What's the Difference between these two colors?

[OntarioHollands]

What's the difference between a Harlequin colored Holland Lop and a Japanese colored Holland Lop?

I'm getting confused about it because people call some Hollands "Japanese Harlequin". Or some people call a rabbit a "Harlequin" while others call the same color of rabbit a "Japanese" and Visa Versa.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Harlequin is the checker-board type of coat pattern.

Japanese harlequin refers to a black/orange pattern. Magpie harlequin is a white/gray pattern.

So, harlequin is the name of the coat pattern, and Japanese/magpie refers to the color.

 

[OntarioHollands]

Okay That clarifies things! Does the color genetics change with each on quite a bit, or are they kind of the same?

 

[Sugarbread]

What do you mean do they change? Each colour is different.

 

[OntarioHollands]

Well, can a rabbit (or a pair of 'em) that threw a Japanese Harlequin throw a Magpie Harlequin?

That's kinda what I mean

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

It depends on the pair. I'm honestly not familiar enough with the color to give you much information beyond what I already have. However, there are all kinds of variations of harlequin. They can be black, blue, chocolate or lilac based, for example, which can either intensify or dilute the vibrance of the coat.

Harlequin is a complex colors to work with. It's not just one gene that gives a rabbit that pattern and color. There are a number of genes that have to work together.

 

[Sugarbread]

It really depends on the rabbits genetics and what colors are in the animals pedigree. Some Japanese harlequins can throw magpies, but in the Harlequin breed some breeders of the Japanese and Magpie varieties don't breed the two colors together. They do this so that their Japanese lines are cleaner, and so that there are less white markings that pop up in litters.

I used to breed and show Harlequins, lovely rabbits.