Selecting a snow Bengal kitten can be perplexing for pet buyers. A snow is not simply "a snow". All snows have an ivory background with a contrasting pattern but there are many variations in this color class. In simple terms, a snow lynx point Bengal is the result of crossing an Asian Leopard cat with a Siamese cat. This produces a snow Bengal with a creamy white background, blue eyes, and contrasting markings. Most often, the snow lynx's pattern is pale or not visible at birth, and darkens as it grows.

The snow sepia is the result of crossing an Asian Leopard cat with a Burmese cat. This produces the darkest of the snow Bengal. Since the Burmese gene is recessive to the Siamese gene, sepias are the rarest of the snows. Typically, they have a very light tan background with contrasting markings, and can have green, copper, or gold colored eyes.

A snow mink, then, is a combination of the lynx and sepia. These kittens are darker than the lynx but lighter than the sepia. Most often, the eye color is aqua. At birth, these kittens have a pattern that is distinguishable.

Also recognized by the Bengal breed standard are the silver snows. These can be silver lynx, silver mink, or silver sepia as well. Examples of these kittens are included in our silver page. These cats have the same color characteristics as other snows, but also express the silver "inhibitor" gene, resulting in the base of the hair shaft being snow white. Silver "snows" display a truly black tail tip, rather than a "seal" colored tip. A silver patina "surface sheen" can be seen under bright light. Because of the inhibitor gene, these "snows" are actually silvers.

These lynx, mink, and sepia variations can be seen mixed into the chocolate, blue, charcoal, and melanistic colors as well; creating a variety of shades and color combination possibilities for each of these colors.

It should be noted that many snows develop a "pewter" patina as they mature, while others who are very rufoused, display a "yellowish" patina. Their glitter is "crystal" not gold, as found on the brown tabby Bengal. Snows may also display the "pointed" gene inherited form the Siamese and Burmese.

Breeders are working to improve the intensity of the eye color and the contrast of the markings, while selectively breeding away from rufousism and eliminating points and pewter colored patina. Perspective breeders should have a solid knowledge of the pedigrees of both parents to accurately predict the color of a potential snow breeder as well as for the purposes of representing the color of it's offspring.