Greenwood Chinchillas

What Colour is my Chin?

Different colouration in chinchillas - or more properly known mutations - can be labelled in a variety of ways, which can often be confusing when purchasing a new chinchilla.  Especially if it comes without history of its parentage.

 

This is further complicated by the difference in terminology that is used between UK and US breeders - many of which can be seen upon the net and in books that are purchased world wide.

 

I haven't included carrier animals in this list.  They generally will look like another coloured animal but will have a 'hidden' gene that will produce kits of whatever colour is carried when bred to an animal of that mutation or another carrier.

 

Any animal called a 'wrap' is the colour as mentioned below  but also has ebony genes which means that the colour will extend beneath the belly s that it will not be white.  Light Ebonies can have a pale belly with only a discolouration of the fur - but should always be sold as light ebony (or ebony carrier though that term would be incorrect) and NOT as standard colours.

 

Pic	Commonly Used Chin Name		Genetics
	Standard	Grey furred body with white belly fur.  The shades of grey can vary a great deal. Eyes are black and the animals ears are grey or black.	Standard + Standard
	Beige (Hetero)	Proper name Hetero Beige, the over all body colour can vary dramatically but the belly fur remains white.  Ears will be pink not black and the eyes are varying shades of red	Standard + Beige
	White	Proper name Wilson White, all over body fur is white including belly. Ears are dark and eyes are black.	Standard + White
	Violet	All over body fur is violet colour, (steely grey with absence of black fur tips) and belly fur remains white.  Ears are dark and the eyes are black.	Violet + Violet
	Black Velvet	Velvet, known as TOV (touch of velvet) in the US, is a standard grey chinchilla to which is added a black mask and dark mutation fur through the neck and across the top of the back, The colour of the mutation fur should extend as far down towards the belly as possible, the belly should however remain white.  Velvet genes when they are present in an animal always show, you can recognise these by seeing dark fur bands down the front paws these are called paw spats.	Standard + Velvet
	Brown Velvet	A Brown Velvet is a Beige which carries the Velvet gene as in a  black velvet, but the darker fur is brown and not black, the paw spats are still present and the belly fur still white. Ears are pink and eyes red due to the beige influence	Beige + Velvet
	Pink White	A combination of Beige and White Genes, the body is mainly white but can have Beige fur patches. Eyes red, ears pink and belly remains white	White + Beige
	Mosaic (proper name Wilson White)	Properly still called a Wilson White.  The body fur will be a combination of standard grey and white fur, the belly remains white	Standard + White
	Silver (proper name Wilson White)	Properly called a Wilson White, the base of the fur is white, but the tips are grey giving the animal a white but over all 'silver grey' sheen.  Belly fur remains white	Standard + White
Owned by Claire D on CU	Charcoal	Charcoal fur has a matt rather than gloss appearance, is smoky looking in general. The shade can vary and the colour extends fully round under the belly so there is no white fur. The ears are dark and eyes are black	Charcoal + Charcoal
	Sapphire	Sapphire fur is a very pale dove grey with a blue sheen across it. The belly remains white, ears are dark and eyes are black	Sapphire + Sapphire
	Ebony	Ebonies vary a lot in colour from Light (look like standard) to every hair shiny black - as shown here.  See the separate information page on ebonies.  Ears are dark and the eyes are black	Ebony
	Tan	Beige and Ebony genes mixed  again the shades vary dramatically but the colour wraps around all under the belly so there is no white fur.  Ears are pink and the eyes are red.	Beige + Ebony
Pastel Male owned by Bri Pollard	Pastel	A pastel is a Beige Charcoal, the colour wraps around under the belly so there is no white fur.  The fur looks smoky brown, eyes are red and ears pink.	Charcoal + Charcoal + Beige
awaiting pic	Char Black	A charcoal that has the velvet face mask and dark mutation fur across back, and paw spats. Ears are dark, eyes are black, the fur is coloured dark grey.	Charcoal + Charcoal + Velvet
Chloe owned by Debbie	Char Brown	A charcoal that carries beige and has the velvet gene, it appears smoky brown with a dark face mask, the belly fur is beige, the animal has brown paw spats, pink ears and red eyes.	Charcoal + Charcoal + Beige + Velvet
Owned by Bri Pollard	Homo beige	Very pale beige colour, almost milky, with pink ears and red eyes. If parents are unknown then the only way to establish if a beige is Hetero (1 beige gene) or homo (2 beige genes) is to breed it to a standard and see if the kits ALWAYS come out beige - if so then it is homo beige as it always gives a beige gene to all offspring.	Beige + Beige
Owned by Dingy on CU	Ultra / Ultra Violet	A Violet Velvet, this will be a violet coloured animal with a darker face mask and strip along the spine and descending down the sides to a white belly. Ears will be dark and eyes black.  There will be paw spats present	Violet + Violet + Velvet
owned by Kelly Smith	Royal Blue	This is a Sapphire Velvet, it will have a pale grey colour with a blue sheen. It will additionally have a dark mask and dark fur along the tip of spine descending down he sides to a white belly. It will have dark ears, black eyes and paw spats.	Sapphire + Sapphire + Velvet
Bliss owned by Sue W on CU	White Violet	Shading can vary, some animals have white bodies with a violet sheen to then, others have patches of mosaic coloured fur. Ears generally dark and black eyes.	Violet + Violet + White
	Beige Violet (also called Pearl)	Beige Violets appear similar to a homo beige. They have pale beige fur with an over al violet sheen as well - there are both colours shown in the same fur - it is not in patches or separated.  The ears are pink and the eyes read.	Violet + Violet + Beige
Owned  by chinchat on CU	Black White Cross	This appears to look like a mosaic at first glance, but the dark areas of fur are black and not standard grey.  The ears are dark, eyes black and paw spats will be present.	Standard + White + Velvet

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