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Calico in Families

Threnody September 19, 2011 September 19, 2011

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Just found out about these images from a mustang herd. There is a calico tobiano buckskin mare with her calico tobiano pali foal. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/305379_20… http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/310807_20928427… http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/312464_20928505… I've heard that some families are more prone to calico marks than others, but here is a direct example. Most of the calicos I've seen have been mustangs too. Something interacts with the dilution. Also seems to be more common in areas surrounded by or near white.

rabbitsfizz Tue, 09/20/2011 - 07:01

They are not just Tobi, though, does that affect them?
It might be a good idea to remind us exactly what "Calico" means- the dark patches that could have been put down to random somatics, I am assuming?
I admit I have not kept up with this, is it a theory or genetically proven?

Also WHAT is up with all the ads popping up all over the text?
I could not cope with that on FHOTD and I can't cope with it here!!

Threnody Tue, 09/20/2011 - 11:15

Haven't gotten any word ads personally. That wouldn't be good, I hate them too.

Calico is somatic mutation. Sponenburg named it and it's a bit confusing especially since some forms of sabino are called calico.

Calico tobiano is when a cream with tobiano has patches of cream switched off. In this case the buckskin dam has patches of bay and the pali foal has patches of chestnut. It's a somatic mutation which has a high correlation to cream and tobiano being in the same animal. It's more common in certain lines like these mustangs. There appears to be a genetic aspect because of this. Still [i]very [/i]rare though.

Calico is not limited to tobiano and cream from what I've seen. I think since tobiano and cream are more common that most of the examples come from them. This is a Splash Frame buckskin with a calico spot.

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/pi…

Dogrose Tue, 09/20/2011 - 13:25

It sort or reminds me of the pearl rats I have bred where areas of pearl were switched off leaving darker mink patches. (pearl is a homozygous lethal dominant gene in rats that only affects mink based colours by greatly lightening them but can be hidden in other colours the way silver can be hidden in a chestnut horse). A rat colour expert thought it was something to do with methylation(?) but I can't understand the theory behind it, don't quite have a big enough brain.