Ok so I am terribly confused about how to produce certain snows! It seems that SLP is the most common of snow colors! Why is this? Is it because a brown can carry for SLP and why are sepia so rare? Also why is it impossible to carry mink? I am not a breeder and dont think I ever will be but I love researching where my cats came from. It seems that Jasper is a little mystery cat! He is supposed to be a mink and supposed to have been DNA tested before breeding. However he has blue eyes. All of this has prompted me to look more into the lines and where he and other snows come from. I can honestly say my brain feels fried It is a little confusing! So long story short I am left with the question of how a mink comes along if it is not carried by either cat?

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I thought I would add that I just recieved the info today that Jasper was DNA tested by UC Davis and he is a mink! So how is this possible!?

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Hiya Bkilgore - I can understand why you are confused - I have been for many years now lol

So there are two snow genes :- Siamese (blue-eyed Lynx) Burmese (Sepia)

In order to produce a mink you are correct it cannot be carried. To produce mink one parent needs to carry the Siamese gene and the other needs to carry the Sepia gene - therefore mink cannot be carried, only produced.

The Blue-eye lynx is produced when both parents have at least one copy of the gene - a lynx themselves has 2 copies of the gene so will pass one copy to its offspring. If the other parent is lynx then it too passes one copy therefore the kittens will have two copies of lynx and therefore ARE lynx.

To produce the lynx you could have two brown cats who both have one copy of the lynx gene - they will produce only browns and lynx.

lynx x lynx = lynx
sepia x lynx = all mink
mink x sepia = mink and sepia
sepia x sepia = sepia
Mink x mink = Sepia, lynx, mink
Brown (carrying lynx) x Lynx = ALL Lynx snows plus brown also
Brown (carrying sepia) x Lynx = ALL mink snows plus brown also.

Jasper being mink means he has one copy lynx and one copy Sepia - one of his parents is either a lynx themselves or carrying lynx, the other parent is either mink or carrying sepia.
His eyes maybe aqua and look blue - a true blue eyed snow will have its eyes reflect red in the flash of a camera

Thanks Claire! I have been trying to wrap my head around that for the last couple of days and seem to get more confused than I get answers! Thanks for clearing that up! You helped tremendously Ok so Jaspers Sir is a sepia and his dam is a mink so they could only produce mink and sepia, right? I was just thrown off by his blue eyes, but his eyes dont reflect red so I assue they are "aqua" with more blue than green! I guess it is a good thing I gave up breeding because I am having a time trying to figure out snows and charcoal

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Ah yes thats right Lynx couldn't come from that pairing as Mink has one copy lynx one copy Sepia but the other parent having two sepia copies cannot produce lynx as it needs two copies one from each parent

As for Charcoal - I'm with you on that one, thing is there is no test for it so we aren't alone in not having a clue lol

It is strange for sure! A local breeder here is trying to produce solid cats to pair with charcoal carriers to see if they indeed do carry charcoal! It just seems there should be an easier way to "test" for charcoal other than breeding a melanistic and introducing that into lines! Whew, so confusing! I guess I shouldn't be bothered with it since I am not a breeder but there is something about Bengal genetics that peak my curiosity!

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Another quick question! Can A1a,A1A, or A1A1 be tested for? I am not understanding how a charcoal is A1a but they can not be genetically tested for! If a charcoal has to be A1a is that not all that is needed to genetically indentify a cat? what am I missing here Surely the Agouti gene can be tested for! I am sorry for my ignorance, I am just trying to understand what the big fuss is over the charcoal and why there are theories but no actual proof!

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I finally looked it up on bengalpedigree.com! I thought it was IW RW SGC SUWANNEE FUDGE RIPPLE then I was told it was Suwannee Fudge Ripple of Bagheera but it is neither of those I think I finally have my Jasper straight Took me almost two months and a lot of investigation into his pedigree! Poor BB I come to a dead end with her pedigree! I have her five year and cant find anything more than that!

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I am useless on Charcoal I know nothing sorry

Haha me either!! I just thinks its weird that some know what makes a charcoal but there is no genetic test out there! Puzzling!!

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BB comes from PrinceRoyal lines and Cassanova lines. I can't find much of either, other than her grand sire which comes from Drinkwater and her Grand Dam is from Gogees! Other than that, thats all I have found out! I have tried to look more into hers because I was told by someone that has one of BB's siblings that HCM is prominant in the Drinkwater lines they come from So atm I am at a dead end. However, BB's brother from the same litter is/was a stud at a local breeder and she has a longer pedigree so I am looking more into it! I am not really sure what is going on with him tho because he is taken down from her stud page so I dont know what I will be able to find out! I talk to her often and she keeps me updated with her program! She is the one that is starting to breed for charcoals and will be the only one in this area that does. So its interesting to see what she does. I am also trying to put the word out about HCM with breeders around here! We have 6 breeders in TN that I know of and only ones screens for HCM and that is where Jasper came from! The breeder we got BB from scannd her old breeders but now has new ones and doesn't

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Do you mean Gogees Casanova - if so there's lots of pedigree information on this cat - and the drinkwater lines do you mean London & black ice? - if so again lots of information far passed 5th gen.

What are the actual names of BB's parents - I think thats what Elaine meant - as she would more then likely be able to help you trace further back - I expect to the ALC's BB comes from