Rabbit Genetics: The C Locus
In the C Locus there are 5 genes. "C" is the most dominant gene, "c(chd)" is the second dominant gene, "c(chl)" is the third dominant gene, "c(h)" is the fourth dominant gene, and "c" is the most recessive gene.
~ Full Color
"C" is called the Full Color gene. The full color gene can be homozygous for "C". If it is not homozygous for "C" then it is heterozygous. The full color gene creates the one color that we see in blacks, blues, oranges, etc. Some of the colors that have the full color gene are as follows:
Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Otter, Chestnut Agouti, Opal, Orange, Tortoise, Castor, Lynx, Cinnamon, Chocolate Chestnut Agouti, Tri Colors, and Harlequins.
The full color gene can carry Chinchilla Dark, Shaded (Chinchilla Light), Pointed White, or Albino.
~Chinchilla Dark
"c(chd)" is called the Chinchilla Dark gene. The chinchilla gene can be homozygous for chinchilla dark. If it carries a gene recessive to it then it is heterozygous. It cannot carry Full Color because a recessive gene cannot carry a gene that is dominant to it. This gene removes all red, orange, and fawn pigment from the coat, leaving white. Some of the colors that have the Chinchilla Dark gene are as follows:
Black Chinchilla, Blue Chinchilla, Chocolate Chinchilla, Lilac Chinchilla, Frosted Pearl, Magpie, Self Chinchilla, Ermine (brown-eyed-white), and Silver Marten.
The chinchilla dark gene can carry Shaded (Chinchilla Light), Pointed White, and Albino.
~ Shaded (Chinchilla Light)
"c(chl)" is the shaded or chinchilla light gene. The shaded gene can be homozygous or shaded. If it carries a gene recessive to it then it is heterozygous. It cannot carry the full color or chinchilla dark genes because they are dominant to it and a recessive gene cannot carry a gene that is dominant to it. This gene also removes all orange, red, and fawn pigment from the coat, leaving behind white. It also creates the color lighter in areas and spreads it into a shaded pattern. The shaded pattern is darker than the body color. Some of the colors that have the Shaded gene are as follows:
Seal, Sable, Smoke Pearl, Siamese Sable, Sable Point, Smoke Pearl Chinchilla, and Sable Chinchilla.
The shaded gene can carry Pointed White and Albino.
~ Pointed White
"c(h)" is the Pointed White gene. The pointed white gene can be homozygous for pointed white. If it carries a gene recessive to it the it is heterozygous. It cannot carry any gene dominant to it as any recessive gene cannot carry a dominant gene. The pointed white gene removes all red, orange, and fawn pigment, leaving only white. It also makes the color (black, blue, chocolate, or lilac for the most part) only show on the ears, nose, feet, legs, and tail. Some of the colors that have the pointed white gene are as follows:
Pointed White (All), Himalayan (breed), and Californian (breed).
Pointed White can carry Albino.
The pointed white gene is incompletely dominant to the Albino gene. When a pointed white carries albino the point color is usually lighter than a homozygous pointed white.
~ Albino
"c" is the Albino gene. The albino gene can only be homozygous for albino. It cannot carry any other gene because all other C Series genes are dominant to it. This gene removes all pigment from the coat and also makes the eyes pink. The pink that is seen is from the blood vessels because the albino gene removes all pigment from the rabbit. The following variety has the albino gene:
Ruby-Eyed-White (REW).
Albino cannot carry any other C Series gene.