Recessive Mutations

Recessive Mutations are those colours which when bred to a standard chinchilla will not appear in the 1st generation of offspring.

For example If you bred a Violet chinchilla to a Standard Chinchilla you have a 50% chance of having standard kits and 50% chance of Standard Violet Carrier kits. But there would be no actual Violets in the litter. These are the more difficult mutations to improve, if you have limited space or access to purchasing a substantial amount of very good quality chinchillas to start you off, it will be much more difficult to make good progress.  Recessive mutations are not recommended for Novices.

Simple Recessive Mutations are homozygous (2 genes the same for colour). To appear Violet they have two Violet genes, Standard Violet Carriers have one Standard gene and one Violet gene and are therefore Heterozygous Violets if you like. Standards with a Violet vest on!

A Violet is a blue-dove-grey chinchilla with a pure white under belly, black eyes and grey ears. To produce a violet from a pair of chinchillas both chinchillas must either be violets or 'carry' the violet gene. Chinchillas born of a violet parent will 'carry' the violet gene. A violet can be born of two carrier parents as it is possible for them inherit two violet genes (therefore making them Homozygous) and the kit will then appear Violet.

Photo kindly provided by Blue Meadow Chinchillas

Sapphires should be a pale but rich blue, with a persil white belly, grey-pink ears and black eyes. Sapphires are a complex mutation to breed as they have only been worked on by experienced and serious breeders in this country for about 10 or 15 years. Sapphire is a recessive mutation.

Photo provided by Carmen Voss

In the chinchilla world it is considered unethical to breed from chinchillas who have Malloclusion, or fur chew or are rescued. It is believed that the gene for bad teeth ( malocclusion) can be inherited and carried from chin to chin from generation to generation. The cause of Fur Chewing (a behaviour) is also considered to be possibly genetic; and because of this chins who are known to fur chew are should not be bred from. Additionally closely related animals should not be bred together. i.e. brother and sister or half brother and half sister or parent to offspring. Though some close Line Breeding is practiced by experienced breeders it should not be attempted by the novice and is very much on the boundaries of most people's ethics.

Furthermore the breeding of rescued animals is also consider unethical due the the element of the unknown. If it is not known that a chinchilla came from a healthy line it could verywell be the product of a chin which has mallocluded.

Charcoals are a matt black colour, with a grey black under belly, black eyes and dark grey ears. Charcoal is a recessive colour and it is rare to find a pure reccessive charcoal which hasn't been tainted by the ebony gene.

Photo provided by Claire Davidson

Laura Cox

A true Ebony should have 'every hair a shiny black' and would therefore be considered an Extra-Dark Ebony is probably a Homozygous Ebony (a chin which has inherited two ebony genes one from each parent). Ebonies with some grey hairs in places and is considered a Medium-Dark Ebony and are most likely heterozygous. Ebonies do not have the pure white bellies of most other mutations. The belly fur should be the same colour as the animals back. On the show bench Ebonies are known as Self Blacks and as such any animal which is not completely black might not be considered (depending on the judge) for the Special Awards. Ebonies' genes act like both a dominant and recessive gene as an ebony type animal can be born from one ebony parent mated to any other colour. And the ebony gene can also be carried. Ebony is a dominant mutation but consider it to also be a cumulative recessive.