Easy Lop Color Genetics

Written according to the Lop Color Guide, specifically for French and English Lops.

I am going to write this article so anyone at all can understand it.  In fact there are only two new words you will have to know to understand color genetics in Lops (I am only going to cover varieties that are accepted in the Lops).  They are:  Dominant:  needs only one gene to be expressed and will cover up any gene less dominant; is shown with capital letters.  Recessive:  Needs two genes to be expressed; is shown with lower case letters.  The other thing you should be aware of is that fact that a rabbit will inherit one gene (or half of each pair) from each parent.  Lastly, when “_” is placed after a gene, it merely means that we do not know the gene (and it doesn’t have an affect on the rabbit’s color).

            The first set genes you will need to know about is the A series.  This gene series does not determine color, rather it will determine what pattern your rabbit is: Agouti (three to five rings of color, white belly color) or Non-Agouti (or self).  Agouti is the dominant of the two and is represented by A.  Non-agouti is recessive and is represented by the letter a. 

            AA – Agouti

            Aa – Agouti 

            aa – Non-Agouti (or self)

So a rabbit needs only one Agouti gene to have an Agouti pattern, but it needs two recessive Non-Agouti genes not to show the Agouti pattern.  If you have an Agouti born in the litter, at least one parent MUST be  an Agouti.  On the other hand, if you have a rabbit without the Agouti pattern born out of two Agouti parents, that must mean that both the dam and sire are hiding the recessive Non-Agouti gene.

            The rest of the genes we will discuss actually determine the color of your rabbit.  The first of these is the B series.  Black is dominant and is represented by B, while Chocolate is recessive and represented by b.

            B – Black

            Bb - Black

            bb – Chocolate

This is not to say that all rabbits are either Black or Chocolate, rather that they must carry the genes for one of these pigments, and the interaction of later gene series change the color (by restricting or eliminating pigment, diluting color).

            The C series contains 5 genes, but only 4 of these affect our Lops (as Pointed Whites are not accepted).  Each of the genes in the C series is dominant to the genes listed below it.  C (Full Color) is dominant to all genes, while c (albino) is completely recessive to all other genes in the C series.

                        C – allows color development of all black and yellow pigments

                        c(chd) – chinchilla – turns yellow pigments to white or pearl white

                        c(chl) – shading gene.  Commonly referred to as the “light chinchilla gene,” it is not in fact a chinchilla gene at all.  Eliminates all of the yellow pigments and turns black into sepia brown.  Eyes will have a ruby cast.

                        c – albino gene.  Prevents the development of any pigment, regardless of any other genes that may be present.

            C (Full Color) is dominant to all the genes listed below it.  If you rabbit has one C gene, regardless of whether it also carries the shading gene or the albino gene,  it will show Full Color pigment in the fur.  If your rabbit carries one  c(chl) gene and one albino gene (we would write this as “c(chl)c”, your rabbit will be a shaded variety.  The albino gene is the most recessive.  Many times, people will have REW’s pop up in litters when there are no REW’s visible on the pedigree.  This tells us that both the dam and the sire carry the recessive c gene.  A REW is simply a colored rabbit hiding beneath a white sheet.  The albino gene prevents us from seeing whether the rabbit may be a Steel, a Self, a Dilute because it prevents the development of all pigments.

            The D Series also affects the coat color.  D (Dense Color) is the dominant gene, and d (dilute) is the recessive. 

                        D – Dense Color.  Rabbits will have brown eyes.

                        d – Dilute Color.  Often described as appearing “silvery,” rabbits will have blue or blue-gray eyes.

            So a rabbit may carry the dilute gene, and not show it.  This would look like this “Dd.”  For a rabbit to be a dilute color (“dd”), it must inherit one Dilute gene from each parents.  Whether or not the parents themselves are dilute colors, it doesn’t matter.  When a dilute color pops up in a litter, each parent must carry the dilute gene: Dam = “Dd”, Sire = “Dd.”  Or one parent may be a Dilute, while the other parent merely carries the gene:  Dam or Sire = “dd”  the other parent = “Dd.”  Each Dense Color has a Dilute counterpart.  For example, Blue is the Dilute of Black, Lilac is the Dilute of Chocolate.  Here are a few others:

                        Dense Color                                       Dilute Color

                        Chestnut                                             Opal

                        Black Chinchilla                                  Blue Chinchilla (or Squirrel)

                        Black Tort                                          Blue Tort

            The last series we will talk about that controls color is the E series.  These genes control the black pigment.  The genes here are little more tricky because here we have our Steel gene, or Es.  The steel gene is the only dominant gene that can be hidden.  The genes in this series are:

                        Es – Steel.  Produces an over abundance of dark pigment.  Covers up the intermediate band in agoutis, and covers the normal agouti markings (including the belly).  Belly color on steels is gray.

                        E – Normal Extension of the black pigment.  Most rabbits are EE.  Agoutis will show normal ring color.

                        ej – brindling gene (Harlequin). 

                        e – non-extension gene.  Removes all or most of the black pigment in the coat.  In agouti rabbits, all the dark pigment I removed.  In self rabbits, some shading is still seen around the nose, tails and feet.

            The steel gene is so common in French Lops, but it one that not too many breeders really understand how it works.  The steel gene also needs an Agouti gene, A, to do its job properly.  When a rabbit inherits two Non- Agouti genes, aa, and a Steel gene, Es_, the result is a “self-steel.”  Mostly these rabbits will have white hairs scattered throughout.  This is why we say the Steel gene, a dominant gene, can be covered up.  When a rabbit is “Ese,” the Steel gene can not fully express itself, and may be covered up.  Sometimes a rabbit will inherit two Steel genes, EsEs.  Two Steel genes remove more dark pigment, and will usually leve you with an almost black rabbit, or one that just has light ticking over the entire body. 

            The E gene is what most rabbits carry.  The is just the normal color.  Blacks, blues, chestnuts and opals are all “EE” or maybe even “Ee.”

            The Non-Extension gene, or e, is what removes dark pigment from the coat.  Our reds, oranges and fawns all carry two of these genes, along with an agouti gene.  If a rabbit carries a self gene, and “ee,” it will become a tort variety or a sable point.  For example:

            Black Self with “ee”                =            Black Tort

            Blue Self with “ee”                =            Blue Tort

            Siamese Sable with “ee”      =            Sable Point

            Notice that I haven’t said anything about the ej gene or Tri-color varieties, which the Lop Standard does accept.  As of now, there are very few breeders breeding this gene into their Lops, and as it is a very confusing gene, it would merit a whole article by itself.

            The last gene we will discuss is the Broken gene, En.  This one is very simple.  There are two genes in our Lops, En (Broken) and en (solid). 

                        Enen = Broken Pattern

                        enen = Solid Pattern

                        EnEn = Charlie Pattern

            A normal Broken rabbit with a good color Pattern will have one of each gene.  When two brokens are bred together, Charlies may be produced. 

Broken (Enen) x Broken (Enen) =

25% Solid

50% Broken

25% Charlies

A Charlie inherits one Broken gene from each parent and is very lightly marked.  Most will have a little color on the nose, on the ears and a thin strip going down the back.  Most Charlies are not showable as they will not have the required 10% color, but can be used for breeding.  When a Charlie is bred to a Solid colored rabbit, all Broken rabbits will be produced.

            Charlie (EnEn) x Solid (enen) =

            100% Broken (Enen)