|
Chocolate (aabb) is the two-gene color which is the combination of the black-eyed argente (BEA) and black genes. Since both of these colors are recessive, the hamster must have two copies of both of these genes to appear chocolate. It is not difficult to breed chocolates if you have both a BEA and a black hamster -- but you must have both genes. To get chocolates, you would breed the BEA to the black. All babies would be normal carrying BEA and black. You would then breed two of these normals together. From this pairing, you should get approximately 9/16 normals, 3/16 BEAs, 3/16 blacks, and 1/16 chocolates. (It is a bit trickeir but still doable if you start with animals who only carry these genes.)
Due to the silvering nature of the black gene, all chocolates will silver. Some silver early while others silver later in life. Also due to the black gene, all chocolates are self. Self colored hamsters are the same color all over (belly and back) with no scallops on the side. Most also have white paws and a chin stripe while some have white patches on their bellies too.
The chocolates should be a rich dark brown. They are very similar in color to the doves except that the chocolates have black eyes. |
|
