Hi,
 
I have a question for any experts on ferret coloration.... I
hope someone has the answer for me.
 
I have a picture in the inside cover of one of my ferret books
(Chuck and Fox Morton - Ferrets).  It is a picture of a "black"-
eyed white.  Is there really such a thing as a "black"-eyed white?
 
I always believed there were - and I went to a ferret show last
night and brought home what I believed to be a "black"-eyed white
(they are supposedly very rare and I've always wanted one!!!  I
think they are incredbly beautiful!).  Anyways, when I brought him
home, I noticed he really had dark ruby eyes, they showed red in the light...
 
So, I made some phone calls thinking I had mistakenly bought an
albino, and some people I trust told me that there really is
no such thing as "black"-eyed whites, its a misnomer for "dark"-
eyed whites, they really have dark-ruby eyes that look black unless
they are in the right light, and then they catch the ruby red.
 
So, I am wondering if "black" eyes and a white coat are genetically
(by mutation or otherwise) possible/probable?  Are all the black-eyed
white pictures I've seen, just dark ruby eyed whites?  This is possible
since once I saw a ruby-eyed ferret, and I swear to god it was black -
I never did see the red glimmer...
 
Please let me know.
 
Chris
-and Tavi Bear, Nina, Scooter, and my new un-named dark-eyed white
[Posted in FML issue 0991]