The Silky Dik-Dik Resource - No Posting Please

[Dia.]

The Silky Dik-Dik Resource
| adopts | breeding | information | club | archive |

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Welcome to the Silky Dik-Dik Resource thread. Everything to know about silkies will be recorded in this single convenient location.
Please refrain from posting on this thread so I will be able to work with it as I please.

12.23.16
- New Thread created (since the old one is from July 2015!)
- Lines created by Emberwolf
- Information being reworked and completed

[Dia.]

Staff

Owner/Founder --
Dia.

Artists --
Artists --
Active artists are creating adopts or have otherwise communicated with Dia.
Ezai
Bentley
IceFire
Aika - 愛佳
Folmes

Guest Artists --
Guest artists serve a one month term with the potential of promotion.
none currently

Inactive Artists --
Inactive artists will be returned to the artist list upon their return. Let me know if you would like to be removed completely.
Emberwolf
rachieboo
thelastsilhouette or 토리코

Former Staff --
-Undyne-

General Rules

- Do not claim this species as your own
- This is a closed species, meaning you may not make your own
- Do not take a silky that doesn't belong to you
- Do not edit original images
. . . . Resizing is okay
- Do not resell/gift/readopt
. . . . Contact the artist to rehome unwanted silkies
- Do not complain/pester/be difficult
- Adoption limit is 1 per person per day
- Silkies may not be drawn/turned into other species/anthros/humans
- Do not request a custom
. . . . Customs may be given away in contests, during events, as runner-up prizes, or as gifts from artists
- Rules may be changed as deemed fit

Breeding Rules

- Silkies mate for life, meaning once they are bred, they may only breed with that individual
. . . . Special circumstances and exceptions may become available in the future, but are not available now
- Silkies may breed five times
- There is a 1 in 10 chance of twins
. . . . The member who ordered gets first pick, and may either give the other offspring to the other parent, or
. . . . put it up for adoption
- Do not suggest/hint/ask for qualities, gender, etc
. . . . Genetics will be used and a coin flip will determine gender
- The owner(s) of a pair may give permission to other people to keep an offspring from their silkies
- Permission is needed from the owners of both dik-dik parents if the person ordering isn't the parent's owner
. . . . Permission can be proven with screenshots of messages or a link to a thread where slots are listed
- Offspring automatically goes to the member who ordered the breeding
. . . . If the member who ordered the breeding doesn't want the offspring, they must offer it to the owner(s) of
. . . . the parent(s) first. Then, they may contact the artist to have it put up for adoption.

Artist Rules

- There is no minimum number of adopts, but please try to remain active
- Artists may make 4 customs a year
. . . . Inactivity may result in this number being decreased
- Artists may gift customs to deserving users
. . . . The gift must be approved by Dia.
. . . . The gift must be colored by an official artist. Do not let non-artists color the lines.
- All customs must be approved by Dia.
- All silkies must meet species criteria
- Rare designs must be approved by Dia.
- Judge contests in a timely manner
. . . . Artists will be reminded after a month. If no action is taken, Dia. may judge the contest.
- Use the official format for adopts
- Remember to remove the 'adopt me' sign and to update the first post with the winner
- If you are inactive for two months, you will be contacted asking if you are still interested in being an artist
. . . . If you know you will be inactive for an extended period of time, let Dia. know
- Please pay attention to the rolling rules for breeding, found on the second page of this thread.
. . . . If you are caught "fixing" breedings (picking and choosing genes, purposefully adding impossible genes, lying
. . . . about rolls, etc) to create what is essentially a custom, your permission to complete breedings will be revoked
. . . . indefinitely.

Guest Artist Rules

- Guest Artist terms last for one month
- Guest Artists may make one custom, either to keep or to gift
. . . . The gift and custom must be approved by Dia.
. . . . The gift must be colored by the guest artist or an official artist. Do not let non-artists color the lines.
- Guest Artists may not accept breedings
- Rare designs must be approved by Dia.
- Judge contests in a timely manner
. . . . Artists will be reminded after a month. If no action is taken, Dia. may judge the contest.
- Use the official format for the first post
- Remember to remove the 'adopt me' sign and to update the first post with the winner

Misc.

Streams will happen on join.me. Remember that streams must follow CS rules. Do not use/share personal information or images.
There will be times when I offer free semi-customs or customs on streams. There will not be any warning and spots cannot be reserved. You also can't order for someone else. Please follow the criteria that I ask for when I decide to offer. Do not inquire about it. Stream giveaways are supposed to be fun!

[Dia.]

Frequently Asked Questions

. . . . How can I get one?
Adopt: Click on thumbnails with the 'adopt me' sign visible. Verify that the silky is up for adoption, meet the criteria, and wait to see who the artist picks as the winner. Make sure to follow the rules that are posted.
Breed: Go to the breeding thread and verify that an artist is open. Follow the artist's rules, pm the form, and send the correct payment

. . . . Can I be staff?
When staff positions are open, the community will be informed! I also may decide to choose specific members instead of opening applications. Please don't request to be staff.

. . . . Can I order a custom?
Customs are not purchasable.

. . . . What if I leave CS?
Take your silkies with you! Just credit Dia. on CS and/or becausedia are deviant art, keep them as this original species, and don't give them away!

. . . . Can I draw them as another species?
No, they are meant to be Silky Dik-Diks and that is how they must stay.

. . . . Can silkies be in same-sex relationships?
Yes, but they will never breed. There may be opportunities for them to adopt orphans.

. . . . Why do they mate for life?/Why can I only breed my silky to one other silky?
Dik-Diks form monogamous pairs because it is safer/more practical for them to stay in one spot and care for one offspring at a time instead of wandering around. Because I'm trying to create at least a somewhat realistic sub-species, I'm creating realistic guidelines.
At the moment, there is no way to change your silky's mate. When they are bred once, you can't go back.

[Dia.]

Species Infromation

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Madoqua
Species: M. serica

. . . . Origin and Habitat
Due to small amounts of territory space, these Dik-Diks migrated upward. Instead of calling the warmer African grasslands home, the Silky Dik-Diks reside in the cooler, wetter African Highlands. Here, they compete with fewer other Dik-Dik species.

They have been domesticated over the last few decades. Select lines were created for great companion animals as well as livestock because of their silky hair.

. . . . Physical
Silky Dik-Diks are a small species of antelope. On average, adults are 13-17 inches tall and they rarely weigh more than 16 pounds. Their long silky hair protects them from cooler temperatures. Special oils in their fur repel water to keep the Dik-Diks dry. They have a tuft of hair on their head and males sport little horns. Silky Dik-Diks have large eyes which give them great eye-sight and their hearing is also above par. When frightened, Silkies can run at speeds up to 26 miles per hour. They have an average lifespan of 14 to 17 years in captivity, but only 5 or 6 years in the wild. Silkies mature at around 8 months.



Males have horns. Females do not.


Silkies are hypoallergenic.
They are small enough to be kept indoors, but hardy enough to be kept outdoors.
They shed out some of their silky hair in the fall and in the spring. This hair is often collected by craftspeople.

. . . . Diet
Silky Dik-Diks are herbivores and water independent, meaning they get all the water they need from what they eat. They eat leaves, shoots, berries, and fruit. They don't love grass, but will definitely damage a fancy garden shrub.

. . . . Tail Genetics
Long Tail (mm)
Short Tail (MM, Mm)
Tailless (M?M?)
. . . . 5% chance to pass when paired with short tail or tailless ONLY.
. . . . when paired with long tail, offspring will have short tail


images

. . . . Eye Colors
Browns (Chocolate, Browns, Sepia) - Very Common
Greens (Hazel, Green, Olive, Gold) - Uncommon, Most Commonly Seen with Cream/Dilutions
Blue (Dark Blue, Teal, Light Blue) - Uncommon, only occurs with a carried white marking gene
Heterochromia - Always occurs with tovero, can occur with brindle and chimeras, random/caused by mutations otherwise

. . . . Random White Markings
While there are specific genes for specific white markings, silkies may have random white markings. These markings can occur on the legs, tail tip, and face.

[Dia.]

Genetics - The Basics

. . . . Extentions
Red (ee) is similar to the reds seen in horses (chestnut). There is no black pigment in the hairs and there is a large spectrum of red coat colors. Red silkies have dark skin and dark gray or brown horns and hooves.
Black (EE, Ee) is simply a black coat. Homozygous (EE) silkies have darker hair that is not as susceptible to fading due to sunlight. Heterozygous (Ee) silkies tend to have reddish undertones, especially in long hair. Heterozygous black hair also may fade in the sun. Black silkies have dark skin and dark horns and hooves.

. . . . Agouti
Bay (AA, Aa, AAs, AAw) is similar to the bay seen in horses. The black pigment is restricted to points. Bays may be seen in a large range of shades, similar to red. It has no effect on red coats, as there is no black pigmentation in the hairs. Skin color and horns and hooves are not affected by agouti. Bay(A) is dominant over the other agoutis.
Seal bay(AsAs, Asa, AsAw) appears just like equine seal bay. The coat is dark, but reddish coloration shows in areas with thin hair. It has no effect on reds because of the lack of black pigment in red coats. Skin color and horns and hooves are not affected by agouti. Seal(As) is dominant over wild.
Wild bay (AwAw, Awa) is the same as bay, but the black points are significantly smaller. It has no affect on reds because of the lack of black pigment. Skin color and horns and hooves are not affected by agouti. Wild(Aw) is recessive to all agoutis.

. . . . Dilutions
Dun (DD, Dd) dilutes the base color while leaving the points dark and usually adds at least one dun factor. The topline remains colored. Dun factors include striping on the legs and barring over the topline. The striping can cover the silky's legs, or be localized around the joints. When barring occurs, it always occurs over the shoulder and additional bars may be added towards the head or hind end. The examples shown are dun over red, black, and bay, but dun is not limited to these colors. Skin and horns and hooves are not affected by dun.
Cream (CrCr, Crcr) drastically dilutes the base color so that the points fade as well. Skin tends to have a pinkish color and the horns and hooves are lighter. The skin may also be mottled or freckled and homozygous (CrCr) creams may sometimes "shimmer". Homozygous creams will often be lighter than heterozygous (Crcr) creams. The examples shown are cream over red, black and bay, but it is not limited to these colors.
Soft (ss) is a recessive trait that dilutes underfur, causing the face, chest, belly, legs, and tail to be very pale. Horns and hooves are lightened by soft, but the skin is unaffected. Soft only affects red and black. Other colored silkies may carry the gene, but will not express it. Soft does not effect markings, only the base color.

[Dia.]

Genetics - Modifiers

. . . . Topline Modifiers
Sooty (stysty) is a recessive gene that causes darkening over the topline. Slight dappling of thinner and shorter hair is also possible. It can occur on any color, but is hardly noticeable on cream and it will not cover markings. Sooty may cause horns to appear darker, but hooves and horns are generally unaffected.
Fade (ff) is a recessive gene that causes fading over the topline, opposite of sooty. It may be mistaken for fading caused by sunshine. Like sooty, slight dappling of thinner and shorter hair is possible. It can occur on any color, but is hardly noticeable on cream and it will not cover markings. Horns may be lightened by fade, but hooves and horns are generally unaffected.

Sooty and fade cannot express together. Either one or the other expresses while the other is simply carried if both genes are present.

[Dia.]

Genetics - White Markings

. . . . Roan
Roan (RnRn, Rnrn) causes hair to lighten with age. Roan silkies are born with slight roaning and it increases with time. This gene shows incomplete dominance. The homozygous (RnRn) form has more white hair while the heterozygous (Rnrn) form has less and may be in more irregular patterns. In both forms, the head and legs usually retain their color. Roan does not affect the color of skin or horns and hooves.

. . . . Splash
Splash (SpSp, Spsp) causes white markings to cover at least the lower legs of the silky. It extends from the bottom up, but even in the most extreme cases, the topline is left colored. It shows incomplete dominance, so SpSp causes a greater amount of white. Splash only affects the hooves, horns, and skin that the white marking touches. So, hooves are normally lightened and, when the face is white, horns are lighter and skin is pink.
Reverse Splash (RsRs, Rsrs) is the opposite of splash. White markings cover the topline and extend downward. The chest, belly, and lower legs are left colored. Reverse splash also shows incomplete dominance, so RsRs causes a greater amount of white. Reverse splash only affects the hooves, horns, and skin that the white marking touches. So, hooves are left alone, but horns and the skin on the face are lightened.

. . . . Painted
Tobiano (TT, Tt, Tto) causes white markings that cross the topline. Some tobiano silkies may have ink spots(small dots of color) show on their white markings. Tobiano causes the horns and hooves and skin to lighten where the hair is white.
Tovero (TTo, ToTo) causes the white markings to be more irregular and not follow the usual Tobiano guidelines. The ears and irregular patterns on the face are left colored. Tovero silkies usually have at least one blue eye. Tovero causes the hooves and horns and skin to lighten where the hair is white. If To is present, the silky will be tovero.

. . . . Patterned
Leopard (LpLp cc, Lplp cc) causes a white silky with colored spots all over its body. Leopard causes the horns and hooves and skin to lighten where hair is white. When there is no capped gene, the leopard pattern is uninterrupted.
Capped (lplp CC, lplp Cc) causes the rump and tail to be solid white. Without the leopard gene, the cap is solid white. The cap may extend as far as the neck and onto the silky's flanks, but will not extend onto the neck past the shoulders or onto the legs.
Partial Leopard (LpLp CC, Lplp CC, LpLp Cc, Lplp Cc) is created when both leopard and capped are present. The capped gene restricts the leopard gene to the silky's rump. It creates a combination of the two genes.
Spotted (PP, Pp) causes snowflake-like white spots to cover the silky's body. This gene has incomplete dominance, so homozygous spotted silkies have more spots than heterozygous spotted silkies.

. . . . Patterned cont.
Imperfect leopard (LpLp zz, Lplp zz) is reminiscent of the near leopard pattern in horses. When the zz gene is present with leopard, the leopard pattern is interrupted by areas of base coat. This can happen with solid colors, or roaning. The legs, head, and neck are usually affected by this gene. The appearance of imperfect leopard varies greatly from silky to silky. This gene is not expressed when capping is expressed. An LpLp CC zz dik-dik would express the partial leopard, not imperfect leopard.
Imperfect leopard was released during the 2017 Valentines event.

. . . . Shield
Shield (ShSh, Shsh) creates a white patch on the silky's chest. This patch can extend under the belly, but will not reach the hind legs. It may extend down the inside of the front legs. The patch can reach up to under the silky's chin. It doesn't go around the silky's neck. Shield causes the skin to lighten.

[Dia.]

Genetics - Other/Sex-Linked

. . . . Markings
Brindle (brbr) is a recessive gene that causes some of the silky's hair to express darker than others. The hairs are usually in lines, forming neat patterns of ticking.
Grease (GrGr, Grgr) causes darker spots over the silky's body. The spots can be uniformly distributed or only in sections. This gene expresses incomplete dominance, so the homozygous form has more spots than the heterozygous form.

. . . . White
White (xw+ xw+) is a sex-linked trait which is only expressed when the individual has two w+ x chromosomes. This means that (normally) only females can be white. Males can carry the w+ trait on their x chromosome, but cannot express it because they lack a second x. White is dominant over everything, resulting in a white silky with pink skin. A white silky's hooves are also a very light, pink tinted color.
The reference image shows incorrect gender. Only females can normally express this gene.

. . . . Tortoise
Tortoise(xt+ xt+) is a sex-linked trait which is only expressed when the individual has two t+ x chromosomes. This means that (normally) only females can be white. Males can carry the t+ trait on their x chromosome, but cannot express it because they lack a second x. Tortoise is dominant over everything. It has two forms of expression: patchy and broken. Tortoise only expresses when the silky has black and red pigment, so it is only noticeable on bays and bay dilutions/variations.
The tortoise gene prevents the agouti gene from functioning normally, creating both red and black patches or spots. It also makes patches of fur lack pigment, resulting in a "calico cat" or "tri-color bunny" appearance.

[Dia.]

Genetics - Mutations

. . . . Chimera
Chimera (no genes) silkies occur when twins fuse together in the womb at an early stage of development. The result is a silky with two separate sets of genes. This condition is not hereditary and offspring from this kind of silky will inherit only one of the chimera silky's genomes. The two sets of genomes on the silky must be compatible with the genes from the parents. A random genome can't appear.

no image

. . . . XXY Syndrome
XXY Syndrome (XXY) is a genetic condition where a male silky has two X chromosomes. As a result, he is XXY instead of the normal XY. This results in the silky being sterile. It can also result in a male silky expressing recessive x-linked genes such as white. In silkies, there is a 0.1% chance that a male will be born with XXY syndrome. That means about 1 out of every 1000 males will have this condition.
Luckily, aside from being sterile, a silky with XXY Syndrome will not be otherwise affected.

[Dia.]

Genetics - Events and Specials

. . . . Viveri
Viveri (vivi) creates a spotted and striped pattern similar to the African civet. The marking is always darker than the base coat and it is covered up by other markings such as white markings and sooty.

. . . . Quagga
Quagga(ququ) creates a striping pattern similar to the quagga. The marking is always lighter than the base coat. It will express on top of sooty, but will be covered by white markings.

. . . . Gazella
Gazella(gaga) creates a broad, dark stripe on the silky's side, similar to the Thomson's gazelle. It also expresses with dark eye markings. Gazella marks are always dark. They express under most genes.

. . . . Okapi
Okapi(okok) creates a striping pattern similar to the Okapi. Okapi markings are always white or off-white. It expresses under most genes.

. . . . Wilde
Wilde (wilwil) creates a patch of brindling similar to the wildebeest. Wilde markings are always darker than the base coat. It expresses under most genes.