Just a side note that the term is just REW and not Albino. Albinoism is rare, and REW is pretty common
REW is functionally the same as albino; both terms refer to a genetic condition that impairs an individual's production of melanin, which is a group of pigments that give hair, fur, feathers, and eyes their color. The most commonly used defintion of albinism is one blocking expression of
all pigment in hair and eyes.
The REW moniker (aka Red-eyed White or Ruby-eyed White) applies to the varieties of rabbits as described in the ARBA Standard of Perfection (SOP); in some breeds that variety is referred to only as "White" (eg. Satins) rather than REW, usually when the breed does not also recognize BEW (Blue-eyed White).
I've learned that the chinchilla is the more dominant form of albinoism.
If you use the definition of albinism as blocking all pigment, chinchilla does not qualify; however I suppose that chinchilla
could be called a form of albinism in that it blocks expression of one form of melanin.
The allele for chinchilla <cchd> is on the same gene series (C series) as the allele for REW/albino <c>. All the alleles in the C series except full-color <C> progressively reduce the amount of pigment expressed in the animal's fur and eyes.
Chinchilla is the most dominant of these suppressive alleles and block most or all production of pheomelanin (the form of melanin that produces yellow pigment responsible for tan, orange and red tones in the rabbit's fur), but allow expression of eumelanin (which produces black, chocolate and sepia tones).
As
@ladysown pointed out, the variety "chinchilla" can come in black, its dilute blue, chocolate, and its dilute lilac.
I'm still confused how somethings like American Chinchilla are described as a breed when they are just a color and fur trait. So are " breed" standards just that, color and fur traits of the standard and not a true breed of rabbit?
The various Chinchilla breeds are definitely distinct breeds, each having their own SOP regarding size, body type, fur type, etc. They just happen to be breeds only recognized in a single variety (black chinchilla), and named after that distinctive feature they happen to share. Otherwise they are quite different from each other:
The Standard Chinchilla has a compact body type with rollback fur and weighs between 5-7.5 pounds. Body type accounts for 30 points out of 100, while 35 points are allotted to color. 15 of those points are for surface color, with the other points for undercolor and ring color/definition.
The American Chinchilla has a commercial body type with rollback fur and weighs between 9-12 pounds. Body type accounts for 45 points out of 100, while 25 points are allotted to color; 12 of those points are for surface color, with the other points for undercolor and ring color/definition.
The Giant Chinchilla has a mandolin body type with flyback fur and weighs 12-16 pounds. Body type accounts for a whopping 60 points out of 100; only 15 points out of 100 are allotted to color. 7 of those points are for surface color, with the other points for undercolor and ring color.