Dichrome Rabbitry

I see questions often about eye color. Especially “chin eyes” and “Ruby glow”.

Harlequins have unique stripes and patterns unlike any other color of rabbit. But how do harlequins get their patterns? Why are the colors distributed like they are? 

Agouti colors have at least three colors per hair shaft in the main color of the body. There is always a base color, an intermediate band, and ticking color. There may be more rings than the three, typically with the base and intermediate color alternating. Please note: the colors in the hair shaft art are an approximation. Real band colors may vary in exact shade and intensity based on rufus modifiers and other intensity modifiers. Bands can also be naturally wider or narrower, with or without the actions of the Wideband mutation. 

These are all sables (genotype of sable marten, but sable-based colors all work the same way). Notice that on NONE of them is the body color black. And on young ones, what will later turn a sepia brown is frosted colored. Silvery frosty tips. Very young ones appear almost dilute, but they don’t look QUITE right for blues. Many people mistake young sables for lilacs or weird blues. Sables go through incredible coat color changes! This is a hallmark of sable based colors. If they don't go through similar transitions, it's not a sable! You might instead have a seal or a self chinchilla. More on that in the  genetics section!Sable-based colors include sable (AKA Siamese Sable), sable marten, sable chinchilla, smoke pearl, smoke pearl marten, smoke pearl chinchilla, and more. Bear in mind that some sable-based colors don't have enough color or are altered enough by other gene influences that you might not notice these transitions! Sable frosted pearl, for example, might have so little sable color that you just can't see the transition. Lilac sable will be so light in color already that you might miss the frosted out stage.