Rabbit Fur Identification Thread

[ANightPerson]

There's no recognized breed called a California Rex; are you sure about that one?

California Rex is what I was told when I bought her, I'd never heard of it either. Her father is definitely some sort of Rex, I saw both parents.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Probably a mix between a californian and a rex, tbh. Happens a lot. So the mixed breeding of this rabbit goes back even further than you thought.

It's kind of hard to tell all the agoutis apart when they get so muddled. I'm still leaning towards chestnut on one and GTS on the other two but I would expect the GTS to be a lil darker. But they're such a muddy muddled mix it's not going to be easy to tell. They could just be different shades of chestnut.

 

[Bunnylady]

California Rex is what I was told when I bought her, I'd never heard of it either. Her father is definitely some sort of Rex, I saw both parents.

If he had a Rex coat, both of his parents had to have had the gene for it, so either his parents were both Rex crosses or purebred Rex. The Rex breed comes in many colors, including white with pink eyes and black points. That is a color called a Pointed White or Himalayan in other breeds, but in a few breeds (including the Rex) it is called Californian. Is that what he was?

Baby colors can be a bit strange; sometimes they change quite a bit when the more mature coats come in. For example, the Mini Rex in my avatar was clearly a darker red on his back than on his sides as a baby, but his adult coat was the same dark, rich red all over (except where he was white, of course, he was a "booted" Broken). I've had Steels that were solid black as youngsters, but which had a lot of white ticking as adults. The color of your young rabbit could be quite a bit different when it is older (assuming it lives that long).

 

[ANightPerson]

If he had a Rex coat, both of his parents had to have had the gene for it, so either his parents were both Rex crosses or purebred Rex. The Rex breed comes in many colors, including white with pink eyes and black points. That is a color called a Pointed White or Himalayan in other breeds, but in a few breeds (including the Rex) it is called Californian. Is that what he was?

Baby colors can be a bit strange; sometimes they change quite a bit when the more mature coats come in. For example, the Mini Rex in my avatar was clearly a darker red on his back than on his sides as a baby, but his adult coat was the same dark, rich red all over (except where he was white, of course, he was a "booted" Broken). I've had Steels that were solid black as youngsters, but which had a lot of white ticking as adults. The color of your young rabbit could be quite a bit different when it is older (assuming it lives that long).

Yes, that sounds about right on the California coat. I'm still waiting for then to grow a bit, they're at 4 1/2 weeks now.

 

[Bunnylady]

Yes, that sounds about right on the California coat.

In that case, his breed is Rex, and his color is called Californian, so he was referred to as a Californian Rex in the same way as you would say a Black Flemish, or an Orange Lionhead. Incidentally, it looks like your baby got the mane gene, so some might call it a single-maned Lionhead (even though the rest of what's in that mix will make it enormous and horribly off-type by Lionhead standards).

 

[ANightPerson]

In that case, his breed is Rex, and his color is called Californian, so he was referred to as a Californian Rex in the same way as you would say a Black Flemish, or an Orange Lionhead. Incidentally, it looks like your baby got the mane gene, so some might call it a single-maned Lionhead (even though the rest of what's in that mix will make it enormous and horribly off-type by Lionhead standards).

Yeah, her and her sister got the mane gene, but the Chestnut kit didn't. I was planning on selling them as pets anyways, so I'm not too worried about standard of perfection in this case. I was hoping to make a soft pair of mittens, but they're far too sweet! I'll have to use a meaner doe next time.
Is the velvet coat gene from the rex mendelian recessive, or is it a more complicated matter?

 

[Bunnylady]

The gene for the length of the Rex coat is a simple recessive, but getting a good, thick, plushy Rex coat requires some modifiers. While you might get a good Rex coat from a couple of mixed-breeds, but the odds don't favor it. If your goal is good Rex coats, you are much better off working with purebred Rex.

 

[ANightPerson]

Figured it out! She's Chestnut Agouti. The bands are just diluted due to her being lionhead.