Color and pattern guide?

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mommaebear

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Ok Ive googled and looked around alot of places but I have yet to find a good enough guide to be able to figure out what I have in my herd aside from the obvious. And since my rabbits came from a herd of mix large breed rabbits there are quite a lot of variations in my litters. Is there maybe a good visual guide that could help me get all of this straitÉ
 
Ok the page is nicely organized and a great start!

But I need some help with some or the terms, well alot of the terms, is there a definition guild that covers alot of this at a beginers level to get a solid foundation?

Some of the things I'm having a hard time seeing the pattern with are
Pearl
Sable
Chinchilla
Tick
Shaded
Tort
Seal
Agouti


I'm off to search but thought I would see if anything hits here ;)
 
It might help to know that a chinchilla is an agouti, just colored differently. All agouti rabbits have the basic white agouti pattern markings in the ears, around the eyes, nose lacing, jowls, belly, along the inside of the and under the tail. Their colors may be different though resulting in something like lynx, opal, chinchilla, squirrel, etc. Likewise a sable is a shaded rabbit, so it will also have the same pattern as other shaded rabbits with the darker legs, ears, mask, etc. and there may be a ruby glow to the eye also. I really think the best thing for you might be to google ones you aren't sure about and look at pictures of different rabbits in the colors you are trying to learn about.. they say a picture is worth a thousand words and if you can't see it in person then I think it might be the next most helpful thing for you.

You can see a chestnut agouti (Sunflower), a smoke pearl shaded (Hulk) along with chinchillas (Silverton, Twister), seal (Cocoa), etc. on my website if it is helpful for you: http://www.hendrickshearth.com

Best of luck,

Lauren
 
Ok, here is another site that isn't as clean as the first...This is for lops. http://www.ephiny.net/index.php The color guides are in the left hand menu.

Each breed uses slightly different terminology, such as Castor/Chestnut/Agouti meaning the same thing for some breeds, for others agouti refers to any banded hair, and the color is indicated differently. That is some of the confusion.

I will try to define some of your list and then smarter people may have to correct me.

Agouti means that the hair is banded, and typically refers to the color of a wild rabbit, but can also be used to refer to to the genetic capacity to have banded hairs, which includes several types of colors, such as....

Chinchilla, which is an agouti with no red in it's coat, so the hairs are banded black/blue/gray/white, but no red/brown/yellow.

Ticking is when just the tips of some individual hairs are a lighter color, and varies in the amount of ticking according to breed/individual.

Shaded is when the rabbits extremities are darker, rather like a siamese cat, though not limited to brown and creme.

Tort is a brown rabbit with black(or gray) shading...kinda. That is what it looks like, anyway, I don't know if that is the proper definition.

Seal and Sable look alot alike to me, they are both dark brown, but I think Sable has shading, and Seal...maybe doesn't?

Pearl is a really hard one, I have seen it look either gray or creamy, someone else better explain that!
 
An agouti looks like a wild rabbit then? I have lots of rabbits like this. when i blow on the coat it is grey then black, then brown tips. And have a red/blown color to it when you look at the rabbit.

Next I have grey rabbits that are a solid steel blue grey but have a shine to them.

I have other grey rabbits that are a grey with brown mixed in and the brown comes out around the face and sides more in the summer, but the belly and underside is white.

I have broken rabbits, some lilac, some black, but the the brown spotted ones have and agouti color so are they broken agouti?
But somtimes I get thrown a broken agouti that seems to have a coat between a rex and standard.

rew are easy, I have a bunch of those.

I have black bunnies with a white underside, and a few white tips on the sides, I believe these are silver martens or fox?


My rex rabbits are a chocolate looking brown on top, then gets red towards the sides and a creamy white under belly.


then I have a solid black rabbit with very little but everywhere specking of longer fawn, or light brown hairs.


And finally ( I think) I have one buck who is a light orange fawn color with a whit belly and underside.

Figured it might make everything alot easier, I still want to learn of course, but if I could know what they are it might help me understand it all better ;)

Thanks everyone!
 
Some basic agoutis look like wild rabbits. The basic agouti in a rex does not. The color is called castor and due to rufus and wideband modifiers it comes out mostly brown with black tips.

This http://www.nmrrc.net/apps/photos/photo?photoid=28614275 and this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rabbi ... %29_02.jpg are the same color but agouti in mini rex is unique because of the modifiers. That first link also has a whole slideshow of mini rex colors. Most of the colors will be the same in other rabbits.


Every rabbit is black or chocolate first then diluted to blue or lilac. All other genes stack on top of these so every rabbit has a black, blue, chocolate, or lilac base. Then they can be agouti, tan/otter, or self. On top of that they can be full color or shaded (himalayan, chinchilla, seal...). Then you have unique things like nonextension causing torts or rew and bew which cover everything up with white. Determine the color in pieces by checking for things like different bands on the individual hairs(agouti) or not(self) or darker points which would be shaded or tort.
 
akane":1m87b3vr said:
Some basic agoutis look like wild rabbits. The basic agouti in a rex does not. The color is called castor and due to rufus and wideband modifiers it comes out mostly brown with black tips.

This http://www.nmrrc.net/apps/photos/photo?photoid=28614275 and this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rabbi ... %29_02.jpg are the same color but agouti in mini rex is unique because of the modifiers. That first link also has a whole slideshow of mini rex colors. Most of the colors will be the same in other rabbits.


Every rabbit is black or chocolate first then diluted to blue or lilac. All other genes stack on top of these so every rabbit has a black, blue, chocolate, or lilac base. Then they can be agouti, tan/otter, or self. On top of that they can be full color or shaded (himalayan, chinchilla, seal...). Then you have unique things like nonextension causing torts or rew and bew which cover everything up with white. Determine the color in pieces by checking for things like different bands on the individual hairs(agouti) or not(self) or darker points which would be shaded or tort.
Click to expand...

There are too many terms I don't know grouped togather so fast in this post, I hate to sound slow but it's really confusing like this. Kinda get it at first and assume "base" is base gene for color not the base color. I get agouti but then tan/otter still means nothing to me, same with the different between full color and shaded. Then I get Chilcilla, but still don't get himalayan, seal, or nonextension causing torts(what is a tort even? I know what a torti cat looks like)I get that self is a solid hair shaft.
 
You have two choices--up-load a pic of each rabbit you aren't sure of the color of--skip the REW and black, etc. and just ask "What is this color?"

Or--Wade through the various links posted and google like crazy until it starts to make a pattern in your brain, which is what I did. From your descriptions I can guess a few, but I would have to see to be sure.

Going down your list by your descriptions I would say:
Agouti
Blue
No idea (I'd have to see)
Yes, Broken Agouti is a color
Black Otter/Sliver Marten (I'd have to see)
Castor Rex, which is what agouti looks like on the rex coat
Orange or Fawn, which are colors, though not always recognized for showing depending on breed.

If you google the above colors like this: "black otter rabbit picture" you will get a slew of pictures to compare to your rabbits and see what fits.

Agouti is a confusing term, because I tend to use it to refer to the wild rabbit color, other breeds use different names (castor/chestnut), and Agouti technically means "banded fur" with no distinction made as the the color of those bands, so any rabbit that has bands belongs in the Agouti group, as opposed to the solid color fur which is called the "self" group (such as Solid Black/Chocolate/Blue)
 
An agouti looks like a wild rabbit then? I have lots of rabbits like this. when i blow on the coat it is grey then black, then brown tips. And have a red/blown color to it when you look at the rabbit.
those will be chestnut.

Next I have grey rabbits that are a solid steel blue grey but have a shine to them.
these sound like blues, possibly with a satin coat.

I have other grey rabbits that are a grey with brown mixed in and the brown comes out around the face and sides more in the summer, but the belly and underside is white.
sound like opal.

I have broken rabbits, some lilac, some black, but the the brown spotted ones have and agouti color so are they broken agouti? YES
But somtimes I get thrown a broken agouti that seems to have a coat between a rex and standard. the joys of mixed breeds :)

rew are easy, I have a bunch of those.

I have black bunnies with a white underside, and a few white tips on the sides, I believe these are silver martens or fox? do they have a triangle of colour at the back of their head?


My rex rabbits are a chocolate looking brown on top, then gets red towards the sides and a creamy white under belly. I would suspect that they are chocolate agouti/cinnamon/amber


then I have a solid black rabbit with very little but everywhere specking of longer fawn, or light brown hairs. potentially a steel?


And finally ( I think) I have one buck who is a light orange fawn color with a whit belly and underside. could be orange/fawn depending on breed
 
I Have Pictures!
Ok the first are the blue rabbits

If my titles are wrong or you want better pics of certain ones please let me know ;)

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y192-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y189-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y188-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y187-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y186-1.jpg

__________ Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:51 pm __________

Next are the grey rabbits I'm super confused about, I'm wondering if they are agouti???

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y191-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y190-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... day152.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y153-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y157-1.jpg

__________ Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:54 pm __________

My mystery black with gold speckles boy

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y177-1.jpg

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y178-1.jpg

__________ Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:57 pm __________

The Black ones, but they are a little different

http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y174-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y171-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y170-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y169-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y150-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y151-1.jpg<br /><br />__________ Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:59 pm __________<br /><br />Broken Rex? This is the one with the funny coat, and her whiskers are curly, like she singed them, but I've had bunnies I've sold like this too,in a broken black as well.

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y158-1.jpg

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll14 ... y156-1.jpg

(she is in the back in this one, the smaller one)
 
Blue, Blue (or possibly Lilac) Otter, Gold-tipped Steel?, Black Otter, Broken Agouti...

The Blue is diluted Black and the Blue Otter is diluted Black Otter, so that shows you have the dilute gene in your herd. Neat!

I can't tell for sure from the pics, but the brownish on the Blue Otter's face looks like molting to me, rather than Lilac, which I think would be a more over-all, consistent brownish pink cast to the gray.
 
Ok so what does Otter refer to? the white belly? What about the one black Doe that has the brown behind the ears, vs the bunny black behind the ears?
 
number 3 honestly looks more like an opal to me than anything else. It looks muddy in the picture. and blue otters I find don't look muddy. Granted, might be the light and picture quality. Also makes more sense to me based on the chestnut in the litter...

either way, it means you carry dilute as opal is the dilute of the chestnut.

Does it have a triangle of brown behind the ears?

is there a light splash of colour on the REW's nose?

__________ Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:50 am __________

#19 is a black otter
#22 is likely being groomed by the others. probably lowest bunny on the totem pole
#25 I'd separate that kit out and see what was up with it. if not a case of overgrooming I"d check for signs of bugs and treat him. If nothing wrong bugwise, I'd cull it and not repeat the breeding.
#27 is broken castor (as it's known in rex colours)
#31 is an opal
#33 is an otter of some sort... black or sable
 

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