, which in heavily-silvered animals can result in almost a lilac appearance.
The D Locus
This controls coat dilution.
D | Wild-type
d | Dilution
This dilutes the overall color of the coat. It will turn Red into "Fire And Ice", Cinnamon into Amber, Silver into Pearl, and Cross into Pearl Cross.
The S Locus
Sm | Marble
When the fox is homozygous for this trait, they are entirely white. However, when heterozygous, it acts as a co-dominant trait, creating a white fox with a few patches of the natural color are left around the eyes, ears, a stripe running down the back, and part of the tail. "Freckling" around the colored patches is common.
S | Whitemark/Platinum
"Whitemark" or "Platinum" is very similar to "irish white" in dogs. Usually the result is a white blaze down the face, a white collar, white belly, and white socks on the feet. "Freckling" around the colored patches is common.
s | Wild-type
The E locus
This affects eye color.
E | Wild-type
Eyes will range from brown to amber to yellow.
e | Pale blue
Similar to the "china eye" in some breeds of herding dog. Extremely rare, even in domestic stock.
Section III: Genetic Diseases and Disorders
Samson Fox Syndrome
Outwardly, a fox suffering from Samson Syndrome can be identified by the lack of guard-hairs on it's coat (similar to a "rex" cat), giving them a skinny, woolly appearance. Cubs suffering from Samson syndrome have a very high mortality rate, and grow much more slowly than normal cubs.
If a Samson fox does reach adulthood, they are noted for having an abnormally ravenous appetite. A Samson fox is always hungry, and they will eat anything from dung to carrion to satisfy their hunger. The adults are considered to be much less "fit" than a normal adult fox; they have a high mortality rate even in the relatively safe confines of captivity.
It is generally believed to be caused by a recessive genetic factor, which I'm arbitrarily assigning the tag-letter of "S" to. Please keep in mind that due to their reduced viability, this gene is very rare.
Sa | Wild-type
sa | Samson Syndrome
Grey Squirrels
Important Note: The first three genes in this are not based on known squirrel genes, as data for this sort of thing doesn't seem to exist (believe me, I've looked). The first three loci are a simplified system I have created to approximate how squirrel coloration seems to work in the wild.
A Locus
A | Wild-type
The squirrel will appear normal, with different bands of color on the strands of fur.
a | Melanistic
The squirrel will be melanistic; which variety of melanism depends on other genes. Please see the special section below for more info on determining which form of melanism will be expressed.
B Locus
This gene controls the amount of brown in the coat, and has two co-dominant alleles.
BB | Solid grey
The squirrel will be grey all over, with very little red or brown. The hairs will still have their natural agouti banding, ranging from dark to light, but there will be very little red or brown pigment overall.
Bb | A little red/brown
The squirrel will have varying amounts of red and brown throughout the coat, most notable splashes on the face and in the undercoat of the tail.
bb | Lots of red/brown
The squirrel will be almost entirely red or brown, with very little grey on them. The hairs will still have their natural agouti banding
R Locus
This gene controls whether red or brown pigment is produced, and has two co-dominant alleles. Pretty self explanatory. A bbR- squirrel will be almost entirely brown, while a bbrr squirrel will be almost entirely red.
RR | Brown pigment
Rr | Reddish brown pigment
rr | Red pigment
Special Section: Melanistic Squirrels
In the wild, there are four basic varieties of melanistic squirrels. The genetics for each "type" of melanistic squirrel are unique, and are based on two or three of the preceding alleles.
aaBB
The squirrel will be completely jet-black.
aaBb
The squirrel will be jet-black with a scattering of silver and white guard hairs.
aabbR-
The squirrel will be brownish black with brown or rusty brown belly fur
aabbrr
The squirrel will be black with a red belly and/or tail.
D Locus
This gene has two alleles. The recessive allele dilutes the reds and browns in the coat coat to an overall yellow or cream color. It's effects are only really pronounced on squirrels with a "bb" genotype.
D | Wild Type
d | Dilution of red or brown pigment
Special Section: Blonde Squirrels
There are two main varieties of "blonde" squirrel--yellow-blonde and cream-blonde. Each has a very specific genotype.
A-bbR-dd | Yellow Blonde
A-bbrrdd | Cream Blonde
C Locus
This is the albino gene. It has two alleles.
C | Wild-type
c | Albino
The squirrel will not produce pigment, so it will be snow white with pink or red eyes (in rare cases, very pale blue eyes are possible as well). The squirrel will have severe vision problems.
S Locus
This is the whitespotting gene. It has three alleles.
S | Wild-type
No whitespotting.
sp | Piebald
The squirrel will have big patches of white at random points all over it's body.
s | Leucistic
Looks very much like an albino squirrel, but with dark eyes. No vision problems.
A Locus
A | Wild-type
The squirrel will appear normal, with different bands of color on the strands of fur.
a | Melanistic
The squirrel will be melanistic; which variety of melanism depends on other genes. Please see the special section below for more info on determining which form of melanism will be expressed.
B Locus
This gene controls the amount of brown in the coat, and has two co-dominant alleles.
BB | Solid grey
The squirrel will be grey all over, with very little red or brown. The hairs will still have their natural agouti banding, ranging from dark to light, but there will be very little red or brown pigment overall.
Bb | A little red/brown
The squirrel will have varying amounts of red and brown throughout the coat, most notable splashes on the face and in the undercoat of the tail.
bb | Lots of red/brown
The squirrel will be almost entirely red or brown, with very little grey on them. The hairs will still have their natural agouti banding
R Locus
This gene controls whether red or brown pigment is produced, and has two co-dominant alleles. Pretty self explanatory. A bbR- squirrel will be almost entirely brown, while a bbrr squirrel will be almost entirely red.
RR | Brown pigment
Rr | Reddish brown pigment
rr | Red pigment
Special Section: Melanistic Squirrels
In the wild, there are four basic varieties of melanistic squirrels. The genetics for each "type" of melanistic squirrel are unique, and are based on two or three of the preceding alleles.
aaBB
The squirrel will be completely jet-black.
aaBb
The squirrel will be jet-black with a scattering of silver and white guard hairs.
aabbR-
The squirrel will be brownish black with brown or rusty brown belly fur
aabbrr
The squirrel will be black with a red belly and/or tail.
D Locus
This gene has two alleles. The recessive allele dilutes the reds and browns in the coat coat to an overall yellow or cream color. It's effects are only really pronounced on squirrels with a "bb" genotype.
D | Wild Type
d | Dilution of red or brown pigment
Special Section: Blonde Squirrels
There are two main varieties of "blonde" squirrel--yellow-blonde and cream-blonde. Each has a very specific genotype.
A-bbR-dd | Yellow Blonde
A-bbrrdd | Cream Blonde
C Locus
This is the albino gene. It has two alleles.
C | Wild-type
c | Albino
The squirrel will not produce pigment, so it will be snow white with pink or red eyes (in rare cases, very pale blue eyes are possible as well). The squirrel will have severe vision problems.
S Locus
This is the whitespotting gene. It has three alleles.
S | Wild-type
No whitespotting.
sp | Piebald
The squirrel will have big patches of white at random points all over it's body.
s | Leucistic
Looks very much like an albino squirrel, but with dark eyes. No vision problems.
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