STST Normal 

STst Satin carrier

stst Satin coat

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The unique shine of the coat is caused by a gene mutation that causes the guard hairs to be  transparent, reflecting the light in an unusual way. In nature, mutations occur quite frequently, and many breeds result from a mutation that is fixed through a selective breeding programme. The first Satin rabbits occured in a litter of Havana rabbits, bred by an American breeder, Walter Huey in 1932. When first shown in 1934, they caused quite a stir and became known as Satin Havanas. More varieties were developed through cross-breeding. Despite the unusual properties of their coat, Satins attracted little interest from the fur industry as their fur was too fine.  The Ivory Satin was exported to Britain in 1947, creating much interest among breeders. The Satin breed in the UK was developed in a much wider variety of colours, mostly through cross-breeding with other rabbits.