# What do you call this colouring?



## LessThanAnNa (Mar 17, 2006)

There are dozens of photos of MOo Shoo in his bunny blog:


http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11883&amp;forum_id=6


I'd really like to know what to call his colouring. We adopted him from an animal shelter in late January of this year. His only description was 'tortoiseshell'. When I brought him home and researched breeds more carefully I realized that he was clearly a rex. His colouring also fit the description of 'tortoiseshell' as far as I knew.. tortoiseshell cats have that same pattern, tortoiseshell is listed under the many colourings of Rex's but I rarily see 'harlequin' listed as a colour,and I found one link that had a rabbit almost identical to Moo Shoo that was labelled as a tortoiseshell rex as well, and 'tortoiseshell dutch' rabbits have patches of the pattern that Moo Shoo has, so I was quite confident calling him that. 

However, I often also hear people calling the same pattern Harlequin,and even got a message of someone correcting me.. which was somewhat helpful. But I'm still somewhat confused.. so thought I would triple check here. 

I understand that Harlequin is a seperate breed, but I guess it's also a colouring? 

Of course, it doesn't really matter one way or another.. but it's simply something I wonder about. Thank you!


Also, Moo Shoo has a tattoo in his ear, that I know did not come from the shelter.. and am guessing came from his breeder. He's about a year old, and was given up bya family due to allergies.. and livedat the shelter for about three months. I wonder if there is anyway I could trace his breeder via the ear tattoo? Again.. it's nothing important, just curiosity eating at me. (Keep in mind that I live in Ontario, Canada) Thanks!


-Anna and Moo SHoo


----------



## SunnieBunnie Rabbitry (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi Anna,

I'll publicly post what I informed you in earlier PM's...


> I saw Moo Shoo's Bunny Blog... and you stated he was a Tortoiseshell. His actual coloring is called Black/Orange Harlequin.
> 
> Here's a link to another picture of one just like him -http://rabbits.mythicaldanes.com/minirex.html(scroll all the way to the bottom)
> 
> ...





> Yeah, unfortunately that was inaccurate information on Central Pets - I've sent them an email with the links I sent to you, so hopefully they will correct it soon, for the others.
> 
> Now, I hope I don't confuse you here - If I do, let me know...
> 
> ...



Anyone's welcome to counter anything I advised


----------



## aurora369 (Mar 17, 2006)

Hi,

Yes Harlequin is a breed and it's a colouring. I also have a harlequin mini rex. Here's what he looks like: 











And one of his daughters:





And one of his sons: 





They are all harlequin, although his daughter is a much darker, richerred as her mom was a red. It's not a recognised colour of mini rex, but I think it's one of the most beautiful.

--Dawn


----------



## Pipp (Mar 17, 2006)

Here's a happier couple of pics of his son. (Dill) He's on/beside a pretty small cat carrier.


----------



## pamnock (Mar 17, 2006)

Japanese (Black/Orange)Harlequin color



The Japanese have orange in combination with black, blue, chocolate orlilac, while the Magpie Harlequin colored rabbits have white incombination with black, blue, chocolate, or lilac. The Magpies are sometimes mistaken for brokens in some breeds.



Pam


----------



## SunnieBunnie Rabbitry (Mar 17, 2006)

*aurora369 wrote: *


> Hi,
> 
> Yes Harlequin is a breed and it's a colouring. I also have a harlequin mini rex.





> They are all harlequin,although his daughter is a much darker, richer red as her mom was a red. It's not a recognised colour of mini rex, but I think it's one of the most beautiful.
> 
> --Dawn




There are4 "color combinations" of the Harlequin color variety...

The most common is the Black/Orange (Daughter's coloring)...

The next most common is Blue/Fawn (Son's coloring)...

A bit rarer is Chocolate/Orange followed by Lilac/Fawn.

Most all the Harlequin colors seen regularly is the Black/Orange or Blue/Fawn.



Edit: OOPS! Posted the same time as Pam!...LOL! (and I forgot about the Magpies :shock


----------



## pamnock (Mar 17, 2006)

Another bit of trivia on the Harlequin coloration -- the Harlequin color pattern is only showable in the Harlequin breed, but often used in breeding programs for producing tri colored rabbits. 

Tri color (broken harlequin)is the only variety that is accepted as a broken coloration incertain breeds, but is not accepted in the solid Harlequin version for those breeds (Lops, MiniRex, Rex). 



Pam


----------



## LessThanAnNa (Mar 18, 2006)

Thank you everyone for the replies. 

And SunnieBunnie Rabbitry, I wasn't trying to counter what you said.. I was just still a bit confused and wanted to double check. I really appreciated your pm's because I wouldn't have known otherwise. I tried looking for books about different rabbit breeds, but couldn't find much other than general pet-care books about bunnies at my library, most of which I've already read. So, thank you again!! 



~*AnNa*~


----------



## stacie07 (Mar 21, 2006)

Hi there! I have a rabbit who looks exactly like Moo Shoo, the exact coloring and all. However, he's smaller, but I'm assuming he's just a baby because I just got him last Friday. I may have missed it, but do you know what breed Moo shoo is? I've been trying to figure the breed out of my rabbit and I'm pretty sure Moo shoo and Fedex are the same!


----------



## aurora369 (Mar 21, 2006)

HE's a mini rex. I have two mini rex's and one of them is a harlequin too. They are my favourite colouring.

--Dawn


----------



## ~BYNDI~ (Mar 22, 2006)

So how many different types of harlequins are there?


----------



## TinysMom (Mar 22, 2006)

*~BYNDI~ wrote: *


> So how many different types of harlequins are there?


Well - there is the harlequin breed...then there is the harlequin pattern. I have harlequin patterned lionheads...I just LOVE them. 

So there are two basic types - the breed itself - and then the pattern which can show up in any breed (I guess?) if the breeder were to breed for it.

I once saw a harlequin patterned flemish giant...it was a pet!

Peg


----------



## ~BYNDI~ (Mar 22, 2006)

Hello but everyone says there is like the japanese harlequin and and the colours that you can get in them so i was just wondering what they were and what they were call because i would like to get one


----------

