... I noticed on Cagney that his nose seems to be a little bit longer than Bogarts, almost like a rat nose. Now, I doubt a rat and a chin mated!! Is this genetic?? I don't plan on breeding them, he is a Violet. ... Laurie
The nose thing is something that you will see when a breeder or breeders on back up the line, have gone to many generations without reintroducing a good blocky pure standard gray back into the line.
Personally ... I like to breed in a good pure standard gray back into the lines ever other or every 2 generations.
This nose trait is not unusual with violets and sapphires ... they are the "newest" colors that have been added to the short list of chinchilla colors. When building a genetic line of a particular color, in the beginning there is allot of cross breeding of the same color back to itself ... once the color is established ... then, the standard grays are brought back into the line to strengthen the line. It takes a few generations of good/proper breeding to eliminate or soften the sharpness of the nose.
I have seen many violets in the last few years with good blocky noses that have been properly mated.
Many times you will see a pure violet with both parents that are pure violets ... often, this is s "shortcut" ... a bad one ... that some breeders will take because they want to breed
all pure violets because they can sell them at a higher price.
A pure violet should be put into breeding with a pure standard gray or a standard gray/violet carrier ... in my personal opinion. You may get a mix of standard gray violet carriers
and pure violets, but, usually, they are of a higher quality.
Regardless of the pointed or rounded nose, or of the standard gray/violet carrier or pure violet, or of any color, male or female ... they are all very lovable and can make wonderful pets.
BUT the proper breeding is what will assure the future of all chinchillas. 
Jo Ann
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Topic: Bogart & Cagney (Read 1997 times)