Black or Seal?

I recently had a baby I swore up and down was a black! It's mother was black, it's father was seal, but this little buck had no ruby cast to the eye.

The genotype for a black (the mother) is aa B- C- D- E-

The genotype for the seal father of the baby is aa B- CchlCchl D- E-

So you see- both black and seal were entirely possible for the baby.


As a show approached, I began to doubt that this guy I'd held on to for so long BECAUSE he was a black ( I have an older, full brother who is a siamese sable), was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I showed him to Malena at the show, her son & I went outside to look at him in the daylight, we squinted at his eyes, etc.

Thankfully, while wondering aloud to Malena if he was actually the black rabbit I thought he was, Deidre Edder came over. She then gave me one of the most valuable pieces of rabbit information I have. She flipped him and gave him a two second glance, then proclaimed he was a seal.

How did she know?

The FEET, my dear Watson.

If a rabbit has gray feet fluff, it's a black. If the fluff is brown, it's a seal.


*doh*, Now why did I never think of that?!

So there you go, if you can't rule out the color genetically, if you can't see a brown tint to the fur or a ruby tint to the eyes- check the feet! :)


-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry