Ultra Violet

The Ultra Violet is the most common mutation combination involving the Violet, and is a combination of Homozygous Recessive Sullivan Violet and Gunning Black Velvet. The colour of this chinchilla strongly resembles that of a Violet with the exception that the colour is a deeper, darker phase over the animal's grotzen, right the way down tot he white belly strip. This is aided by the extremely strong veilking coverage of the Violet mutation. The Ultra Violet is the main, albeit the only real viable combination colour of Violet, with other combinations rarely or never seen on show tables.

The Violet, as has been stated, is a simple recessive mutation, which only shows itself fully in the Homozygous state. A Heterozygous Violet, or a 'Violet Carrier' will resemble whatever the 'base' colouration the animal is which carries the single Violet gene. If this was a Standard, the chinchilla would look like a Standard, and if it were a Black Velvet, then it would look like a Black Velvet, etc, etc.

If you wish to breed Ultra Violets, then the best method is to mate a Violet to a Black Velvet. All kits from this mating will carry a single Violet gene, and will therefore be either Black Velvets carrying Violet, or Standards carrying Violet. Once this mating has taken place, you have a selection of Violet carriers, some of which will be Black Velvets. If you then mate these to Violet animals, there are four possible combinations.

Mating	Progeny
Ultra Violet x Standard	50% Black Velvet Violet carriers 50% Standard Violet carriers
Ultra Violet x Standard Violet Carrier	25% Ultra Violets 25% Violets 25% Black Velvet Violet carriers 25% Standard Violet Carriers
Ultra Violet x Violet	50% Ultra Violet 50% Violet
Violet x Black Velvet	50% Black Velvet Violet carriers 50% Standard Violet Carriers
Violet x Black Velvet Violet Carrier	25% Ultra Violet 25% Violet 25% Black Velvet Violet carriers 25% Standard Violet Carriers

Ultra Violets are a complex mutation to breed, since they involve the Violet mutation which in itself is a recessive. It is imperative that when attempting to breed a Royal Blue, that only the finest examples of Violet and Black Velvet are used, paying specific attention to the fur qualities, and the clarity of your chinchillas. The darkening effect which the Black Velvet adds to the Violet to become the Ultra Violet is not attractive if the clarity of colour is poor and if the animal is tinged or not blue (the blue hue which all chinchillas should have, if of high quality).

Ultra Violets possess the same problems as the Violets, namely that they have a tendency to have softish fur. Again this does not have to be the case if the best Standards and Black Velvets are used in their breeding lines, and only the best Violet carriers produced selected for breeding.

Although the Violet mutation is known as a diluting gene, similar to the Sapphire gene, it does not have to be a diluted colouration. Many Violets can be as dark or even darker than Ultra Violets. These dark Violets are not penalised on UK sho tables, as long as they are clear in colour, are blue, and show the irridescence of colour which top quality Violets have under show lights. A steely grey or gunmetal grey colour is not the correct colour.