Aada and Auston Say Hi

Remember me?  I am Aada.   I am almost 4 months old now.

I am Auston, Aada is my sister.

We would like to say Hi. 

 

Beautiful Cloud Formation

Interesting cloud formation in the sky.

Looks like angel or ghost?

More cloud accompanying the "angel".

A closer look.

A rainbow cloud?

 

Canadian Geese Family Outing

Late spring and early summer is the time for the new babies to be born or hatched.   The Canadian goose family is showing off their baby gosling. 

Baby gosling is a bit tired, mommy and daddy geese stop and wait.  

Another family with two goslings, they are a bit older.

Mommy and babies are taking a rest, daddy goose stands guard.

Nice shades for an afternoon nap.

 

A close up of the mama goose and her two goslings.

A New Artist is Born - Alice's Loquat Painting

My friend Alice sent me a photo of her painting of our loquat tree.   I am super surprised and super excited.  Alice and I have been best friends since we were teenagers, that's many lives ago.  I never knew she could paint!   

This is the photo that I sent to Alice showing our loquat getting ready for picking.   Don't you think she did a great job?

Here is another of Alice's painting.  Beautiful!

Alice and I a few years ago.  

Alice visited with Casey and Charlie at Carol's summer party.

Basic Color Genetics: Chocolate Agouti and Lynx

The Chocolate Agouti and Lynx are in the brown/chocolate family, characterized by bb.

In yesterday's post, we compared chestnut agouti with chocolate agouti using photos of the French Angora.   Thanks for Debbie McCormick, we have a photo of a chocolate agouti English Angora today.   The color genes of chocolate agouti are: A-bbC-D-E-
In translation:  Agouti pattern, brown/chocolate family, full color, dense/non-dilute color, extended color.    This is the agouti version of Chocolate.  
Color of eyes: Brown.

Lynx is the dilute version of Chocolate Agouti, or the agouti version of Lilac.  It would have been better to call it Lilac Agouti but the established named used in the ARBA SOP is Lynx.
The color genes of Lynx are: A-bbC-ddE-
In translation: Agouti pattern, brown/chocolate family, full color, dilute color, extended color.
Color of eyes: Gray.
(Photo credit: Debbie McCormick.) 


To reiterate:
Chocolate Agouti      A-bbC-D-E-
Lynx                           A-bbC-ddE-  

 

Basic Color Genetics: Chestnut Agouti and Chocolate Agouti

Chestnut Agouti: A-B-C-D-E-

Chestnut Agouti shows brown with black tips.

 

Chocolate Agouti: A-bbC-D-E-

Chocolate Agouti shows brown with brown tips.


Both are agouti pattern, full color, dense color and extended color.  The only difference is that chestnut agouti is in the black family B- while chocolate agouti is in the brown/chocolate family bb.   

Basic Color Genetics: Chestnut Agouti and Opal

Chestnut is the agouti version of black.   
The color genes are: A-B-C-D-E-
In translation: Agouti pattern, black family, full colored, dense color (non-dilute), extended color. 
All these are dominant, the - means there maybe another same dominant gene or a recessive gene.
The word chestnut is a very good description, it's brown/orange with black tips.  Color of the eyes: Brown   This is Lipton.

This is Lipton again but photo taken in the shade to compare the influence of the lighting.

A good chestnut should have very definitive ring pattern.  This photo of Lipton was taken when he was a junior.   It's harder to get the pattern as sharp as this when the senior coat comes in.

This is Lipton's dad William Penn who is an opal.  Opal is the dilute version of Chestnut Agouti.
The color genes are: A-B-C-ddE-
In translation: Agouti patterned, black family, full color, dilute color, extended color.
The only difference between the chestnut agouti and opal is that the chestnut is non-dilute while the opal is the dilute.  Color of the eyes: Gray.
Opal is an established name used in the ARBA Standard of Perfection, genetically opal is "blue agouti", the agouti version of blue.     

This is again William Penn, photo taken in the shade.  It's more bluish with tan color underneath.   The ring pattern will not be as obvious as chestnut agouti due to the dilute factor.   Since I did not own William Penn when he was young, I do not have any photo depicting his ring pattern.   

 This is a days old opal baby, it shows blue with tan undertone and a white tummy.   

To reiterate: Chestnut Agouti color genes:         A-B-C-D-E-

                     Opal (blue agouti) color genes:     A-B-C-ddE-

Since offspring takes a copy of the gene from each parent, Lipton is William Penn's son so Lipton inherited one copy of the dilute gene d.   Thus Lipton's color genes are: A-B-C-DdE-

 

Lipton Loves the Ladies

Hi, ladies, I am Lipton, I am so happy to see you.   

Can we be friends?

Can we talk?

Mom, they don't talk to me, I am sad. 

I am patient, I'll wait.  

Hi, Monique, I like you.  

Why is your sister Simone so far away? 

We can enjoy our time together.

Ladies, isn't this a great day?

 

Pretty Orchids

Carolyn shares her pretty yellow orchids. 

A close up of the beautiful yellow orchids.

The pink one next to the yellow ones is also gorgeous.

 

Basic Color Genetics: Four Kinds of Torts

 

We have compared the non-agouti black family,  extended color vs non-extended color.   We also have compared the non-agouti brown/chocolate family, extended color vs non-extended color.    I very much would like to put all four together to compare but unfortunately I have never had black/blue/chocolate/lilac bunnies at the same time.   Luckily, at one time, I did have the four torts:

These are not from the same litter, they are from a few days to a couple of weeks apart in age.
From left to right: black tort, blue tort, chocolate tort and lilac tort.

Black tort:        aaB-C-D-ee
Blue tort:           aaB-C-ddee 
Chocolate tort:  aabbC-D-ee
Lilac tort:           aabbC-ddee 

All the upper case letters show the dominant genes, the - shows there maybe another dominant gene or a recessive gene. 

They are all non-agouti, shown by aa. 
The black family is shown by B-. 
The brown/chocolate family is shown by bb.
They are all full colored, shown by C-. 
The dense color/non-dilute is shown by D-. 
The dilute is shown by dd. 
They are all non-extended color, shown by ee.   

Basic Color Genetics: Lilac and Lilac Tort

 

This post compares Lilac and Lilac Tort.   

Lilac color genes are: aabbC-ddE-
Non-agouti, brown/chocolate family, full color, dilute, extended color.

Lilac tort color genes are: aabbC-ddee
Non-agouti, brown/chocolate family, full color, dilute, non-extension.

Comparing the two:
Lilac:        aabbC-ddE-
Lilac tort: aabbC-ddee

The difference is the extension gene.  If the color is extended to the entire body, lilac.  If not extended, lilac tort.   Both are dilute thus both have gray eyes.

Basic Color Genetics: Chocolate and Chocolate Tort

This post compares the chocolate and chocolate tort.

 

Chocolate, the color genes are: aabbC-D-E-
It's non-agouti, brown/chocolate family, full color, non-dilute, extended color.


If the last part E- is replaced by non-extension genes, then we have the following:

Chocolate Tort is the non-extension of Chocolate. 
The color genes are: aabbC-D-ee
In translation: non-agouti, brown/chocolate family, full color, non-dilute, non-extension.

If you compare:
chocolate;        aabbC-D-E-
chocolate tort; aabbC-D-ee

The only difference is whether the chocolate color is being extended or not extended.  If extended, it's chocolate; if not extended, it's chocolate tort. 
Both are non-dilute, thus both have brown eyes.

Basic Color Genetics: Chocolate and Lilac

Lilac is the dilute of Chocolate, in the "brown/chocolate bb family". 

We have seen this photo on blog yesterday.  This is a pretty typical chocolate color for an English Angora.   Her name is Chu's Chocolate Kiss.  

Chocolate color genes are: aabbC-D-E-

In translation:  non-agouti, brown (chocolate) family, full color, dense color, extended color.   
Chocolate has brown eyes due to the D gene.  

This is also a Chocolate English Angora but looks darker, the color genes are the same as the above: aabbC-D-E-.       This photo was taken in 1988, his name is Chu's Chocoholic.     It's darker possibly due to lighting or due to grooming.   As we learned in previous posts that the blower was not a part of grooming tools until the end of 1989, Chocoholic was groomed by brushes and combs.  The wool was a lot shorter and possibly a bit lumpy.   This photo is posted to be a comparison to the next photo showing a Lilac English Angora.  

This is Chu's Mona Lisa, the only lilac English Angora that I have ever had. This photo was also taken in 1988.   The lilac color here looks almost as dark as the chocolate in the first photo.   Thus I posted a photo of a Chocoholic in 1988 to make a comparison.   
Lilac color genes are:  aabbC-ddE-
In translation: non-agouti, brown (chocolate) family, full color, dilute color, extended color.  
Lilac has gray eyes due to the dd gene.
Visually Chocolate is brownish on top and grayish underneath, the Lilac is more of a dovey pinkish gray.    If in doubt, the best way is to look at the eyes, Chocolate has brown eyes and Lilac has gray eyes.