Genetics

C-locus

5.2. Extreme dilution - Heterozygous Forms

5.2.1. c^e with c^h

Colorpoint beige, a/a ce/ch pic: Arttu Väisälä

Bone, a/a ce/c pic: Arttu Väisälä

This combination gives colorpoint beige - a black eyed variety. As the combinations of albino group genes usually give phenotypes somewhere in-between the heterozygotes, this mouse has body colouring like a Siamese and points & lack of shadings like a Himalayan. Blue dilution version of the same theme is Colorpoint Smoke.

5.2.2. c^e with c

With A^y/* - c^e/c mice are black eyed white, which tend to have typical red ears and body type.

Most familiar example of a c^e/c mouse is bone. This variety is "phase three cream", the cream of present day British Fancy. Bone is inbetween c^e/c^e beige and c/c albino in colour. The final shade depends on other genes and modifiers present and can vary from slightly off-white to almost beige. With p/p, the mouse can easily pass for an albino, especially in satin coat. c^e/c p/p mice reveal their true genotype usually only after a breeder gets black eyed young from a supposedly c/c x c/c cross. A true bone has black background, A/* makes for a uneven colouring. A^w and a^t both give bone fox, the latter being proper. Bone foxes tend to be darker than self Bones, due to a^t usually bringing in top colour darkening umbrous determinants.