Are you guys sure?

[leni]

Aww, I love BVs, and I'm not just saying that cause I have one :neener: I think it's neat to watch them grow and see how they change. Maybe she'll darken like they said. Either way I'm sure you love her just the same and she is an adorable little thing.

 

[Claire D]

Roll your eyes again and I might have to start calling you a numpty! :neener:

Bwahahaha! That terrifying threat will censor me ......... No, wait. No it won't. :nah:


Back on topic ....... Pinkpiggy, it might be worth taking photos every week or so so that you can watch her change - it's quite an interesting exercise.

 

[Stackie]

My black velvet had hardly any veiling when I got him as a kit. He had a bit of black shading over his face and that was it. His back looked like a standard. His veiling darkened as he got older.

 

[Brittany]

ok, whats the difference in a BV and a ebony?

black velvets have a black veiling over there head and down there back, the sides are gray and the stomach should be white, like a standard.... an ebony will not have a white stomach...It should be close or the exact color as the body

(Breeders correct me if I'm wrong) Genetically speaking they are two different mutations. As different as any other two chinchilla mutations. Any velvet or TOV mutations carries the velvet gene. The velevet gene can be present with any other color.

Beige+velvet= brown velvet
Standard+ velvet= black velvet
Ebony +velvet= Ebony TOV
etc...

like the white gene the velvet gene is lethal in its homozygous state (velvet + velvet) homozygous velvet kits will abort in utero. All living chinchillas with the velvet gene are heterozygous for it.

 

[mishalaa]

(Breeders correct me if I'm wrong) Genetically speaking they are two different mutations. As different as any other two chinchilla mutations.

Strictly speaking, ebony is not a mutation - it is a phenotype. Several mutations fall under the ebony phenotype. Black is not one of them as the bellies are, ideally, white.

Any velvet or TOV mutations carries the velvet gene. The velevet gene can be present with any other color.

It's referred to as the black gene or black mutant factor - velvet refers to its expression, specifically a well veiled black - monkey faced blacks were not called black velvets. And also strictly speaking, the black mutation is not carried. It is dominant so if it is present, it is expressed (unless masked, for example by white). Any black or black hybrid (the TOVs) has the black mutant factor.

like the white gene the velvet gene is lethal in its homozygous state (velvet + velvet) homozygous velvet kits will abort in utero. All living chinchillas with the velvet gene are heterozygous for it.

More or less, just be careful about speaking in absolutes. Nature has a way of pooping out exceptions. It's more accurate to say that we have not observed a homozygous black prove itself to exist.

 

[Amy555]

It's referred to as the black gene or black mutant factor - velvet refers to its expression, specifically a well veiled black - monkey faced blacks were not called black velvets.

wait, what? I haven't heard of 'monkey faced blacks' before

 

[Ash]

Monkey faced blacks would basically be the baby in the photo, except at an older state (if I recall correctly). The veil doesn't completely form and basically they just have a face mask, rather than the full body.

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Nature has a way of pooping out exceptions.

This has to be one of the best statements I've ever heard!

Also, calling TOV a 'black' mutation can be a tad bit confusing, as you can have TOV Violets and TOV Sapphires which don't have any 'black' to them. That's a whole 'nother can of worms.
The most noticeable thing about the TOV characteristic is the veiling!

 

[Godins Chinchillas]

definately a black.

 

[Ronda]

It's also good to remember that the first BVs were considered dirty faced and not worth breeding. Robert Gunning thought differently and developed the BVs and sold some of the first males for astronomical sums of money back in the 60s. He did however have an awesome standard herd to breed them back into to produce a beautiful animal. In the last 20 years or so the quality of the blacks have fallen. A couple years ago Bob said that he had finally started seeing the quality beginning to return and was very happy about the improvements.

Ronda

 

[Arata Acka]

ok, whats the difference in a BV and a ebony?

they have totally different genes, black velvet are just TOV standard and ebonies are ebonies. you can tell by there stomachs, black velvets have white bellies and ebonies have the color all the way around them