Silver Fox Rabbit Color Genetics 101

Rabbit colors are based on 5 basic genes, A, B, C, D, E. These gene codes (alleles) make up the genotype of the rabbit. The genotype determines the phenotype, what you see when you look at the rabbit.

Specifically, in this post we are going to talk only about the Silver Fox rabbit and its basic colors (black, chocolate, blue, lilac). Although it is important to note once in a while a white silver fox will pop up with the right gene variances, depending on the genotypes of your rabbits.

Silver Foxes are a relatively simply breed to determine colors on compared to breeds like Rex, who have many colors and genotype combinations. To get the rabbit coat colors want, it is very useful to be at least somewhat familiar with rabbit coat color genetics. Breeding wisely with purpose will help you know ahead what colors to expect in your offspring.

The 5 gene locations act upon the TWO basic colors in a rabbit's coat - black, and yellow - changing how those two pigments get expressed in the rabbit's fur. Some genes produce a color, and some genes turn OFF a color.

The 5 Color Genes in Rabbits

A: Agouti hair shaft pattern | Silver Fox Rabbits have 2 “aa” genes, so we will not focus on this gene location. Basically (aside from the silvering) they are one solid color top to bottom, unlike some breeds with underbellies and fee different colors than their topside.

B: Black (or chocolate) | This allele is important in Silver Foxes. Black and Chocolate are the 2 color types in Silver Foxes, both with a dilute version (well get to that later). Black is dominate to Chocolate. So any rabbits with a “BB” or “Bb” will phenotypically display as Black. The “Bb” carries one Chocolate gene though. Chocolate Silver Foxes must have two Chocolate genes on the B allele, so “cc”. They only carry the Chocolate gene, so EVERY single offspring they have will be passed at least 1 Chocolate gene and be a carrier at minimum.

• A Black Silver Fox will always have “BB” or “Bb” on the B allele (and be “DD” or “Dd” on the D allele, we’ll get to that too.) 
• A Chocolate Silver Fox will always have “bb” on the B allele (and be “DD” or “Dd” on the D allele, again we’ll get to that.)

C: Complete color (or shaded, or albino) | Some Silver Foxes carry a “c” gene, and 2 copies will produce a REW (Red Eyed White) rabbit, but it is not overly common and both parents must carry a small “c” on that gene location. So any Silver Fox rabbit that displays color will be “CC” or “Cc” on the C gene location.

D: Dilute color | This allele is important in Silver Foxes. The dilute gene determines if the color on the B Allele will show as a full color or a diluted color. Blue is the dilute of Black and Lilac is the dilute of Chocolate. Full color (non-dilute) is dominant to dilute, so dilute Silver Foxes (Blue or Lilac) must have two dilute genes on the D allele, so “dd”. Like the Chocolate gene, dilutes only carry the dilute gene, so EVERY single offspring they have will be passed at least 1 dilute gene and be a carrier at minimum.

• A Blue Silver Fox will always have “dd” on the D allele and be Black on the B allele “BB” or “Bb”. 
• A Lilac Silver Fox will always have “dd” on the D allele and be Chocolate on the B allele “bb”. 

E: Extension of color (or its limitation or elimination) | The E allele gets messy, and for the sake of Silver Fox rabbits, if you have a normal coated animal then the E gene is not something to worry about. If you have Steel colored kits pop up I would start to question the purebredness of your rabbits.

Other Important Things to Know or Remember

Capitalized letters almost always refer to a dominant gene, and lower case to a recessive gene.

A "place marker" is used in the spot of an unknown, second gene copy, represented by an dash A-B-C-D-E-.

Since the capitalized code letters represent dominant genes, you cannot know by looking at the rabbit what the second code letter of the pair is. When the rabbit coat color genetic blueprint is not fully known, the place markers are used. A study of the pedigree, and test-breeding’s will reveal the identity of the recessive genes.

A genotype refers to the full set of underlying rabbit coat color genetic codes. Phenotype refers to what the rabbit actually looks like.