RED FOXES and RECESSIVE MUTANTS of the RED and GOLD FOX
Discussed below is the red fox, gold fox, and color mutants that must express on a red or gold fox background.
Red fox
AA BB (Live photo from Beautiful Fur Animals and their Color Genetics) Red is the most common, typical color of the red fox, alongside the gold fox, although they are not technically the same color. While both gold foxes and red foxes are referred to as red foxes, the true ‘red fox’ is genetically distinct from the gold fox and does not have as much black on the body. Red foxes can vary in coloration across captive and wild subspecies, and even within subspecies the color can vary from pale to deep red because of polygenes involved. Subspecies living at higher altitudes tend to have paler coat colors, and some lineages lack the distinctive white tip of the tail, though most foxes born in captivity will have a white tip. |
Gold fox
(Smoky red, bastard fox, Standard cross) Red + silver - AA Bb (Live photo from US Fox Shippers Council) The gold fox, also known as the smoky red, but not to be mistaken for the true red fox. Less frequently this color is called the “bastard fox” in reference to it being born of matings between true red foxes and silver foxes, and for the same reason is sometimes referred to as the standard cross fox. The gold fox is darker in coloration than the red fox, with more dark guard hairs on the tail, and has a distinctive dark belly. This is where the ‘smoky’ name comes from. "Gold fox" is used as a term for both colors in marketing and in this guide to accounts for red and gold foxes. |
RECESSIVE MUTANTS of the GOLD FOX
Recessive mutants of the gold fox refers to colorations that occur on a red (AA BB) or gold (AA Bb) fox background. Colors of the body that are normally black are replaced by a recessive silver color mutation.
Burgundy gold fox
(Cinnamon gold) Gold fox + burgundy - AA Bb gg (Live photo from US Fox Shippers Council) In this section, the burgundy gold fox refers to the color as it occurs on the gold fox, replacing normally black areas of the body such as the ears, legs, and belly, with a dark red-brown color. This coloration is often referred to as a cinnamon gold as well. However, this color shares its name with burgundy gold cross and burgundy silver cross foxes, where the burgundy coloration occurs on a silver or gold cross background. This sort of color, while being genetically distinct from a true burgundy fox, is often similar enough in appearance to pass as a pure burgundy fox. Hypothetically, other brown mutants could also create a color that could be considered burgundy gold as well. |
Pearl gold fox
(Dakota gold) Pearl + gold fox - Bb pp (Live photo from US Fox Shippers Council) (Pelt) When pearl is added to a gold fox, normally black areas of the body are replaced with gray. The pearl factor dilutes the black areas, resulting in a fox legs and ears appearing to be a gray color. |
Amber gold fox
(Autumn gold, Dakota gold) Amber + gold fox - Bb gg pp (Live photo from Beautiful Fur Animals and their Coat Color Genetics) When amber is added to a gold fox or any type of cross fox, the result is the amber gold fox, where the black on the fox is replaced with amber. This color can also share the name “Dakota gold” with the red pearl and is sometimes marketed and sold as pearl gold because of the similarities in appearance. The color of the amber gold generally is more of a brown-gray than the pearl gold. Amber gold or silver cross foxes are also referred to as amber/autumn gold foxes. |