Farallon Markings Guide

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Farallon Rarity Guide

Coat Color

Coat Type

Common
The basic Farallon coat type consists of a fluffy, dense undercoat of protofeathers and strong, flowing topcoat that is longer on the tail, neck crest, and sometimes on the haunches and elbows. Common coated Farallon usually breed true, but have a small chance of breeding a desert or tundra.

Desert
These Farallon are built for warm climates, their coat being a mutation-turned-trait that creates a very short, dense coat with specialized, sparse protofeathers that keep them cool. Nowadays in the domestic Farallon population, Desert pops up randomly as a rare trait. Several genes are responsible for the desert look, so it is quite difficult to breed true. Wild caught desert Farallon and specially bred lineages are the only Farallon that breed true. (Second generation Desert has a slight chance of becoming a true desert, and their future desert children gain a higher chance of being true desert.)

Tundra
This name is actually a misnomer. They are no more able to survive cold weather than a common Farallon. However, this coat type is due to a lengthening of the topcoat, this creates a luxuriously long 'fringe' on the mane and tail of the Farallon. Often, there is also a lengthening of the fur on the legs. Some owners trim their tundras into attractive show cuts, and other time a Farallon is short haired in areas with no real explanation.

?Mystery?
Some breeders are breeding Tundras together in the hopes they an eliminate or lessen the fluffy undercoat and make a longer haired, more 'silky' version of the Tundra. None have been successful.

?Mystery?
There are rumors that a hairless Farallon drakling was sighted in the mountains, but it was unlikely to have survived long in the harsh cold. Such a Farallon could only survive in a domestic setting.

Scale Type

Pebble
Most of the scales are scattered and not connecting, looking like small pebbles peeking out from the Farallon's fur. This is the most common type, and varies in density from dragon to dragon.

Armor
These scales often are on the top part of the Farallon, covering parts of the neck or tail. The density varies, sometimes only showing a few token scales along the tail or on the neck. Pebble-type scales accompany armor often.

Scutes
Belly scales are called scutes, and are uncommon. They are often accompanied by pebble or armor scales.

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Common

Cowl: (Genome:)
Commonly covers the top portion of the neck, often encompassing the ears and even masking the face. Its maximum coverage does all of this, and wraps completely around the neck. Cowl can be any natural color, or darker/lighter than the base coat of the Farallon. It can also be slightly translucent and have areas that the color appears 'rubbed away', exposing the undercoat beneath. The areas should be blended or at least soft shaded where this 'rubbed away' area presents.

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Listra:(Genome: nLi, LiLi)
A very old name for a very old and primal marking. broken stripes that run alongside the body ventrally are punctuated with spots. This marking typically is restricted to the body and some of the tail. Spots and tripes may also mark the face, but it does not always do so. It may also present as spots that are in organized lines, or spots that merge together to create the appearance of broken lines. In some wild populations of Farallon, the marking is so prevalent that it can be hard to breed out in subsequent generations.

Real Life Examples: Baby tapir, striped civet, spotted skunk

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Mantle:(Genome-)
A highly versatile marking, it presents in much the same way that sable, blanket, and saddle present on dogs. A mask often, but does not always present on the face. In dominant form, it can present more like black and tan does in dogs, or in sable antelopes. Mantle can be any natural color, or darker/lighter than the base coat of the Farallon. It can also be slightly translucent and have areas that the color appears 'rubbed away', exposing the undercoat beneath. The areas should be blended or at least soft shaded where this 'rubbed away' area presents.

Real Life Examples:  Standard: Sable, blanket and saddle in dogs. Agauti or wolf marks so long as they stay within maximum boundaries. Dominant:  Sable antelope, black and tan as seen in dogs.

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Mountain Bay: (nMb, MbMb)
One of the most ancient of markings, this always presents as a darkening of the base coat and trends more toward very dark to nearly black unless interacting with a bleach or faded gene.  It typically at the very least, 'bruises' the front of the legs, creates dark markings on the chest and shoulders, and darkens the belly. A 'window' of the lighter base coat may show of the belly, essentially creating a low lateral running line across the belly on either side of the body.May present with a dorsal stripe ONLY if mimicking the chamoise marking of goats. Blurry 'window' spots on the knees are very common. In its more expansive coverage it may encompass the entirety of the legs, belly, neck and head. Dominance allows for brilliant striped and spotted markings within the marking's parameters.

Real life Examples:  Spanish Ibex, Chamoise markings on goats.

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Spots: (Genome: nSp, SpSp)
Can appear on any part of the body, and may be small flecks or larger spots like that of a giraffe. It can be on the entirety of the Farallon's body in either sparse or very dense spots. They are mostly random however and do not follow a highly organized pattern. Spots may also present mild spot-merged striping as may be seen some species like jaguars. May be any natural color, and may be lighter or darker than the base coat, but not both at the same time unless dominant.

Real Life Examples: nSp-  Cheetah, dalmation, spotted deer, Hyena, spotted tabby, Giraffe |  SpSp- Leopard, Jaguar

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Stripes: (nSt, StSt)
Stripes are crisply defined stripes (Or only just BARELY blurred/softened) on the body which can be any natural color, either darker or lighter than the base color. They DO NOT run along the body in a way that resembles Listra. Stripes that present only on the shoulders or haunches however, may be horizontal. Stripes can be as numerous or as sparse as desired, and may have a few accent spots as seen in tigers. In dominant form, it can create light and dark, multicolored barring.

Real Life Examples:  nSt- Tiger, Aardwolf, Zebra, Bongo, Okapi | StSt - Numbat

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Underside: (Genome:  nU, UU)
Lightens the base coat on the underside of the Farallon. Has a wide variation in how it may present. Can be sharply defined from the base coat, a slight blur, or even more of a gradient.

Real life examples: Mealy in horses, Light undersides of shiba inu dogs. Some examples of 'countershading' in animals that presents as lighter undersides is acceptable as well.

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Wild Dorsal: (nWd, WdWd)
Presents as a dorsal stripe that may create a stripe that is 3/4 down the back, all the way to covering the entirety of the top of the neck, back, and down the tail. Typically it will darken any mane fur and tail fur to dark. Wild dorsal darkens the base coat. It always creates some sort of marking on the shoulder, either a burned sabling effect, striping, or a broad 'saddle'-like marking across the shoulders that can connect all around the chest.

Real Life Examples:  Dun in horses without the leg markings
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Wild Points  (Genome: nWp, WpWp)
This marking has a wide variety of effects that can be as minimal as 'bruising' the knuckles of the paws with a darker color, to being stockings that come all the way up to the elbows and knees of the Farallon. Optionally, it can also stain the end of the tail and the primary feathers, as well as create a mask on the face that can be either small stain on the snout or cover the entire top of the head, including the ears. May at times create a few slightly sooty patches on the body. Sometimes presents with a dun stripe.

DOMINANT:  The points can be barred or have white striped or banded markings.

Real Life Examples: Dun, Bay, mild 'sooty' marks as seen in horses.

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Uncommon

Ashen: nAsh, AshAsh
Desaturates the Farallon's color to grey or near grey. It can affect the entire Farallon or only base coat/one marking, such as sable.

Brindle: nBr, BrBr
This marking may appear in any way that appears natural on dogs or horses. It can be comprised of either two varying values of the base coat or one layer of brindling of a natural color other than the base coat. (For example, a chestnut Farallon can have either brindles of lighter and darker chestnut, or brindles of brown OR black. Density or coverage of brindle does not necessarily change due to having two brindle genes, and can either cover a very small area of the body or the entire Farallon's base coat. Special circumstances are that it does not cover other markings; it will only appear where base coat is visible, UNLESS you apply brindle to a marking only  (Example, apply brindle only to the Mantle marking if visible.)

DOMINANT:  Brindle can affect both the base coat and all of its markings. In this situation the color of brindle can change depending where it is placed. Example: Chestnut base is brindled with black, and a dark brown mantle is brindled with a lighter chestnut color.

Real Life Examples: Brindle in dogs and horses.

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Chroma (nCh, ChCh)
This marking allows access to alternate colors. For brown it turns into yellow, green and the tertiaries in between. Chestnut is associated with reds and oranges. Black turns to blues and purples.  In the situation of having only one gene for chroma, the markings of a Farallon can include the colors associated with their natural base.  For example, a black Farallon can have a blue base, with any markings that are usually lighter or darker shades of the base acting accordingly in relation to the base color. 'Any natural color' markings can be the allowed shades of blue, or purples. Natural colors, or even the natural base color of the Farallon can still be used as desired, applying chroma only to the markings.

Dominant chroma (ChCh) allows any of the chroma colors to be used for markings. However, the base color must still correspond with the 'family' of coat colors the Farallon inherited. For example, a chestnut Farallon will still need to have a red, red-orange, or orange base coat.  On top of this, any areas of 'white' can be a chroma color.  Areas of 'lighter or darker than base coat' can also be any chroma color so long as it is visually lighter or darker, depending on what is called for in the marking.

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Color Points
This marking is similar to wild points, however it can be any solid color, including chroma hues. regardless of base coat color except for white. It can also be lighter than base coat. This marking is typically very crisp and clean, with absolutely no 'burning' of color on any parts of the body. At minimum, the toes are colored. At maximum, the color goes up to the elbows and knees of the farallon, and the tail tuft, primary wing feathers and ears may be colored. Sometimes the Farallon will have a colored mask as well. The markings are usually crisp with very little blurring. Sometimes the marks are faded, but they run down family lines and do not spontaneously appear unless stated otherwise.

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Dapple
This marking presents as lighter colored spots, from slightly paler than base coat to off-white and gently blurred. May sometimes appear lacy and webbed. Dappling may appear in any way that would look natural on a horse, but may also be extremely sparse and light, and in only a small area of the body such as the haunches or shoulder.

Real Life Examples: Dapple horses (Dapple bays are great for an example of subtle dappling)

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Dewdrop (nDw, DwDw)
Dark spots highlighted by a lighter interior spot. Typically presents as a darker version of the base coat, but can be any natural color.

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Faded/Bleached
Lightens the coat, and also has the capacity to dilute it into something less saturated.

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Grizzle
Ticks some of the longer hairs with white hairs. This is especially impressive looking in a tundra-coated Farallon. It usually only barely speckles the check and neck fur of desert coated dragons.

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Marbled

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Merle
Splotches of darker values of the base color in two different value types, both darker than base coat. Appears superficially more like tweed merle in dogs, but without the dilution of the main coat. Because it is not the same gene as in dogs, it is not harmful if the dragon contains two genes, and does not present any differently when it is so.

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Rare

Starbitten:
Appaloosa:
Roan:
Pinto:
Iridescent:

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Legendary

Animus: