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                                                          CHIN CHAT
                                                          GENETICS
     
 

Definitions	Color Mutations	Recessive Mutations	Dominate Hybrids
Dominate Mutations	Accumulative Gene           Mutations	Accumulative Hybrids	Double Dominance &          Linked Genes

     Definitions

  Recessives may be bred to other color mutations and then the offspring bred back to more like  losing
     recessives. Care must be taken when breeding recessives in this fashion because of a higher chance of
     quality when breeding multiple mutations. It is recommended that parent animals come from very strong,  
     very healthy lines.

   Heterozygous When two gene pairs are different. Only one of the genes, the dominant one, is fully  
      expressed, but that chin is still capable of passing on the recessive gene to its offspring.

  Homozygous When two gene pairs are a match. This animal has a gene pair for a trait that expresses 
     them the same. This chinchilla possess 2 dominant or 2 recessive genes.

  Heterozygous beige chinchillas have a dominant gene for beige and a recessive gene for gray. This 
     animal is beige in color, with ruby red eyes. The darkness of the beige can vary greatly. Sometimes the 
     term 'half' can be used as well, as is the case of the heterozygous ebony chinchilla, which are 'half' black 
     and 'half' gray.  

  Dominate Gene the gene trait will develop in the offspring even if only one parent has this Gene.

  Recessive Gene A Gene who's trait will not be expressed in the Heterozygous.

  Color Mutations
The chinchilla comes in a variety of colors. We call these colors mutations because each is the result of a mutated gene (or genes) normally found in the standard chinchilla (wild-type gray).

  Recessive Mutations

  Sapphire
Sapphire is a recessive mutation. The best way to describe this color is that it looks like a very light standard, with a distinctly bluish cast. However there are very few really good sapphire chins. There are also many health issues related to this color, so make sure the chin you are consider buying is from healthy stock.

  White Sapphire
There are also white and sapphire chins (genetically sapphire, sapphire and white mosaic, NO standard). Don't confuse these with white mosaic sapphire carriers, which do not show the sapphire and look just like a white mosaic, but are sapphire carriers. Note the pink ears, clearly distinguishing this chin from the White or White Violet.

The more generations of Ebony bred in, the darker the sapphire color. The tummy is the same color as the back.

  Violet
This is a recessive color, so you will only see it when there are 2 violet genes present. Violets are a very even dove gray color. Lethal factor that exists in all TOV chins. A white and violet chin shows the violet color mixed in with white. Another very pretty violet color is the solid violet. Genetically this is a violet chin with the "wrap around" or ebony gene. This chin is a very dark violet color all over, even the tummy.

  White Violet
There are also white and violet chins (genetically violet, violet and white mosaic, NO standard). Don't confuse these with white mosaic violet carriers, which do not show the violet and look just like a white mosaic, but are violet carriers.

Dominate Hybrids

TOV White   Beige White   TOV Beige   TOV Beige White

  Dominate Hybrid

A hybrid is the blending of two different genetic occurrences to produce a whole new occurrence. In this case, hybrids are the blends of dominant mutation colors. All mutations should be of high quality when bred together. since they are mutations.

Dominate Mutations

Lethal Factor   TOV   Beige (ranges from light to dark, has a white belly)   White

  Dominant Mutations

Dominate Mutations are caused by mutant alleles (genes) that show dominance over their standard. Dominant mutations are the easiest to breed because mutation offspring appear in the first generation. Some dominant mutant genes carry a lethal factor and chinchillas carrying these dominant mutant genes should not be bred to other chinchillas carrying the same dominant mutant genes.

Accumulative Mutations

Ebony   French Blue   Busse

  Accumulative Gene Mutations

There are several types of chinchillas in the "charcoal" group that have proven to be dependent upon multiple gene loci (gene locations) for their coloration, unlike the single gene mechanism responsible for other mutation colors. The depth of this type of accumulative gene mutation depends on generations of breeding. As more and more of the proper genes are collected within the offspring, they become darker.

Accumulative Hybrids

Ebony/Charcoal White   TOV Ebony/Charcoal   TOV Pastel/Tan   Pastel/Tan White

  Accumulative Hybrids

A hybrid is a combination of different mutated genes pairs that will produce a new phenotype, usually a blend of the effect of the gene pairs involved in the cross. In this case the hybrids are the blends of dominant mutations and accumulative mutations that show co-dominance by blending in the offspring.

Recessive Hybrids

Sapphire   Violet Blends

  Carrier
     The term "carrier" means an animal who carries a recessive gene that does not show in its coat because 
      it is covered by (hidden beneath) a dominant gene. Because a color is recessive, it appears only in its 
      homozygous state. All offspring of a recessive-appearing animal will be carriers for that recessive gene.  

Recessive animals are best bred to similar recessives, similar recessive carriers, or high-quality standards for improvement of the line. Recessive carriers are best bred to similar recessives and similar recessive carriers.

The more difficult color mutations to breed are the colors recessive to the standard coloration.

A standard gray chinchilla possesses 2 recessive gray genes. A homozygous beige chinchilla possesses 2 dominant beige genes. This animal is a very light beige color, with bright pink eyes.

Homozygous beige carries 2 dominant genes.

Heterozygous Beige to a Standard Gray
The stomach of the normal beige, both hetero and homo, is white in color.

Breeding with Whites (also called Wilson White, Silver Mosaic White with Grey patches or are silver)
Wilson white only exists in the heterozygous state.

  Pink White             Silver Mosaic

Lethal Factor      when breeding 2 white chinchillas together.
White + White =
DEATH

Any chinchilla carrying the white gene should not be bred to another carrying a white gene, even if they are not pure whites. These chinchillas have the dark eyes and ears, and can be pure white, white with a few gray hairs, white with gray patches (silver mosaic), or appear to be silver in color. The silver is actually an even distribution of white and gray hairs that make the chinchilla appear silver in color. All of these variations have a lethal factor, and should not be bred together. Silver chins tend to produce silver babies instead of pure white, which means some mutation of the gene has probably occurred. The white gene is dominant over the standard gray gene.

  Double Dominance and Linked Genes

Double dominance is where 2 genes can each make themselves present, such as white and beige, but the standard gray gene is still carried. The best illustration of this comes when breeding the white to beige. A common result is a white chinchilla, which has reddish eyes and pink ears. The dominance of the white is shown by the fur color, but the dominance of the beige is shown by the ear/eye color. This chinchilla does carry the standard gray gene as well. Instead of being called a Wilson white, these are referred to as beige-whites. The pink ear/eye color also illustrates another concept of linked genes. The genes for ear/eye color appear to be linked together. This means you probably will never see a white chinchilla with black eyes and pink ears.

  Hetero-Beige

This breeding combination gives an equal possibility of all four of the above variations in color (silvers, mosaics, pinkish tint, mixed beige hairs) may develop, and could lead to further mutation of the genes.

Black Velvets 
These animals are black, with a white stomach.

Black Velvet

Ebonies
Homozygous ebony is jet black over its entire body, and has a very silky coat. The hetero-ebony is dark black on the back, and the coat gets lighter along the side, usually showing some gray. The stomach is dark in color, between gray and black in appearance. One variation of the ebony is the black charcoal, which is dark over the entire body, but is a little duller shade of black than the jet-black, and does not have the silkiness.

Hetero-Ebony to a Hetero Beige, Ebony carrier
The ebony is dominant over the standard gray. (Remember an animal with a dark stomach carries the ebony gene.)

Homo-Ebony to a Beige-Silver
A beige-silver is similar to the beige-white but is silver in color as opposed to white carriers. It appears the ebony gene from the homo-ebony and will be carried by all their offspring. A homo-ebony can be produced from this couple even though the mother has no ebony in her background.

Color Combinations

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