Colour question...

ProudChinOwner · Jan 28, 2010

Hey everyone i was just wondering i saw a Chinchilla today in a pet shop and was bit puzzled as to what was going on with his colour.

It looks like a standard but when you go closer he has a white belly, white paws, dark ears and almost "tufts" of white here and there. I meant to take a picture but it looks like hes turning whiteish can that happen? I'm not really up on colours etc so just thought i would ask.

I know its hard to guess without seeing a pic but ye might be able to take a stab at it..

EDIT - i meant to say there is white running through the tail through the standard colour

Ruby · Jan 28, 2010

Were the tufts sticking out of the fur (like when they prime or fur slip), or did the fur just have no pigment? It is hard to tell without a picture.

Though, whites can looks like a standard, most whites that darkly colored have total standard coloring except for white on their tail.

Cuddlebug · Jan 28, 2010

Yes, the white on the tail leads me to think a dark mosaic.

poetrue · Feb 5, 2010

Its hard to say without a picture but all standards have white bellies and mine have white paws. Little tufts of white fur could be from fighting and scarring. Often the fur will grow back in white over scar tissue, no matter what color the chin fur used to be. Also with the agouti fur pattern of a standard, the tail can sometimes look like it almost has a whitish stripe in it. I would say that most likely the chin was standard. If the tail on the other hand was tipped white, half white, or fully white then most likely I would say the chin was a hevily marked white. Either which way though without a picture or better yet seeing the chin in person its very difficult to determine what the color of the chin is!

Cheryl

ProudChinOwner · Feb 7, 2010

Thanks everyone for yer replies, i actually started up a new thread with pics and was told its a standard with possibly some of the problems explained above! I'm not "in" on the colours and when i saw him there he caught my eye. Will be sure to tell the pet shop cause i don't like to think they are not looked after properly.

Poetrue - thanks a million for your post!!