Question:
Once and for all, how on earth do you classify the colours? I have had it explained to me before, but I'm just confused. In particular, I have heard of "light hetero ebonies" and "standard, ebony carriers" - what's the difference? I've had a fair bit of experience with chins in my life (standard ones), but I haven't been exposed to very many different colours (in real, live animals as opposed to pictures on the internet), so I'm somewhat of an idiot in regards to that. I have a baby boy right now that I've dubbed "light hetero ebony" not because I'm certain that's what he is, but just because he doesn't look like his standard mom and his dad is a very dark hetero ebony (baby's tummy gets gradually lighter, rather than mom's stark line of contrast from grey to white under her chin and along her side). He also seems to have changed colour, becoming darker since birth.
There, I've blown my cover. Now you can all say, "whoa, don't buy from her! She doesn't know WHAT she's talking about!"
Kristine
BC Chinchilla House


Answer:
There are so many colour phases to ebs it can get crazy. If the tummy is not stark white, just a little off, then I myself would classify that as an ebony carrier. A tummy with a touch of grey, almost the same colour as the chin itself, a light ebony, medium ebony I would say is like this picture posted of Buddy, and a dark ebony would be like the one posted of Savannah, then I would say an extra dark would be one away from homo eb, shiney black with a touch of grey on the belly, or chin or sides somewhere, then of course homo ebony which is every hair shiney black.


Answer:
so I'm somewhat of an idiot in regards to that.
No your not, your just learning that's all. I was confused myself but I caught on, so will you! It's very overwelming at first!
This is what I did to help me learn, I played around with the Chin-cross calculator. Here is the link:
http://www.silverfallchinchilla.com/...alculator.aspx


Answer:
I agree with firefox. A standard ebc would have a 'dirty' belly, but still very distinguishable from the rest of the coat. A light Het. Eb would be more over the same all the way around.


Answer:
Hey Kristine,
don't feel stupid this is very confusing sometimes, especially with Ebs and Tans. I would agree with what Laurie said, it sounds like you kit is probably a light Hetero Eb. Here is a pic of a chin I consider a light Hetero Eb.
Carleen


Answer:
Oops forgot the pics...
carleen


Answer:
So Kristine, have you decided what he is yet? Don't worry, you're not an idiot. I myself have trouble with the ebonies, and sometimes telling if a certain chin is TOV or not. If you;re an idiot, so am I!


Answer:
His tummy looks just the colour of the chin that Carleen posted, but his back is darker. His face is also a wee bit squatter, and there you have my chin! I took some pics of him a couple of days ago and will post them when the film is developed.
Kristine


Answer:
Remember too ebonies can change a lot in the first couple of years of their lives. I ones sold what I thought was a TOV pastel and a year later, she was a dark TOV tan


Answer:
I have two from the same parent's, different litters. Once is classified as a light hetero ebony at the last chinchilla show I attended, the other a standard ebony carrier. The light hetero eb has a dirty belly, but the standard eb carrier has a white belly. They are siblings. Same parents, different litters