Mutation Monday!
Sapphires The first “Sapphire” chinchilla was born in the ranch of Merle Larsen of Indiana in 1963 and was first introduced to the world between 1965-1967 . The sapphire is a diluted gene from the Standard Grey color. It is a light almost blue (gunmetal blue) color because the shaft is relatively clear, but still holds a bar. Even with this type of fur, it still holds a white belly. Sapphires tend to have a more pink appearance to their ears. This mutation of the standard color was then dubbed the Larsen sapphire when it was introduced into the breeding world. It is a simple receive, meaning that both parents must carry the gene for it to be produced. When they first came about, sapphires were known to lack size, fur strength and density. This mutation was widely worked upon 10 years ago but has faded out of popularity and has become harder to find without it being mixed with some other gene as well.
Pictures from chinchillas.com
Sapphires The first “Sapphire” chinchilla was born in the ranch of Merle Larsen of Indiana in 1963 and was first introduced to the world between 1965-1967 . The sapphire is a diluted gene from the Standard Grey color. It is a light almost blue (gunmetal blue) color because the shaft is relatively clear, but still holds a bar. Even with this type of fur, it still holds a white belly. Sapphires tend to have a more pink appearance to their ears. This mutation of the standard color was then dubbed the Larsen sapphire when it was introduced into the breeding world. It is a simple receive, meaning that both parents must carry the gene for it to be produced. When they first came about, sapphires were known to lack size, fur strength and density. This mutation was widely worked upon 10 years ago but has faded out of popularity and has become harder to find without it being mixed with some other gene as well.
Pictures from chinchillas.com