# Angora and longhaired



## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

What is the difference? I got a new doe and she is one or the other but I'm not sure which.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Short story: hard to tell.

Longhair can exhibit as a mouse with an overall standard coat, except for the guard hairs that are very long. Angora can exhibit as a mouse with an overall longer coat, and slightly longer guard hairs. Angora can also have a certain wooliness. That said, most mice are somewhere between those two extremes, and it can be difficult to tell which gene you've got. You likely wouldn't know until you crossbreed one with the other, and suddenly find you have all standard coated babies (who are carriers of both).

All my longhairs bred here were the descendants of a single pair of mice. I've just recently gotten some longhaired mice from another breeder, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether we have the same gene. Hopefully, hopefully we do.


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

Laigaie, have you noticed any correlation between hair texture/density/length and any dilutes? I've found that black and chocolate long hairs are shiny, but the coats are not dense. I've never had a good blue long hair, they just look scruffy. probably because my blues are poor quality to start with, and have a lot of heathering in the coat. My pale mice have the best long coats, but they're fluffy rather than shiny. Nice and long though.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I have not found any particular color to have a better coat. Personally, I think white fur LOOKS longer, but it does not appear to actually be any longer when the mice are set next to eachother. I think it's just much more visible.


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

My long haired doe is a mock chocolate. She's a lovely little mouse.

Maybe some day I will try breeding her to see what comes out. She's a pet shop mouse, and I'm not a breeder, but maybe some day.


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## Shadowrunner (Sep 26, 2011)

The little tricolor that I think of as yours has a long coat.

Is it possible to have both genes expressed in one mouse?

He has a longer than normal coat, but his guard hairs are even longer.
If you are focusing on just Coat length he might be a decent match.


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## MoonfallTheFox (Nov 12, 2011)

Maybe we ought to pair them up and see what comes out. :3

She has a long coat but it's very thick, the guard hairs aren't obvious really.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

It is possible to have both genes, but I have no idea if it would actually improve anything. I think TinyHart has both?


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

Laigaie said:


> I have not found any particular color to have a better coat. Personally, I think white fur LOOKS longer, but it does not appear to actually be any longer when the mice are set next to eachother. I think it's just much more visible.


I agree that the lighter coats are more "visible" but in my mice they're definitely longer. Of course this may not be related to any dilution gene, but could simply be because there has been different selection in the line. It's just something I've noticed, and wondered if anyone had found something similar. The other thing is that the texture is different. The lighter mice have less shiny, but fluffier coats. I'm pretty certain this is dilute related.


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