Rabbit Colors

             Rabbits can come in many colors. This depends on the genes it receives from the parents. There are five different genes that make up the rabbit's color. This, again, depends on the parents. Every rabbit has two genes from each of the gene sets - A-agouti, B-black/brown, C- color saturation, D- dilution of color, and E- extension of color. Other sets include-V- Vienna (which is the blue-eyed white gene), En-which produces broken patterns, and Du, which can give the Dutch color pattern. When the sire is bred he will pass on one of the two genes from the gene set, and the dam will pass on one of the two genes from the gene set, giving the offspring two genes from each gene set. certain genes have more dominance. For example, in Agouti, the three possible genes are A, at, and a. A is the more dominant and may be seen more in the offspring(if given). For example, the A gene is the typical wild rabbit color. Rabbits that receive this gene have white bellies as well as white eye circles. The hairs on a rabbit possessing the A gene have individual color bands, and if you  blow on the rabbit you will see circular bands of color. The at gene is basically known as the tan pattern. In order for this to show the second gene must be an a or at. If the rabbit carries the A gene the tan will not show, however, the rabbit still carries it. The at gene has the same overall pattern as Agouti (the belly and eye circles as well as the underside of the tail will be white, but the individual hairs will not have color bands and will be one consecutive color). The a gene is also known as the self gene. Because it is the least dominant gene there must be two a gene for it to show. This gene will result in a single color pattern and no color rings on individual hairs. There are two genes in the black/brown gene (gene B). B(black) , which is the more dominant, and b, which is chocolate. Colors in the B set include black, lilac, sable point, tort, and chinchilla. the b set can include chocolate, lilac, and lynx. Because there are only two genes in this set, to get the chocolate color to show you will need to get two b genes. gene C ( color saturation) is more complex. Dominant and recessive genes as well as co-dominant and slight-dominance genes work to make a rabbit's color. There is even a gene affected by temperature! There are five genes in this gene set: C, cchd, cchl, ch, and c. These genes determined how full the color is in your rabbit. Most dominant gene in this set is C, where your rabbit shows full color. The c gene, or the most recessive, will show a complete complete drain of color (albino). The c gene produces a REW, or ruby-eyed white, not a BEW, or blue-eyed white. The gene vienna produces a blue-eyed white. The cchd gene and cchl gene have co-dominance. The cchd gene is known as the chinchilla gene, or chinchilla dark.  This gene allows some but not all the pigment in your rabbit. If your rabbit is an agouti, white color bands will appear in between darker color bands. This gene will also produce rabbits with blue eyes. The cchl gene is known as the sable gene, or chinchilla dark. This gene has incomplete dominance. When you have two sale genes such as cchd cchl you get more of a darker, sepia color called seal. Seal color is almost black, Like cchd, this gene removes yellow from the hair shaft as well as some darker pigmentation, leaving the rabbit with a more shaded look. This gene leaves the eye color dark, unlike the chinchilla dark gene(cchd). The ch gene is known as the himi gene. Rabbits showing this are called pointed white, and are white except for the muzzle, ears, and feet. When it is colder, the color can be "turned back on", or in other words, the rabbit can become darker in the winter to stay warmer. The c gene is known as the albino gene and because of its properties, will wash out what ever the A, B, D, and E genes have to offer. There are only two genes in set D (Dilution of color). D which is full strength color, and d which is diluted color. The only way for a rabbit to have diluted color is if the rabbit has two d genes. The dilute will weaken the color in full-colored rabbits. The E gene (extension of color) determines if the hair stretches to the end of the hair sift or not. The non-extended hair shaft can produce colors such as black tortoise shell. The rabbit all appear shaded as shorter hairs (along places such as the muzzle and belly) aren't long enough to show the color change. There are four genes in this set: E-the full extension of color, ES-extension of a dark color, e- extension of a light color, and ej. ES genes can produce steel colors, while the ej gene can produce harlequin colors. And finally, the EN (English spotting) gene set. There are two genes in this set: En and en.

 Enen will cause normal spotting as in a broken pattern. EnEn will cause the rabbit to mainly have spotting only on the head area. This resulting color is known as a Charlie. The set even will result in a normally- colored rabbit.

                                                                   Rabbit Color List

Agouti: bands of color occur on each hair - the colors of these bands vary depending on the type of agouti coloration.
Black: dark black.
Black otter: black body with lighter underside, hair may be orange tinted at the border of the black and lighter color.
Blue: medium or slate blue.
Blue otter: blue coat with fawn tipped guard hairs, fawn areas.
Blue steel: blue with silver or tan "ticking" (see below)
Blue tortoiseshell: blue and beige.
Broken: white with any color patches or spots, with nose markings, colored ears, and eye circles.
Brown-gray agouti: blue at base, then medium tan, charcoal, and tan at tip.
Californian: white body with black on nose, ears, tail, feet.
Castor: brown over top, slate blue undercoat, with orange or red in between.
Chinchilla: slate or black blended with pearl, black tipped guard hairs.
Cinnamon: rust or reddish-brown color.
Chocolate: deep dark brown.
Chocolate agouti: bands of tan and chocolate with a chestnut tip.
Chocolate chinchilla: chocolate and pearl with chocolate tipped guard hairs.
Chocolate steel: chocolate with tan or silver ticking.
Chocolate tortoiseshell: creamy chocolate with fawn.
Copper agouti: bands of red/orange and dark slate with red at tip, ticked with black tipped guard hairs.
Cream: pinkish beige to almond.
Fawn: straw color.
Frosted pearl: pearl with black, blue, chocolate or lilac shading.
Gray: three different colors of hair: black, black with tan tip, and black with tan band, and slate undercolor.
Light gray: agouti with slate blue at base, off white in middle, and light gray at tip, with black tipped guard hairs.
Lilac: pinkish pale gray
Lilac chinchilla: lilac and pearl ticked with lilac tipped guard hairs.
Lilac steel: lilac with tan or silver ticking.
Lilac tortoiseshell: lilac and beige.
Opal agouti: slate blue at base of hair, then gold, then blue tip.
Orange: light to bright orange.
Pearl: light creamy gray.
Pointed white: white with black, blue, chocolate or lilac colored nose, ears, feet, tail (like a Himalayan coloring).
Red: rich brown red color.
Sable: dark grayish brown.
Sable marten: siamese sable coloring with silver tipped guard hairs.
Sable point: cream body and sable on nose, ears, feet and tail.
Sandy: reddish tan.
Seal: dark (almost black) sable.
Self group: solid color in black, blue, lilac, blue eyed white, and ruby eyed white.
Shaded group: color transitions from dark to light (e.g. frosted pearl, sable, sable point, siamese sable, seal, tortoise).
Silver or silver fox: silver with white or white tipped hairs.
Silver Marten: black, blue, chocolate or lilac with silver white markings and silver tipped guard hairs.
Tan Pattern: marks (not necessarily tan) on nostril, eye circles, jowls, inside ears, belly, inside led, underside of tail.
Groups included marten and otter colorations.
Ticking: solid or tipped guard hairs different than the main coat color interspersed throughout the coat.
Tortoise: orange with black, blue, chocolate or lilac.
Tortoiseshell: orange or dark fawn and black.
Tri-colored: white with any of black and orange, lavender blue and fawn, chocolate and orange, gray and fawn.

Sources: "Three Ladies Rabbitry" and "Ask.com"