!!!!!Genetic!!!!!

There are different coloured chinchillas, which were mated to produce different-coloured offspring, otherwise known as mutations.

Types of Mutations:

White: Born on a ranch in North Carolina, the first white male arrived in 1955. When the American breeder, Wilson, bred the first chinchilla. It was from parents who were both the standard blue-grey colour and was something and was something that had never happened before. It was then found that if a white male was mated with a standard grey & blue-grey female, a high percentage of the offspring were white

Silver White/Platinum: Mating white chinchillas with blue-grey chinchillas would often produce silver white and platinum offspring.

Rose/Apricot: Mating beige chinchillas with white chinchillas gave rise to cream-coloured offspring known as rose or apricot.

Blue Black Velvet: Mating blue velvet chinchillas with clear blue-grey chinchillas produced offspring known as blue black velvet which was considered to be the most beautiful colour by the fur traders.

Pastel/Brown/Sapphire Velvets: Mating black males with females of varying colours produced offspring such as pastel velvets, brown velvets and sapphire velvets.

Types of Colours

The standard colour of a chinchilla is standard grey (blue-grey) but it is then broken down into three markings, which form the “agouti” pattern. They are the undercoat or underfur ; the middle colour; and the markings around the head, neck and shoulders. Chinchilla fur also has “guard hairs”, which are hairs that stick out from the undercoat by a few millimeters, and give the pelt its elasticity.

In general the abdomen is white or light grey. However, Wilson developed the white in 1955, and in 1956, another American, Gunning, developed the black velvet chinchilla. Other colour varieties include charcoal, beige, rose or apricot, chocolate brown, silver, platinum, pink/white, mosaic, brown velvet, pastel velvet, sapphire velvet, blue black velvet and even albino.

Black Velvet

Black velvet chinchillas have fur that has black undercoat, a thin grey/white middle colour and dark black markings around the head, neck and shoulders

Beige

In 1955, a beige female was born on a ranch in Oregon. The descendants became known as Crown of Sunset Beiges and were then popular. Light beige (pearl), and medium to dark beiges (pastel), result from the mating of a beige buck and a clear-blue standard female. 

Silver

Silver chinchillas have a silver-grey undercoat, a white middle colour and silver grey markings around the head, neck and shoulders.

     Pink white                         

White

White chinchillas have fur, which is either all white or white with black guard hairs.

Platinum

Platinum chinchillas have a light blue undercoat, a bluish-white middle colour and bluish markings around the head, neck and shoulders.

Sapphire

Sapphire chinchillas have a light blue undercoat, a blue/white middle colour and light blue markings around the head, neck and shoulders.

Rose or Apricot

The chinchillas fur is cream

Chocolate Brown

Chocolate Brown chinchillas have a very deep dark brown undercoat, a light brown middle colour, black-brown markings around the head, neck and shoulders and a brown abdomen.

Albino

Albino chinchillas pure white and have red eyes.

Mosaic

Mosaic chinchilla is very rare and expensive to acquire.  It is normally in white with gray or black patches