Black Otter

The TAN PATTERN FAMILY. A rabbit that has a silver marking pattern that involves the belly, underside of the tail, insides of the legs, tops of the feet, chest, inside of
the ear on the back edge (flange), circles around the eyes, makings by the nostrils,
jaw line, and triangle at the nape of the neck. This pattern also causes ticking to
appear on the the lower sides and lower rump. This color is dominant over the self family but like the selfs can be masked by the Agouti gene. It occurs in two basic
color phases - Otter which involves a distinct tan band on the edge of the silver markings and Marten which lacks the tan band. It also includes a variety called
TAN which has a strong orange/tan overlay on the entire area of the silver markings.

OTTER, The silver markings of the Tan Pattern Family carry a tan band along the edge. This variety can occur in
all basic color phases - Black, Chocolate, Blue and Lilac, plus the Wide Band/Red Family self - the Tortoise.
There is a wide variety of width of the tan band as well as intensity of depth of color. If you are in doubt if a rabbit
is an Otter or a Marten look at the lap spots. (two deep colored areas on the underside of the rabbit found where the hind legs join the body) on a Otter they will always show some tan/orange cast. In Otters the deeper and
more distinct the Tan Factor is the better. When showing Otters a nice overlay of tan on the silver color of the
belly preferred.

Black Otter

Blue Otter

Tortoise Otter
correctly called a FOX

Tortoise Otter showing
nice orange overlay on
the silver belly markings

MARTEN, The silver markings of the Tan Pattern Family carry NO trace of tan, orange or cream. This color is
the shaded version of the Otter Group. Even the Sliver Marten which should show no hint of shading is simply a Sable Marten in a very dark phase.

Like the Otter the Marten can be Black (Black turns a deep sepia brown when impacted by the shaded gene), Chocolate (which can be almost impossible to tell from Black/Sepia), Blue (called Smoke Peal), and Lilac.
Marten can also occur in the Red/Wide Band Family causing Sable Point Martens and Pearl Point Martens

Black Silver Marten

Sable Marten

PHOTO
NEEDED

Smoke Pearl Marten

Sable Point Marten

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