Colors
There is a nice variety of colors in the Bengal breed. It is amazing as it allows everyone to find their match. We personally love and breed all of them.
The Black (Brown) Tabby Bengal
Also know as Black Tabby, the Brown Bengal is the most popular. All variations of brown are allowed. It can range from golden, cream, tawny, chocolate, and honey shades to taupe, tan, beige, caramel and cinnamon.
We often just distinguish Warm and Cold Browns. Warm tones are generally preferred in shows, although we like Cold Browns too, as they are a real plus to avoid tarnish in Silvers.
Warm Brown
Cold Brown
Bengalissimo Poker
WildnSweet Ibiza, From Moon's Heart
Eye colors range from gold, hazel and copper, to green.
Gold Eyes
Bengalissimo Poker
Green Eyes
Mina El Embrujo
Light glasses around the eyes, and a white ground color on the whisker pads, chin, chest, belly and inner legs is greatly appreciated, as they come from the Bengal's ancestor, the Asian Leopard Cat. However, these features are very rare and hard to work with. We hope to have Whited Bengals someday.
Whited Bengal
Hypnotic Bengal Langkor
A bit of Genetics...
The brown gene « C » is dominant. This means that for a Bengal cat to be Brown, he needs to have at least one copy (one allele) of the Brown gene « C ». This way, a Brown Bengal can either be « C/C », « C/cs » (Brown bengal who carries the Snow Lynx gene, which means that depending on the other cat he is mated with, he can have Brown kittens, but also Snow Lynx and Snow Mink kittens) or « C/cb » (Brown bengal who carries the Snow Sepia gene, which means that depending on the other cat he is mated with, he can have Brown kittens, but also Snow Mink and Snow Sepia kittens).
The Seal (Snow) Bengal
There are 3 different variations of the seal / snow color : Snow lynx (also named Seal Lynx Point), Snow Mink (Seal Mink Tabby) and Snow Sepia (Seal Sepia Tabby).
The Seal Lynx Point Bengal (cs/cs)
The Snow Lynx Bengal is the lightest of Snow Bengals. Their color gene, the lynx gene « cs », comes from the Siamese. Snow Lynx cats can be recognized by their white creamy color, and their darker edges : dark markings, heads, and a dark brown tail tip. They have very light and blue eyes
They are generally born with no rosettes at all. They darken with time, until around two years old. They are often confused with Snow Mink bengals : a good way to distinguish them is by doing the « flash test ». If you take a picture with the flash on of a Lynx Bengal, its eyes will appear red whereas the Mink’s eyes won’t be changed.
Seal Lynx Point
Du Règne du Bengal Naliah
Blue Eyes
Du Règne du Bengal Naliah
The Seal Mink Tabby Bengal (cb/cs)
The Snow Mink Bengal is the color in between the Snow Lynx and the Snow Sepia Bengal. It is actually an assemblage of the lynx gene « cs » and the sepia gene « cb », which gives an intermediate color. The pattern can be in various shades of seal mink to dark seal mink markings. Snow Mink Bengals have beautiful aqua, or blue green eyes.
Seal Mink
Bengalissimo Boo
Aqua Eyes
Bengalissimo Boo
The Seal Sepia Tabby Bengal (cb/cb)
It is the darkest variant of the three snow colors. The gene responsible for the Snow Sepia color actually comes from the Burmese, and is referred to as « cb ». Snow Sepia kittens are born with their marking. They have a great contrast, and they get darker and darker as they age. Their eyes can range from gold to green.
Seal Sepia
Jensaylabengals Vixen, From Bengalissimo
Green Eyes
Jensaylabengals Vixen, From Bengalissimo
A bit of Genetics...
These three variations are recessive. This means that for the cat to be Snow, he has to have two copies of the snow gene (either « cs/cs » for the Snow Lynx Bengal, « cb/cs » for the Snow Mink Bengal or « cb/cb » for the Snow Sepia Bengal.
The Silver Bengal
The Silver color was created by outcrossing the Bengal with a Silver American Short Hair. The Silver gene is actually an inhibitor gene « I » : it will inhibit any warm color, and give a white base coat, with dark steel, grey markings.
Silvers should have as little tarnish as possible (the tarnish is the rusty brown you can see in the coat), a black tip tail, and a brick red nose. Their eyes can range from gold to green.
Black Silver
InaniBengals Paco
Green Eyes
Silvertrace Zora
A bit of Genetics...
This gene is a gene separated from the Brown and Snow genes. Its presence actually affects the initial Brown or Snow gene by inhibiting it.
The Silver gene is a dominant one : For a cat to be Silver, he has to have at least one copy (one allele) of the Silver gene. This way, a Silver Bengal can either be « I/i » (this means that depending on the cat he is mated with, he can have silver kittens, but also snow or brown kittens) or « I/I » (this cat will only have Silver kittens)
Since this gene is an addition to the others, Silvers can be found in all the color combinations : Black Silver Tabby (a Brown Bengal at least one copy of the « I »), Silver Snow, Silver Charcoal, Silver Blue and Silver Smoke (a melanistic Silver).
The Charcoal Bengal
The Charcoal Bengal is darker than the other colors we’ve seen before. They have what we call « Zorro Markings » : they have a black thick dorsal stripe, and a mask on their face. This mask looks like an « Y » upside-down. Their rosettes are full (whereas in other colors there are generally two colors in a rosette). Their eyes color range from copper and gold, to green.
Charcoal
Leopardsrealm Matisse
Green Eyes
Leopardsrealm Matisse
A bit of Genetics...
The Charcoal Bengal is very particular : this color is a combination of what is called the charcoal gene « APb », which comes from the Asian Leopard Cat, and the melanistic gene « a » which comes from the domestic Cat. However, we’ve noticed that cats who have two copies of the « APb » also have the same appearance as the « APb/a » ones.
Since this gene is an addition to the others, Charcoals can be found in all the color combinations : Charcoal (a Brown Bengal at least one copy of the « I »), Snow Charcoal, Silver Charcoal, and Blue Charcoal.
Seal Lynx Charcoal
HeavensDoor Arctic Knight, From Leopardsrealm
Seal Mink Charcoal
InaniBengals Litchi
The Blue Bengal
Blue is a very rare color, which isn’t yet recognized by all cats organizations, and only few breeders breed them.
It is actually a dilution gene « d ». It gives a blue - grey color to the Bengal, with cream tones. The pattern is blue or metal grey. They can have peachy undertones, and their eyes range from gold and green to hazel.
Blue
Gold Eyes
Moon's Heart Prométhée, From West Bengal
Moon's Heart Prométhée, From West Bengal
A bit of Genetics...
The dilution is a recessive gene : this means that to have a Blue Bengal, he has to have two alleles of the dilution : he has to be « d/d ». Since the dilution is an addition to the others, Blue Bengals can be found in all the color combinations : the « classic » Blue Bengal (a Brown Bengal with « d/d »), Snow Blue, Silver Blue, and Blue Charcoal.
The Melanistic Bengal
The Melanistic bengal is also known as the Solid Black Bengal. Just like the Blue Bengal, the Melanistic is rare, and not a recognized color.
Its color is a result of the agouti genes « a ». It gives the Melanistic the look of a black panther. The back round and the patterns have the same color. The markings are nearly invisible. This is why it is called « Ghost Markings ». Their eyes range from gold and copper to green.
Melanistic
Kikimora, From AngelDust
Green Eyes
Kikimora, From AngelDust
A bit of Genetics...
The agouti is a recessive gene : this means that to have a Melanistic Bengal, he has to be « a/a ». Since the agouti is an addition to the other genes, Melanistic Bengals can be found in all the color combinations : the « classic » Melanistic Bengal (a Brown Bengal with « a/a »), Solid Snow, and Silver Smoke.