From what I found looking into a few websites, they are (color-wise, anyways) genetically Chinchillas with non-extension, aka Tort.
According to some articles, the Sallanders are aaB-chd-D-ee. Hypothetical situation...I have a buck who is black tort, or aaB-C-D-ee. If I could find a Chinchilla doe (I think A_B_Cchd_D_E) how would I go about creating the Sallander's color? How many (or how few) generations and breedbacks would it take?
There's either a 50% OR a 100% chance of expressed Agouti, depending on the doe (if she's AA, then it's 100% since kits from AA x aa would be Aa...but if she's Aa, then only 50%) and with both having dominant Black (BB or Bb, if they are both Bb then it's still 75% Black, 25% Brown...but if one is BB then 100% Black base) the odds are getting better. If the buck is CC, then there's a 50% chance of Chinchilla...if he's got anything else hidden behind that C, though, that could throw a wrench into things. I doubt it, but stranger things have happened.
The sticking point is that the non extension/Tort (ee) is recessive...so all the kits would get an e from the sire. It would then depend on the doe...if she were Ee, then there's a 50% chance of non-extension and therefore, a slim chance of the desired outcome in the first generation!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Indeed even if it doesn't happen on the first generation, if she has Ee, it is still a possibility in future litters.
If she's EE, then it's gonna take another generation bred back to the sire. In that case, any Chinchilla offspring the doe has will be Ee for sure, and thus 50% of the second gen doe's offspring with the sire buck will be ee.
..........................................not that I'm considering doing this, really. Naw, this is all just...terribly hypothetical. I mean, my little Tort Lop is just a pet. Retired breeder. Juuuuust a pet.
Though.........................I may be keeping my eyes out for Chinchilla Lop does from now on. Hey, everybody needs a hobby!
