| On the genetics, it's not that hard once you get into it. The mother and father each have a gene pair on six dimensions: A -- controls the color of the belly C -- can lighten or colorpoint (darker extremities) E -- controls the amount of gold G -- controls the amount of grey P -- controls eye color Sp -- controls spotting An agouti with no recessives would be AACCEEGGPPspsp. The capital letters are "dominate"; that means if the gerbil carries it, you can see it by their appearance. The small letters are "recessive" you can only see the effect of a recessive if it is paired with another recessive, otherwise the dominate letter would mask the effect. However, the recessive can still be passed on to offspring. Okay so far? Aa or AA = white belly aa = "self-colored" which means the belly is the same color or shade lighter than the back (exception, sometimes an aa spotted gerbil will have some or most white belly) CC = no lightening or colorpoint effect on the fur cbcb = colorpoint, chcb = lighter colorpoint Cch can fade out a color if other genes are present. Cch pp will change a lilac to a dove, for example. chch = ruby eyed white gerbil no matter what the other genetics are EE or Ee = no gold effect ee = introduces gold. For example, an ee changes an agouti to a Dark eyed Honey or a black to a nutmeg GG or Gg = no grey effect gg = introduces greying. For example changes an agouti to a grey agouti and changes a black to a slate Pp or PP will have black eyes (exception, any chch gerbil is white with ruby eyes) pp will have ruby eyes; chchpp will always be a pink eyed white gerbil spsp = no spotting (note that white on paws or chin is not spotting and does not indicate Sp) Spsp = spotting SpSp -- no such thing, this is a fatal gene combination, any SpSp fetus is absorbed in the womb |
| And finally, when you see * or - in the genetic code, that means the gene is unknown. For example a white belly gerbil is A* (which means Aa or AA) An agouti (for example) is A*C*E*G*P*spsp. |
| Okay -- here's a test -- which of these gerbils pictured below: is aa ? is A* ? is cbcb ? is gg ? is pp ? is Spsp ? (answers at bottom of the page) |
| Answers: aa -- Alan (or Rocket) A* (Aa or AA) -- Tequila (or Alec) cbcb -- just Rocket gg -- Bullet pp -- just Tequila Spsp -- Alec These are the full genetics of the boys: Bullet (silver nutmeg spotted): aaC*eeggP*Spsp Alan (black): aaC*E*G*P*spsp Rocket (burmese): aacbcbE*G*P*spsp Alec (agouti spotted): A*C*E*G*P*Spsp Tequilla (argente): A*C*E*G*ppspsp |
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| Bullet Alan Rocket Alec Tequilla |
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| Gerbil Genetics |
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