So this is a massive topic and there is a lot of information about feline genetics that you can get into. What I would like to focus on is purely the most commonly asked information about Bengal Genetics. I’m going to brush over all the complicated details of genetics and just say this at a high level.
One chromosome comes from the father and one from the mother.
The father’s chromosome can be dominate over the mother’s or vice versa.
If one is dominant then that is the trait that applies. If they are the same, then you get that trait.
Dominant chromosomes are denoted with capital letters while recessive ones are lower case.
Coat
The coat contains a bunch of different genes:
Agouti: this gene controls whether the hair of the fur contains a single solid color or alternating banded hair.
A (meaning banded) is dominant and a (solid color) is recessive.
Charcoal is from the ALC agouti allele and is recessive to A and dominant to a.
Brown: this gene controls the color with B (Full Colour), b (brown), b(l) – Cinnamon and b(s) – Snow as the options.
Dilute: this gene controls color dilution with D being Full Colour and d being dilute.
Inhibitor: this gene inhibits the color and creates silver colours. With I being inhibits and i being not.
Pattern: Sp is now thought to be the pattern gene and (T was previously thought to control pattern). Sp is spotted and sp is marbled.
Glitter: this gene controls whether their coat has glitter (g) or not (G)
Example Bengal Colours
This shows you how changing one gene changes the colour of the Bengal.
Brown Spotted Bengals: They must be Brown Full Color (B), Full Colour (D), Not Inhibited (ii), Spotted: (SP)
Snow Spotted Bengals: They must be Brown Snow (bsbs), Full Colour (D), Not Inhibited (ii), Spotted: (SP)
Blue Spotted Bengals: They must be Brown Full Color (B), Dilute Colour (dd), Not Inhibited (ii), Spotted: (SP)
Silver Spotted Bengals: They must be Brown Full Color (B), Full Colour (D), Inhibited (I), Spotted: (SP)
Brown Marbled Bengals: They must be Brown Full Color (B), Full Colour (D), Not Inhibited (ii), Marbled: (sp)