# Berk or Variberk?



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Suppose this question is for LightningWolf haha...but I finally got a shot of Mr Fang's belly [kinda lol] & was curious on which he is.


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

Can we see a picture from the side as well?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Unfortunately to say, his belly doesn't prove either one. Both have the same belly, it's the sides that are different. Variberks will have silvering along the edges of their patterns (mainly along their sides and flanks) and always have head spots. Berkshires normally don't have head spots (ok the standards for berkshires calls for head spots which is really odd since head spots normally only show up with the variegated gene.)

But, I'll take a guess from his face that he is a Variberk, since the variegated gene also causes recessive blazes and white noses. (non-high white marking/Blaze). but the white on a berkshire can also go up their neck to their nose.

Really, for a more accurate guess get a side picture


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I *think* berk v veriberk has to do with the back, not the belly? If there's something about the belly then I vote veriberk as all three of my berks don't have the white line up their chins


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Lol ok here are some side shots...


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

He does have an awful lot of silvering...as I remember I asked if he was even considered black...but I guess hes just a poor black lol.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

(warning: unhelpful reply coming your way): THAT FIRST PIC IS SO FREAKING ADORABLE OH MY GOODNESS!
That is all.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Lol yeh its in my pic thread [i think, i know i have posted it on here before somewhere] I am very proud of that pic for a camera phone...he looks so cute & funny! Thank you


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## Ruka (Dec 20, 2012)

I would say he's not a Berkshire.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

He's adorable in the first picture 

Anyways, you just had to get a hard to tell boy didn't you Eden?

He has the head spot and the white chin (that even goes up to his cheeks which I've never seen actually) of a variberk, but the silvering on his sides seem really low. So really he's a Very low quality/low silvered Variberk. He's one of those boys where he's most likely genetically Variberk but you can get away calling him a Berkshire all you want.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Haha. Yeh it only goes up to his cheek on one side, he has more white on one side than the other. I guess he's just a mixed breed lol.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I would say hes phenotypically more a berkshire (what he looks most similar to the standard for) thiugh I expect hes genetically vari. However I think that what he looks like is more important as thats the only one you can really proove, short of various test matings or similar.


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## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

From what I saw on the coloring thread, I though the difference between Berk & Vari was how high the white goes up the ratty's sides? Do they always have to have a head spot?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Other then I think that sticky needs to be updated (I probably shouldn't do it cause then it would list the genetics codes to each of them  unless people want a genetics sticky, then we can go ask the mods about that)

The main difference between them is silvering along the pattern, not the actual amount of white. Variberks have a ton of silvering along the sides of their belly pattern (though some can have a small amount), and often times because of this their patterns go up on to their sides and sometimes their flanks. They also always have a head spot and can have a recessive blaze (lightning blaze, it is Not a high white pattern and does not cause megacolon). Though Variberks can be low patterned just like Berkshires can. some Variberks can have patterns that stay on their bellies but have excessive silvering around the pattern. Not common but does happen. (sometimes it can form a Vari-Irish marking but this is rare and I've never seen a picture of one, only heard it talked about).

Berkshires have no silvering around their pattern, it normally stays on their belly (and goes onto their legs and sometimes the bottom of their neck) but can go up on the sides, and 99% of the time do not have head spots.

Though like in this case, sometimes they can be so little silvered that Variberks can be called Berkshires. My boy Niko is actually a low pattern one (it's mainly on his belly, a small amount on his sides) that I just call him a Berkshire, even though he is most likely genetically Variberk because of his head spot and excessive silvering along his pattern.

Hope that helps


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

For me a vari berk has clear variagtion on there black bit, a bit like how a hooded with a white chin might genetically be a varigated, but without the spots of colour is phenotypically closest to a hooded. Whilst the white brindling at tne edges might tell you they are probably meant to be a variberk, unless they are actually variagated then there closer to a berkshire.

I suppose I think of it like, if I showed them which class would they be the closest fit too.


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