Bengal colors
Bengal cats come in many different shades and colors. Silver, brown, and snow are the three breed basic colors.
Bengal kittens, even in the same litter, can have different color depends on the parents’ genetic background. Thanks to genetic testing nowadays that allows breeders to predict the possible outcome of an upcoming litter and can prevent diseases to become an integral part of a breed.
Brown Bengal cat
The brown Bengal cat (C/C color genes) is one of the most popular of the Bengal cat colors and it was also the first to be recognized by TICA in 1983.
There are variety shades of brown. The ground color can range from buff, tan, honey gold, to orange. Markings may be various shades of tan, brown, and black. An extreme contrast between ground color and markings is preferred.
Have you ever heard of the word ‘countershading’ in brown Bengal cat?
Countershading, aka white tummy in brown Bengal cat, is a form of concealing coloration in which the upper surfaces of the body are more darkly pigmented than the unilluminated lower areas(Britannica, 2019). According to Thayer’s law, Countershading is a method of camouflage in which an animal’s coloration is darker on the upper side and lighter on the underside of the body. The countershading mostly displays on nocturnal animals, for example, Asian Leopard Cat, ocelot, and wolves. Fortunately, it displays in domestic Bengal cat too which is one of the exceptional trait that needs to be valued.
Tips: Nocturnal animals are animals that are active at night. They are animals that hunt, mate, or generally active after dark that have special adaptations that make it easier to live the night life(National Geographic, 2019).
Silver Bengal cat
Silvers are created by a dominant Inhibitor gene (I/i or I/I). It appears to reduce or eliminate the production of pheomelanin or yellow pigment in the cat’s hair(https://felinegenetics.missouri.edu) Generally considered a dominant trait, one copy can cause the loss of pigment, but likely a cat with two copies of the mutation may have less “ruffusing” or “tarnishing”(Turner, P. and Robinson, R.,1980). Though we realize that the Inhibitor gene is a provenance of silver coloration, there isn’t a commercial genetic test for the Inhibitor gene yet.
Tips: there is NO silver carrier because the Inhibitor gene is dominant. It requires only one allele(I) to produce a dominant phenotype; silver. So whether the Bengal cat is silver or it is not.
For silver Bengal cat, ground color ranges from clear silver white to pewter gray. Markings are medium gray to jet black, with good contrast to ground color is preferred.
Snow Bengal cat
The snow Bengal cat represents a mini snow leopard.
Snow/Seal is recessive colored genes which means the recessive alleles need TWO copies to be “seen”. Snow colors genetically know as cs/cs, cs/cb, and cb/cb. Despite the name snow, snow colored Bengals are not pure white coat color. They come in a range of cream, ivory colors associated with a form of albinism that comes from Siamese and Burmese cats ancestry. Snow Bengal cats are quite unique from any other breed.
Snow Bengals come in 3 different colors and names
Snow Lynx (or Seal Lynx Point, cs/cs)
Snow Mink (or Seal Mink Point, cs/cb)
Snow Sepia (or Seal Sepia Point, cb/cb)
The term “seal” refers to the expression of color within the coat of the cat — and “point” refers to the pointed pattern wherein the cat’s extremities (face, legs, tail) are different (i.e., darker) than the rest of the animal. The point pattern is expressed as “lynx” “mink” or “sepia.”
Sometimes it is quite difficult to differentiate the three snow colors especially Mink and Sepia. We can use eye colors to determine lynx from other snows. Thus, genetic test is the best way to tell the difference between these snow Bengals.
Snow lynx
Snow lynx Bengals are the lightest color of the coat variations of snow. It is the result of the two copies of recessive Siamese genes(cs/cs). The snow lynx Bengals that have strong color points, similar to the Siamese pattern, are considered ‘undesirable’ in the Bengal Standard. Snow Lynx Bengal kittens are born completely white or with a light pattern. The kittens will develop contrast later. However, darker color of patterns and markings will not, in general, appear until they reach 1 to 2 weeks old. The interesting fact about snow lynx Bengal cat is that the color of its coat and markings will go darken with age. Sometimes this process takes months until the final color appear. Snow lynx Bengals always have bright blue eyes.
Snow mink
The mink tabby is usually lighter than the sepia, but not as light as the seal tabby point or seal lynx point. Snow Mink kittens are born with a visible mink-brown pattern and ivory cream coat. Mink color cannot be carried. To be noted that a brown Bengal cat can’t be a carrier for the mink gene since snow mink color is the result of the combination between one Siamese gene(cs) and one Burmese gene(cb). Snow mink Bengals have aqua blue, greenish blue or sometimes gold eyes.
Snow sepia
Snow sepia Bengals are the darkest color of the coat variations of snow. It is the result of the two copies of recessive Burmese genes(cb/cb). Sometimes people can get confuse between brown and sepia color. Therefore, please make sure to notice that the Bengal cat you are talking about is not actually brown. Snow sepia Bengal cat is just darker than the other Snow Bengals. For kittens, in order to differentiate lynx and sepia kittens, the sepias always have darker markings at birth compare to lynx. Also the patterns are mostly visible in Sepia-brown. Sepia Bengals have gold/brown or green/hazel eyes. Thus, if you recognize a snow Bengal cat with blue eyes, you know for sure it is not a sepia.