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Chinchilla Colours


Origins of Chinchillas

The original colour of the chinchilla is agouti grey, which is the best colour for camolfage in their native home. Standard grey chinchillas are noted as having strong, thick and bouncy fur. As detailed under Chinchilla Origins, over time gene mutations have created a range of different colours. Some colours are dominant while others are recessive.


Dominant colour genes are carried by PHENOTYPE and are shown outwardly and physically.

Recessive colour genes are carried by GENOTYPE and are not outwardly visible.


A chinchilla that carries a recessive colour does not display the colour it is carrying, for instance a standard grey chinchilla that carries violet genes will look just like any other standard grey chinchilla. This is how 2 chinchillas can produce a baby kit that is a completely different looking colour from themselves.


Dominant Colours

standard grey Colour Name: Standard / Grey / Piebald
Gene Type: Dominant gene.
Description: Grey body with agouti banding, white belly.

biege chinchilla Colour Name: Beige / Tower Beige / Crown of Sunset
Gene Type: Dominant gene.
Description: Beige body, white belly, great variation in strength of beige colour. Pink or dark red eyes.

black velvet chinchilla Colour Name: Black Velvet / Touch of Velvet (TOV) / Gunning Black
Gene Type: Dominant gene.
Description: Black mask over face, black body, agouti banding, white belly, black paw spats. Considered to be one of the stronger-furred mutations.

wilson white chinchilla Colour Name: Wilson White (White / Silver / Mosaic)
Gene Type: Dominant gene.
Description: White body, grey ears. Varies in colour - pure white / silver / white with patchy (mosaic) markings.

Recessive Colours

full ebony chinchilla Colour Name: Ebony / Self Black
Gene Type: Cumulative recessive gene.
Description: Black all-over-body wrap, ranging from standard carriers to light grey "dirty bellied standards" to every-hair-shiny-black full ebonies. Black eyes.

  Colour Name: Charcoal
Gene Type: Recessive gene.
Description: Charcoal grey all-over-body wrap.

violet chinchilla Colour Name: Violet / African Violet / Sullivan Violet
Gene Type: Recessive gene.
Description: Light grey all-over-body wrap with lilac to violet hue. Often considered to be a weaker-furred mutation.

  Colour Name: Sapphire / Larsen Sapphire
Gene Type: Recessive gene.
Description: Light grey all-over-body wrap with light blue hue. Often considered to be a weaker-furred mutation.

Common Mixed-Gene Colours

brown velvet chinchilla Colour Name: Brown Velvet
Gene Mix: Biege / Velvet Mix.
Description: Biege with darker Velvet veiling over head, back and sides. Paw Spats.

ultra-violet chinchilla Colour Name: Ultra-Violet
Gene Mix: Violet / Velvet Mix..
Description: Violet with darker Velvet veiling over head, back and sides. Paw spats.

  Colour Name: Royal Blue
Gene Type: Sapphire / Velvet Mix.
Description: Sapphire with darker Velvet veiling over head, back and sides. Paw spats.

  Colour Name: Black-White Cross
Gene Type: White / Velvet Mix.
Description: Shares the appearance of a Wilson White, sometimes with more pronounced markings. Presence of Velvet gene can sometimes but not always be noted by the presence of paw spats.

  Colour Name: Pink White / Starlight
Gene Mix: Wilson White / Biege Mix.
Description: White all-over-body wrap, pink ears. Pink or red eyes, NOT a true albino - contains beige genes.

  Colour Name: Tan
Gene Mix: Biege / Ebony Mix.
Description: Beige with brown "dirty belly". Phases can range from biege-looking carriers to solid biege wraps to a chocolate colour, depending on the darkness of ebony involved.