Siamese Sable
is a presentation color
on three of the Standard Certificates

The SHADED FAMILY. This color rabbit shows shading from one area of the coat to another, with the darker color on the nose/muzzle, ears, feet tail and a slightly darker shade of body color along the top of the back shading into a softer color in the same general color family. The shaded gene impacts the rabbits color in Self, Tan Pattern, Agouti, and Steel families. It acts by blocking most of the dark black tone color from the coat (causing the Black Phase rabbit to take on a sepia cast). It can occur in
both dark colors and dilutes colors. The depth of color of a Shaded Rabbit can be impacted by the presence of a Himalayan (Pointed White) or a REW gene. Genetically speaking those two colors should be in this family but because they are shown in separate color groups you will find the REW in the Self Family and the Himalayan in the Pointed White Family.

to learn
more about
the REWs
(Ruby Eyed White)

to learn more
about the
Pointed White
Family

SIAMESE, a self rabbit with a shaded gene. Siamese rabbits have darker color on the nose/muzzle are of the head, the ears, the tail and the feet. The body color is darker along the top of the back shading to a lighter color along the lower sides and rump. It is impacted by temperature with cooler weather producing darker overall color. It can appear very blotchy due to molt as different areas of the coat change in depth of color due to external factors. This color almost always darkens with each molt as the rabbit ages. It is called Siamese Sable in the black phase (remember the shaded gene makes black take on a sepia color). A Siamese in dilute (blue) is called and Siamese Smoke Pearl. Siamese can also occur in chocolate and lilac. When Siamese occurs in the Red/Wide Band Family it is called Sable Point (Black Tortoise) or Pearl Point (Blue Tortoise). Yes, it can occur in Chocolate Tortoise and Lilac Tortoise also. I have seen them in Sarrah's Holland Lops they are quite beautiful and quite unshowable at this time.


Siamese Sable


Siamese Smoke Pearl


Sable Point


Pearl Point
dilute Sable Point

SEAL, When a Siamese Sable becomes very dark it is called a Seal. Genetically the Shaded Gene called the Chincillation Gene has three separate color phases which can cause lighter, medium or darker body color. Since the ARBA judges rabbits by phenotype (apperance) this is not important when deciding what color your Lionhead is.(until you come to making breeding choices). A Seal Rabbit bred in it's very darkest phase in the Tan Pattern Family makes the Silver Marten. The Silver Marten is a Tan Pattern Shaded Rabbit with a couple different modifiers at work even though it appears to be a self color with Tan Pattern markings. Seal can occur in blue. chocolate and lilac and can almost impossible to tell from a self in those varieties.


Seal

MARTEN, A shaded rabbit that has a silver marking pattern. The pattern causes clean silver markings that include 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. It occurs on all color phases, Sable (Black), Smoke (Blue), Chocolate, Lilac, Sable Point (Tortoise) and Pearl Point.


Sable Marten


Smoke Pearl Marten


Sable Point Marten

Pearl Point Marten


Tortoise (Black)

Tortoise, a self in the Red Family.
This IS NOT a GENETIC SHADED COLOR. If you breed it to most shaded rabbits you will get SELFS (unless the Tortoise
you choose happens to carry a shaded recessive)

The ARBA judges by phenotype (apperance) and not genotype
so since the Tortoise has the appearance of a Shaded rabbit they place it in the shaded group. You will see many shades of orange on this color as well as different amounts of shading. This variety occurs in all self colors - Black, Blue, Chocolate and Lilac, as
well as in Marten and Otter (Fox).

To
LEARN MORE
about Tortoise


On to the
Agouti Family
PAGE

 

Back to the
COLOR SECTION
OPENING PAGE

We would like to thank the following breeders who have supported this effort with use of pictures of their Lionheads - Diane Ricketson, Dawn Guth, JoAnn Statler, Lorranie Hassel, Denise Sousa, Brenda Lindner,Tina Marie Jackson, Mueller/Rafoth, Christine Panek, Barbi Brown, The Gibbons, T & T Bodfish, Angel Ferguson, Sandy Ayers, Arden Wetzel
anyone wishing to contribute photos to this endeavor is welcome to send them as jpeg file (uncropped if possible) to:
Please put Lionhead Color Section in the subject line of the email.
lionhead@black-hole.com
or you may send them by mail to:
Gail Gibbons, 20023 E. Bethel Blvd. Cedar MN 55011
Please we MUST have a note along with the images that gives us permission to use them in this section of our site.

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