Bay- Bays are reddish brown with black legs and a little black on the
face. Bays can be a continuum from intensely red through a faded or dilute red.
Black- There are two types of black: recessive black, a black that tends
to sunburn to red on the top, and dominant black, a "shiny" black
that tends not to sunburn. Some blacks may in fact be "black calico's".
In this case, the coat appears to be an intense black, but reddish fiber areas
can distinctly be seen in various places in their coat. See this color discussed
later in this section.
White???- Many llamas appear to be white, but genetically, there does
not appear to be any gene that results in a true white. Actually most white
llamas are probably appaloosas. When white llamas are shorn, you will typically
find small light colored spots here and there. On the other hand, some llamas
are white because they carry genes for multiple diluting genes, possibly including
roan. The color of these llamas may show at some times, and at other times they
may appear to be entirely white.
Seal Bay- This color can vary from almost black to a very rich brown
color, with black head and legs. Often, such llamas are born coal black, but
lighten up with time to a brown color on the body. Roan combined with seal bay
can result in a buckskin sort of color.
Agouti- The "black" form of (intense) agouti has black legs
(fronts) and a black head. The body is reddish brown. The belly is cream colored
(sometimes with appaloosa spots). The backs of the legs are lighter and so is
the neck. Dilute agoutis are a variant. Their bodies are a faded red. Their
legs and head are greyish black, their bellies and anal regions are cream or
white. The most extreme form of dilution on agouti has a faded grey head and
legs, and a light peachy red body, with a white belly.
Cinnamon- This is the "brown" form of agouti. The intense phase
has a brown body, very dark brown head and legs, and a cream belly. The belly
may be spotted like an appaloosa. There are NO black hairs on such llamas. The
dilute phase looks similar but has lighter colors.
Brown- These llamas have no black hairs anywhere on their bodies, and
the brown of their coat is not reddish brown, but definitely just brown (though
it can be quite a luscious color). Their heads and legs are usually a much darker
brown.
Paint Patterns- Paint means a white splash over a colored background.
This splash or splashes can actually take up virtually all of its body. Paint
can occur in conjunction with any other coat color, with the possible exception
of intense agouti or intense cinnamon, which may supress it.
Appaloosa Patterns- There are some variations in how appaloosa is expressed
in llamas. The majority of appaloosas appear to be "light dilute",
the next most common are "dark dilute", and the least common are "intense"
in color. Appaloosa patterning tends to be hard to observe, especially in light
dilute llamas, as the length of their coat causes the spots to be blended with
the background coat color. When shorn, one can see the patterns quite clearly
again. Light dilute appaloosa Light dilute appaloosas have a cream coat with
light brownish spots. This happens to be a paint appaloosa. Notice that the
coat appears to be an overall cream color.
Dark Dilute Appaloosas Or "Merles" - Dark dilute appaloosas have a
darker background coat, and brown spots. They often have "orange"
colored spots on their head. This appears to come in two varieties: red merle
and blue merle. Red merles are very common. Blue merles are rare.
Paint Appaloosa Patterns- Both "paint" and "appaloosa"
are patterns affecting the distribution of color. Because they are controlled
by different genes, both patterns may occur on the same llama.
"Black Calico"- Calico llamas basically are any llamas that
have BOTH black and red anywhere on the neck or the body. (Bays are red, but
have black only on the legs or head.) In llamas which also have white on the
body or neck, you will see sharply defined red areas next to black areas in
close proximity to the white spots. In llamas without white on the body or in
areas of the body far from a white spot, you will see black and red fibers intermingled.
Black calico appears to be the most common form of this coloration, in which
the llama appears to be mostly black (a very shiny, non-fading black), with
either a few red spots close to white markings, or with reddish fibers among
the black. Calico can also be mostly red, with black interspersed.
Markings- Llama "markings" are smaller white areas, usually
just on the head, on the neck very close to the neck, or on the legs up to the
knee.
If you need to look up anything on Llamas, go to www.llamaweb.com