ASF colour guide

[Rhasputin]

I think I posted this a long long time ago...

But this is a guide to all the ASF colours. You'll have to forgive me, I think I've just about forgotten all of the genetic codes, but feel free to ask and I'll try my best to explain how to create the colour combinations. (Scratch that, I found the chart i made a long time ago, on the internet, so I posted them! But still feel free to ask about the science of it all)
Also, I always feel it's necessary to explain that there are no ALBINO ASFs. All white ASFs with pink eyes are either pink eyed white, or ruby eyed white. The gene for albino is a recessive c/c and is a white 'cover' that covers up all the colours on the animal. The genes that make white ASFs, are variegation genes, that when bred selectively, cover up the spots on the animal pretty successfully, but it doesn't always breed true.

Agouti - A-


Cinnamon A- bb


Argente A- B- pp


Cinnamon-Argente A- bb pp (including a picture of argente and cinnamon argente next to one another)



Head-spot variegation -- -- -- -- Ww


Saddle variegation -- -- -- -- WW


Platinum A- B- P- "Ru"- W*W*


Black Eyed White A- bb P- "Ru"- W*W*


Pink Eyed White A- B- pp "Ru"- W*W* (this one still has one small spot, but it's the best photo I have! )



Ruby Eyed White A- B- P- "ru""ru" W*W* (flash makes them look rather pink)


Odd Eye




Here's a list of the genes without pictures, so you can check that out.
Agouti A-
Cinnamon A- bb
Argente A- B- pp
Cinnamon-Argente A- bb pp
Ruby Eyed A- B- P- "ru""ru"
Ruby Eyed Cinnamon A- bb P- "ru""ru"
Ruby Eyed Argente A- B- pp "ru""ru"
Ruby Eyed Cinnamon-Argente A- bb pp "ru""ru"
Head-spot variegation -- -- -- -- Ww
Saddle variegation -- -- -- -- WW
Platinum A- B- P- "Ru"- W*W*
Black Eyed White A- bb P- "Ru"- W*W*
Pink Eyed White A- B- pp "Ru"- W*W*
Ruby Eyed White A- B- P- "ru""ru" W*W*
High White Head-spot variegation -- -- -- -- W*w
High White Saddle variegation -- -- -- -- W*W

There are some on here I don't have photos of.

[satomi325]

Is Argente the same as Amber?
And Saddle variegation is the same as pied correct?

[Rhasputin]

Yes, and no. People call them that, but it's incorrect. Argente is the proper term for an agouti animal that is diluted to 'yellow' by a pink eyed gene.

And people call the variegated ones 'pied' or 'piebald' but this is even more incorrect, as piebald is an actual gene (recessive spotting s/s). Variegation is a separate mechanism for creating spots on an animal, different that piebald/pied. It's also dominant, which differs from piebaldism.

But yes, people call argente 'amber' and people refer to the variegated varieties as 'pied' on a regular basis.

[OctagonGecko729]

Thanks OP, that was very helpful I was unaware that you could link up Ambers/Argente with Cinnamons to produce different phenotypes .

I had always suspected this was the case but I can't distinguish them in person. I just started my colony about 2 months ago. I appreciate the information on the white animals as well.

So is the Piebald/Variegation a dominant gene which has other enhancer genes to make the black eye whites? I have all of the genes in my collection so how would I work towards BEW/REW is it just selectively breeding higher white piebald/Variegations? How many generations does it usually take to achieve them?

[Rhasputin]

White animals are actually really easy to produce. You need to usually start with animals that are W/W , meaning they have 2 copies of the Dominant variegation gene. This usually produces an animal with a white, or mostly white head, and a brown saddle on the body "Saddled variegation". Then you breed 2 of them together, and some offspring should turn out significantly more white. I don't know why this is, and I am sorry I can't explain it more scientificaly.

In 3 generations or so you can have animals that are mostly white with a small spot of colour. There's basically no way to get rid of the colour completely forever, but once you have animals with just a small spot, you just breed them together, or to the closest to white you have, and hope for the best. You'll get solid white animals, and some with a bit of colour still. Something about the way the Dominant gene acts when homozygous (W/W). I wish I had more detailed scientific information about the variegation genes. The colour ones are easy, the marking ones are hard.


So to make black eyed whites, you breed variegated black eyed animals. They can be cinnamon, or agouti.

[4theSNAKElady]

Neat! Now i want some odd eyes on my collection!

sent from my incubator

[OctagonGecko729]

Would you mind posting some more comparison pictures of Argente and cinnamon Argente side by side and in the same lighting? Also how can I figure out if an animal has ruby eyes? I can't really see it on mine. Is ruby eyed recessive or dom?

Appreciate all your help we should sticky this.

[Rhasputin]

If I have cinn and cinn argente left I will try to get more photos. They are not easy to distinguish, one is just more silvery and lighter than the other. I can hardly tell unless they're next to each other.

As far as ruby eyed... I'm not 100% sure. I list it as a recessive but I don't really know much about the mechanism. I've only had a few ruby eyed animals so I haven't done much experimenting. It may be a side effect from another gene or series of genes.
If someone else finds or knows more info please share your findings! Or if you have the ruby gene in your line, please experiment and see what you find!


As far as identifying ruby eyes, it should be clear. The eyes will clearly not be black, and will show up pink with a flash or bright light.

[Rhasputin]

Neat! Now i want some odd eyes on my collection!

sent from my incubator

I tin we all do!

As far as we can tell it's not a regular dominant or recessive gent that causes it. But if a line produces one and you breed it back in, the line usually produces more but the rate is very very low. Low enough that you'd maybe only see one per year at best. I wonder what's going on genetic wise!!

I have another gene in one of my lines that produces twisted snouts or shortened faces. The most extreme was shortened an average of 1/4 inch compared to other normal ASFs.

[Crazymonkee]

Awesome post thank you!! If mine would ever like to start breeding I might get somewhere!!!

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