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Tortoiseshell/Harlequin...

georgie_f

Mama Doe
Random question...

Are tortoiseshell and harlequin coat colours two seperate things in rabbits or are they just two words for the same thing?

I keep seeing rabbits described as 'tortoiseshell' and I've never seen that to describe a rabbits coat before.

:wave:
 
Never really given it any thought before tbh, I would assume they're being used to describe the same thing, although I'd use tortoiseshell to describe a black/dark bun with gingery fuzz rather than clear black/lilac/blue and orange/cream/white defined fur
 
I don't think they're the same thing . . . I'd describe a tortoishell as a gingery bunny, with black/blue points and smut . . .
 
There's this list from "About.com:Exotic pets". There's LOADS of colourings :shock:

The number of coat colors found in rabbits is long and sometimes confusing. The following list covers the basic color descriptions or color groups found in rabbits.

Disclaimer: this list is meant to give a general idea of color variations, not to represent an exhaustive list or to accurately describe rabbit color standards as published by the American Rabbit Breeders Association for show or breeding purposes (see the ARBA site for detailed and official descriptions).

Agouti: bands of color occur on each hair - the colors of these bands vary depending on the type of agouti coloration.
Black: dark black.
Black otter: black body with lighter underside, hair may be orange tinted at the border of the black and lighter color.
Blue: medium or slate blue.
Blue otter: blue coat with fawn tipped guard hairs, fawn areas.
Blue steel: blue with silver or tan "ticking" (see below)
Blue tortoiseshell: blue and beige.
Broken: white with any color patches or spots, with nose markings, colored ears, and eye circles.
Brown-gray agouti: blue at base, then medium tan, charcoal, and tan at tip.
Californian: white body with black on nose, ears, tail, feet.
Castor: brown over top, slate blue undercoat, with orange or red in between.
Chinchilla: slate or black blended with pearl, black tipped guard hairs.
Cinnamon: rust or reddish-brown color.
Chocolate: deep dark brown.
Chocolate agouti: bands of tan and chocolate with a chestnut tip.
Chocolate chinchilla: chocolate and pearl with chocolate tipped guard hairs.
Chocolate steel: chocolate with tan or silver ticking.
Chocolate tortoiseshell: creamy chocolate with fawn.
Copper agouti: bands of red/orange and dark slate with red at tip, ticked with black tipped guard hairs.
Cream: pinkish beige to almond.
Fawn: straw color.
Frosted pearl: pearl with black, blue, chocolate or lilac shading.
Gray: three different colors of hair: black, black with tan tip, and black with tan band, and slate undercolor.
Light gray: agouti with slate blue at base, off white in middle, and light gray at tip, with black tipped guard hairs.
Lilac: pinkish pale gray
Lilac chinchilla: lilac and pearl ticked with lilac tipped guard hairs.
Lilac steel: lilac with tan or silver ticking.
Lilac tortoiseshell: lilac and beige.
Opal agouti: slate blue at base of hair, then gold, then blue tip.
Orange: light to bright orange.
Pearl: light creamy gray.
Pointed white: white with black, blue, chocolate or lilac colored nose, ears, feet, tail (like a Himalayan coloring).
Red: rich brown red color.
Sable: dark grayish brown.
Sable marten: siamese sable coloring with silver tipped guard hairs.
Sable point: cream body and sable on nose, ears, feet and tail.
Sandy: reddish tan.
Seal: dark (almost black) sable.
Self group: solid color in black, blue, lilac, blue eyed white, and ruby eyed white.
Shaded group: color transitions from dark to light (e.g. frosted pearl, sable, sable point, siamese sable, seal, tortoise).
Silver or silver fox: silver with white or white tipped hairs.
Silver Marten: black, blue, chocolate or lilac with silver white markings and silver tipped guard hairs.
Tan Pattern: marks (not necessarily tan) on nostril, eye circles, jowls, inside ears, belly, inside led, underside of tail. Groups included marten and otter colorations.
Ticking: solid or tipped guard hairs different than the main coat color interspersed throughout the coat.
Tortoise: orange with black, blue, chocolate or lilac.
Tortoiseshell: orange or dark fawn and black.
Tri-colored: white with any of black and orange, lavender blue and fawn, chocolate and orange, gray and fawn.

:bunny:
 
They are 2 different colours

Tortishell is a kind of orange body with dark points on the nose/ feet
Genotype is aaB-C-D-ee

Harlequin is a rabbit that has what looks like stripes on it (usually black and orange, magpie is black and White stripes)
Genotype is (I think) A-B-C-D-ej-
 
Which one of that list is Harlequin? :?

Oooh :shock: You're not wrong there - didn't spot it wasn't on the list!! It seems its associated more with the markings than the colouring, but I have zero knowledge of it all really - am just a 'Googler' :D
 
Oooh :shock: You're not wrong there - didn't spot it wasn't on the list!! It seems its associated more with the markings than the colouring, but I have zero knowledge of it all really - am just a 'Googler' :D

:lol::lol:
 
t/shell i thought was more patchy with darker fur on the underneath of the fur where as harlequin is like the buns above stripey or like Winston (mine which is patches) but they have to be very seperated clean stripes or patches.
 
Gosh, this is more confusing than I thought it'd be! :lol:

What colour would I call Jess? She's quite a light colour on one side and a darker colour on the other!





35765_454583833573_709523573_6166266_6439816_n.jpg


I've always called her (and all multi coloured, splodgey bunnies! :lol:) a harlequin. Or maybe she's 'tri-coloured'??
 
I consider Pebbles to be Agouti, but my vet always puts her colouring a 'tri-coloured'.

Here she is 'relaxing' in one of her common uncomfortable positions :lol:

18082010226.jpg
 
Jess is stunning - defies classification! :love: I particularly like the second photo (the one where she is looking at the camera quizzically, and I think the big lad is in the background). :wave:
 
I would say shes harlequin,
To be a perfect harlequin you have to have 1 side slightly different shade to other side of body perfect line down middle of back if you look close.
Left ear will be darker/lighter to right ear, back right foot will match front left foot but opposite to back left foot by slight shade difference.
 
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