Some Bengal Cats have a significant marking that reminds ZORO marking – cape and dark face mask. These Bengal Cats are termed #Charcoal. Charcoal is not a new color but it is a description of a pattern of Bengal Cats. It is individual color and pattern apart from brown, silver and snow. CHARCOAL #BENGAL CATS can have either the spotted or the marble pattern in addition to the charcoal #pattern.
The #ZORO mask consists of black color that runs all the way down the nose bridge to the nose and connects from the mascara lines all the way to the nose bridge. The color of the mask should be black and the nose bridge color should be solid all the way down with no gaps in color in between. Charcoal Bengal Cats should have white or closely white goggles around the eyes. The color should not be dark, solid or smoky around the eyes. With Charcoal snow Bengal kittens, the mask tends to develop first before the cape.
Charcoal Bengal Cats mostly have capes on their back. In some cases, it develops as the cat matures – others are born with it. Charcoal Bengal capes run down the length of the back. Some capes are wider than others mostly depending on parents genetic. The cape can extend over the pattern and the pattern can become less visible under it. Sometimes the capes seem to completely extend over the body and make the cat very dark.
On a picture below is black (brown) spotted charcoal bengal Lynxland Makani as a kitten and adult.
Charcoal bengal cat genetic
The #Foundation Cats of the Bengal breed are #hybrids of the domestic cat and the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC). Charcoal color is the result of this #ALC Agouti gene (Apb) combined with the domestic cat non-agouti gene (a). It means all charcoals are #Apb/a – to get a Charcoal kitten, parents must be carriers for #melanistic a and charcoal Apb #agouti gene.
Homozygous carriers of leopard cat agouti (APb/Apb) also can have some charcoal phenotype. They are born with the very same look-a-like Charcoals. Mostly, they do not have so dark markings as regular Charcoal Cats.
CHARCOAL BENGAL CATS VS. SOLID BENGAL CATS
Some people confuse CHarcoal Bengal Cats with #SOLID bengals. Dark kittens without whited googles are #melanistic/solid or smoke (in #silver color). It means they have two copies of non-agouti gene (a/a).
Without doing a genetic testing, we are not able to see, if Bengal Cat is carrier for charcoal agouti (Apb) or melanistic gene (a). The best way to see it is to test a cat. I recommend UC Davis in USA or Laboklin in Europe. These laboratories offer a test that helps breeders/owners determine the Charcoal status and breeding potential of their cats.
When your cats are tested you can see in the chart below what kittens you can get from tested parents.
Kitten shown below is Silver Charcoal Bengal kitten Lynxland Avaneesh (Apb/a). He comes from breeding of Silver Bengal Cat Silverstorm Teddy Bear, who is tested as Charcoal carrier (Apb/A), and Silver Bengal Cat Dakapo Graffiti, who is tested (A/a) – melanistic carrier. If you take a closer look at the Charcoal Genetic Breeding Chart above, the pairing of these two Bangal Cats can results to: Charcoal kittens, Melanistic and Charcoal carriers and Agouti kittens A/A. All variations in 25% chance.
