Dark coat colour pattern (charcoal) characteristic of the Bengal breed, with a dark fox-like facial mask and a grey-black background pattern against which the rosettes stand out. It results from a particular allelic combination at the Agouti locus (ASIP), involving a haplotype originating from the Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). It is not associated with disease.

Restricted to the Bengal breed and to lines with Asian leopard cat ancestry. There are no reliable allele frequency figures; limited data. The concentration of A^Pbe is higher in lines derived from founders with the charcoal phenotype.

- Grey-black base coat (charcoal)\n- Typical dark facial mask\n- Contrasted rosettes on a dark background\n- No systemic manifestations

The charcoal pattern appeared in Bengal lines derived from the initial crosses with the Asian leopard cat, the founding basis of the breed. It was associated with a particular haplotype of the ASIP locus, designated A^Pbe, present in the leopard cat and transmitted to the Bengal breed. The molecular characterization of the feline ASIP locus was developed in the 2000-2010 decade, and Gershony et al. (2014) described the association between the compound genotype A^Pbe/a and the charcoal phenotype. Genetic testing allows identification of A^Pbe carriers, but the association is not complete. Limited data on the true frequency of the A^Pbe haplotype in Bengal populations outside the United States and Europe.

- To obtain charcoal: cross A^Pbe carriers with non-agouti (a/a) individuals or with other A^Pbe carriers.\n- Know the ASIP genotype of the breeding animals before crossing, especially the A^Pbe haplotype.\n- Inform the buyer that the charcoal pattern is not a defect or a disease.\n- Avoid selecting solely for charcoal if this implies excessively narrowing the genetic variability of the breed.

The charcoal pattern is an aesthetic trait with no pathological implications. Differential diagnosis with melanism (full a/a) and with partial melanistic individuals. Genetic testing is based on markers associated with the A^Pbe haplotype and its association with the phenotype is not complete (Gershony et al. 2014), so prediction of the litter phenotype is indicative. Final expression also depends on other pattern and colour loci.

1. Gershony LC et al. 2014. Who's behind that mask and cape? The Asian leopard cat's Agouti (ASIP) allele likely affects coat colour phenotype in the Bengal cat breed. Animal Genetics. PMID: 25143047
2. Eizirik E et al. 2003. Molecular genetics and evolution of melanism in the cat family. Current Biology. PMID: 12620197
3. OMIA:002549-9685. Coat colour and pattern, charcoal, ASIP-related in Felis catus. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals.
4. OMIA:000201-9685. Coat colour, agouti in Felis catus. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals.