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NOTE:
As with all of my other pages of info. please do not copy this info. (text or pictures) unless you obtain permission first. I usually have no problem with you using the info on your website, if you credit me and provide a link back to my website. I will not tolerate plagerism or stealing of any kind!
I am dedicating this entire page to discuss the charcoal color in SBT bengals. The reason I am doing so is because out of all of the colors that bengals come in, I probably like this color the most. Another big reason is because I have produced so many of them here at my cattery that I have had the chance to study them and I feel like I know more about them than the average breeder. If you would like to ask questions regarding the info. on this page or have anything to contribute, please feel free to email me and we can discuss it.
I am by no means saying that I know everything about this subject and I realize I have a lot to learn still, so I welcome any comments from anyone who has sufficient knowledge about the subject to add anything that might help us better understand this color (I will of course credit you with a text credit). What I put on this page, are mainly my own observations and theories on the subject, so my thinking may change from time to time, especially if more breeders become involved with breeding charcoals and more information becomes available.
Even though charcoal brown is an accepted color because it falls under the brown category, my goal is to eventually get the standard changed to include all of the brown colors as desirable instead of just a high degree of roufesing. One of the main reasons why is because I know that this color contributes greatly to my breeding program and can contribute greatly to other programs (more about that later) I also know that many charcoals are early generation cats, so being that it occurs naturally, it should be included in the standard.
(update 3/25/08 I believe the standard has been changed and it no longer states that a high degreee of roufesing is preferred! This is wonderful news for our charcoal and cool colored bengals!)
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From my observations and test breedings I have found that the charcoal coloration can be inherited along with any other color bengal. To date, there are charcoal browns, charcoal silvers, and charcoal snows.
The fact that charcoal coloration can be inherited along with other colors besides just being an unroufesd brown leads me to believe it is an entirely seperate gene or set of genes than an unroufesed brown/black.
I would love to try and test breed to get some charcoal blues, etc. to see if the charcoal coloration can be inherited along with these other colors as well. |
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Please be aware that at this time, "charcoal" is not really a seperate color designation, rather it is a description. Although through breeding, I am convinced that it is a seperate gene that the brown/black gene and should be in it's own color class.
At this time however, most breeders use it to describe a brown cat that is at the very end of the color spectrum. It is on the opposite side of the spectrum of very red or orange cats that are highly roufesd. Instead, the charcoal brown has very little to no roufesing.
In the middle of the spectrum would be other colors of brown like mohogany, golden, tawney, etc. (see color chart below)
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note: this color chart is not meant to show all of the brown bengal colors, rather it is just used to show how charcoal brown and a roufesed brown are at the opposite ends of the color spectrum).
CHARCOAL BROWN
Charcoal browns, at maturity, will have jet black markings against a silvery grey background. Sometimes it takes awhile for the background color to come in but they are all born with the jet back markings (more on that later).
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| charcoal brown (front) roufesd brown (back) |
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Back Stripe
I have noticed that most charcoal (spotted) bengals have a back stripe (or some breeders call it a "cape"). In my opinion, all true charcoal spotted bengals should have this back stripe at one point in their lives. The stripe is a very thick, black line running all the way down the back from the shoulders to the base of the tail. I'm not sure why this occurs so often in the charcoal, but in my opinion, charcoal is inherited as a pattern, thus creating the back stripe as part of the pattern. I think that the marble pattern can disrupt the charcoal pattern, which would account for not seeing many charcoal marble cats or not seeing the back stripe on the charcoal marbles that you do see.
Below are some pictures of different charcoal cats with the back stripe.
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CHARCOAL MARBLES
To date, I have only seen a few marble pattern bengals that I consider true charcoals. Even though I have produced many unroufesed marble bengals here, I would consider none of them to be true charcoal marble.
As stated previously, I think that charcoal may be inherited as a pattern, and the marble pattern somehow disrupts the charcoal pattern. I think that somehow the marble pattern may disrupt the charcoal pattern as to eliminate the wide back stripe on marbles that is so commonly found on spotted charcoals. In the pictures below, you will see a charcoal silver bengal kitten. Notice how you can still see the lighter marble stripes running down the back (like you see in all marble bengals), thus, I would not consider this kitten to have the wide back stripe (because charcoal back stripes should be solid in color), like charcoal spotteds do.
(photos of the kitten below provided by Misty of Kajari Bengals) |
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| click for larger (photo courtesy of Kajari Bengals) |
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| charcoal silver marble kitten -clcik pic for larger |
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Two Different Kinds?
I have also noticed through breeding charcoals that there has been two different types of charcoal browns born here. Although this colroing affects silvers too, the following information is referring to charcoal brown cats.
The first is born with jet black markings and a almost white background color. For descriptive purposes, I'll call this type of charcoal "light charcoal"
From just looking at them they look very much like a dark marked silver. It is almost impossible to tell them apart from a silver. There are two ways to tell is the kitten is a silver or if it is a charcoal brown.
1.)If it is not a silver it will not have a white undercoat (fur right next to the skin).
2.)If neither of the parents are a silver, the kitten cannot be a silver.
Later on when the cat matures, it takes on that characteristic silvery grey background color.
Below are picture examples of "light charcoal" browns that look silver at birth or at a young age. |
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The second type of brown charcoal is born very, very dark. The background color is as dark as or almost as dark as the markings. For descriptive purposes, I'll call this 'dark charcoal"
This type
of cat is not a melanistic because melanistics are entirely black, even on the feet, face and belly. In contrast, the black charcoal, although predominately black, will still have light color on the face, feet and belly. (see picture examples below)
Sometimes the background will gradually lighten and take on that characteristic silvery grey background color, but sometimes it won't and the cat will stay predominately black at maturity. (see picture examples below)
To date, I know that both browns and silvers can either be a "light charcoal or a "dark charcoal" but the pictures below are all of charcoal browns.
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Charcoal Glitter
Almost all the charcoals I have produced here have been glittered. As a matter of fact, many of them have been extremely glittered. The charcoal brown will not have the golden type of glitter, rather the color of the glitter looks like little strands a very thin sterling silver or mercury. I have noticed this glitter color looks different from the "crystalline" type of glitter found on some snows and silvers. Mostly, the glitter can be found on or in among the black fur and not so much on the background fur (unless it's there but less detectable against the lighter background color). I have been able to actually pluck out strands of glittered fur. The glitter seems to reach the entire length of the hair shaft, unlike "Mica" glitter, which only affects the very tip of the hair. It is also unlike "satin" glitter, because although satin glitter reaches down the entire hair shaft, satin glitter seems to have more of a glossy look rather then a silvery metallic look. Two different types of glitter genes have been identified in bengals (Satin and Mica). Weather or not this metallic glitter is the result of one of these genes, or perhaps both of these gene combined, or another glitter gene entirely, I do not know. I do know that it looks different than any of my other non-charcoal bengals who exibit glitter (both satin and mica glitter).
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Charcoal Tarnish
Since charcoal brown are considered brown, no such thing as tarnish technically exists on the charcoal bengal. However, I have noticed that a number of brown charcoals do get a "tarnished" look on the face, feet, and ears. Many times it develops later, like how a silver bengal would develop tarnish.
A charcoal brown that has this warm color is not to be confused with a "cool brown" color of cat. A non-charcoal, "cool brown" will develop warm color (but not as warm as most other browns) in the background of the coat. A charcoal brown will not develop any roufesing in the background of the coat except in the "tarnish" areas described above.
A charcoal brown can also get a tarnished look on the black markings where, like the melanistic, too much sunlight can turn some the black part of the coat a brownish to dark purplish color. As soon as the cat is restricted from access to sunlight, the jet black color returns. |
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"Charcoal Brown" VS. "Cool Brown"
There is not as much known about charcoal brown as there is about other colors of brown at this time. Since this is the case, a great number of bengal breeders are mis-identifying cool brown colored cats as charcoal brown. Looking for the silvery grey background coat (at maturity) with no warm background color can help them to identify a charcoal apart from a cool brown with very little roufesing. I have experianced very cool brown cats and charcoal brown cats born in the same litter. Sometimes it takes an experianced eye to tell them apart, much like it takes an experianced eye to tell silvers and snows apart if both are born in the same litter, or to tell the different kinds of snows apart, if born in the same litter or compared side by side.
Below are some pictures of charcoal browns and non-charcoal, "cool brown" colors of cats and kittens. See if you can figure out which is which. Click on the picture to make it larger and for the answers. |
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CHARCOAL SILVERS:
At this time, charcoal silver is just another variety of the regular silver color. On the registration papers a charcoal silver would be registered as just 'silver' (just as a charcoal brown would be registered as "brown" and not "charcoal or "charcoal brown" ). As brought out before, I am quite convinced that charcoal should have it's own color designation since it can be inherited along with any other bengal color.
Sometimes silvers are born that are very dark, almost black, just like how a "dark charcoal brown" is born( *see my info on this page about "dark charcoals" and "light charcoals"). Some people might mistake them as a silver smoke which is a melanistic that also carries the silver gene. " Charcoal silvers are not silver smoke though.
At first these kittens will have a dark body but you can clearly see the white markings on the face, that's how you can tell the difference between them and a silver smoke. A silver smoke will have the "smokescreen" over the entire body, even the face.
Charcoal silvers go through an amazing transformation. The background color starts to lighten until a pattern is revealed. Charcoal silvers end up with a jet black pattern and a silver to white background coat. The hair near the skin will still be pure white.
Take a look at the pictures below to see how a charcoal silver kitten transforms in color. It is interesting to note that most charcoal browns transform colors in much the same way, most are also born with very dark fur over much of the body except the face (for more info on that see the 'dark charcoal" info on this page").
Below are some pictures of charcoal silvers and how they transform in color.
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| 3 days old (click pic for larger) |
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| same kitten at 15 days old |
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| same kitten (Cozy Counrty Kairu) as an adult |
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CHARCOAL SNOWS?
Note: This is a more recent development that we have had at Pocket Leopards Bengals. We have produced what seems to be a 'charcoal seal lynx point snow.' She is over a year old now. I have also added this information to the "snows" page as well. Hopefully I will have more information to add later as I attempt to breed more of these. It is not confirmed that she is indeed a charcoal snow because she has the marble pattern, thus she does not have the wide back stripe you see in spotted charcoals. If I can breed for a spotted snow with this same very dark coloring, I can be more certain if charcoals snows do exist. My opinion though is that they do.
'Charcoal snow' is a term that is at this point really doesn't exist, however, another breeder and I are using this term to describe a seal lynx point snow cat that was bred here. Her name is Pocket Leopards "Dreams" of Naamah. She has very white background color with incredibly dark pattern and the very blue seal lynx point eyes. She is not silver in any way shape or form. Her dam is a charcoal brown that carries for seal lynx point and her sire is a very roufesed brown that also carries for seal lynx point. She was born just like any other seal lynx point, just about pure white and the markings took some time to darken.
We believe that she is a charcoal snow. She inherited the charcoal polygene (still a theory about what genes actually causes the charcoal color) and she also is a snow, thus she's a charcoal snow. Her contrast is wonderful. I am going to attempt to duplicate this outcome by breeding her dam (Metallic Miss) with the full brother of Metallic Miss' sire. Since Metallic Miss is a charcoal that carries for snow, and Metallic Miss' uncle (Native Son), is a seal mink snow, hopefully I will get some charcoal seal lynx points and charcoal seal minks. Metallic Miss is charcoal due to her father's recessive genes (this I know for sure since he himself is not charcoal but produced charcoal kittens with different females) so hopefully his full brother (Native Son) also carries the recessives for charcoal. Even if he doesn't, I have found it only takes one parent to produce charcoal, even if the other parent is not charcoal or doesn't carry for charcoal, so I could theoretically still get charcoal snows out of the mating. However, if both parents carry for charcoal, my chances, I would assume, would be very much greater.
Update on 2/4/08: I have produced a kitten that I believe to be a charcoal spotted seal mink snow. She has a very dark pattern and the wide back stripe, but she is still young and need to mature into her final color before I can make a determination on her. I will update again at a later time.
Pocket Leopards could very well be the first bengal breeder in the world to purposely produce "charcoal snows"
Hopefully we will be seeing more "charcoal snows" in the future!
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The following information is what I wrote up about what I suspect, what I know for sure, and what I don't know because test breedings have not been done to my knowledge. If you have done some test breedings and can add anything to this, please contact me. I would love to work together with other breeders to further my knowledge on this color by more test breeding. The more people doing the test breedings, the faster we can answer some of these questions to a certainty.
POSSIBLE MODE OF INHERITANCE
1.)Polygenic trait
(therefore the mendel mode of inheritance would not apply and there are no dominant genes, the genes work in a totally different way than simple recessive/dominant.)
2.)Inherited as a pattern instead of a color. Like the whited tummy, I believe that charcoal is inherited as a pattern, and this would explain why charcoals have the "back stripe" (or cape).
3.)It is possible that the marble pattern can act as some sort of modifier gene, thus eliminatiing the back stripe.
I also decided to write down what I know for sure, what I am pretty sure about and what I don't know. If any of you have anything to add, or can counter any of this, please do so!
WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE
1.)Non-charcoal can be carriers of charcoal
2.)It only takes one charcoal (or charcoal carrier) parent to produce charcoal offspring
3.)One charcoal parent (or carrier) will not produce all charcoal kittens, in every litter, 100% of the time, when bred to a non-charcoal (or non-carrier).
4.)Neither parent actually has to be a charcoal in order to produce charcoal offspring.
WHAT I STRONGLY SUSPECT BASED ON OBSERVATION AND TEST BREEDING OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS
1.)A charcoal (or carrier) can produce charcoal offspring no matter what mate they are bred to. (meaning they can (but not always will) produce charcoal offspring when bred with a non-charcoal or non-carrier)
NOTE: The reason I believe this is true is because I bred Luxor (charcoal carrier) to Ami (suspected non-carrier) and got charcoal offspring. I bred metallic miss (charcoal) to durk (suspected non-carrier) and got charcoal offspring.
I then bred ami to durk and got no charcoal offspring. If both parents needed to carry, it would mean that all four cats would carry. But since I took the two that produced charcoals with a charcoal or a charcoal carrier (AMI and DURK), and bred them together, if they both carried, they would produce charcoal together, but they didn't.
I realize more test breeding needs to be done, but that takes time so if anyone has done anything similar, please let me know.
WHAT I DONT KNOW, BECAUSE I HAVEN"T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST BREED 
1.)What will two charcoals bred together produce? Will they produce ALL charcoal, 100% of the time?
(update:3/25/08 there is a known breeding between two charcoal silvers. The offspring are charcoal silver and silver smoke) (note:silver smoke is the silver version of melanistic, so if these kittens would have been brown, they would be charcoal brown and melanistic)
2.)What will a charcoal bred to a PROVEN charcoal carrier produce?
(update:3/25/08 I have bred a charcoal to a silver seal mink carrying for charcoal. The offspring were: 2 suspected charcoal snows (one mink, one lynx point) one silver (not charcoal) and one brown (not charcoal).
3.)What will two PROVEN charcoal carriers (but not charcoal themselves) produce?
WHAT I'D LIKE TO GENETICALLY TEST FOR:
1.)To test to see if all charcoal colored cats carry for the non-agoti gene (melanistic) (Aa). So far evidence shows that they may be. However I need a lot more data to prove or discount this theory.
(if anyone reading this has a charcoal cat and know for sure if it is/or is not genetically Aa, or would be willing to submit to a genetic
test, please let me know.)
I already know that non-charcoal cats that "carry" for charcoal do not have to be Aa.
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