General Rat Facts and Genetics.
Common Terms-
Berk- Berkshire
RE- Ruby eyes
PE- Pink eyes
BEW/REW/PEW- Black, Ruby or Pink-eyed-whites.
DU- Down Under
Vari- Variegated
Porphyrin- red discharge from the eyes or nose. Often mistaken for blood. Sign of a sick rat.
Pails eye- Gunky eyes on a rat related to blazed rats from "Pails for Scales" pet shop in Ballarat VIC.
Small-eye gene- sometimes expressed as 1 eye smaller, both eyes smaller or even missing eyes.
RE- Ruby eyes
PE- Pink eyes
BEW/REW/PEW- Black, Ruby or Pink-eyed-whites.
DU- Down Under
Vari- Variegated
Porphyrin- red discharge from the eyes or nose. Often mistaken for blood. Sign of a sick rat.
Pails eye- Gunky eyes on a rat related to blazed rats from "Pails for Scales" pet shop in Ballarat VIC.
Small-eye gene- sometimes expressed as 1 eye smaller, both eyes smaller or even missing eyes.
Rat Colours, Markings and Coat Types.
Rats in Australia are quite limited in colour and markings compared to other countries, as Australia has had to breed all of it's own varieties from scratch due to this countries strict importation and quarentine laws. But this in turn means that Australian rats do not carry many of the diseases that can cause death in rats in other countries.
Dumbo eared rats and Hairless rats are not available in Australia. (a good Patchwork-rex is the closest you can get to a Hairless rat in Australia.)
Dumbo eared rats and Hairless rats are not available in Australia. (a good Patchwork-rex is the closest you can get to a Hairless rat in Australia.)
Colours.
This chart disregards the new rare colours that have only recently mutated in Australia, Blue and Chocolate.
Rat colours can be split into two catagories; Black based and Agouti based (shown in the two vertical collums to the left). Then combinations of different genes can be added to lighten or "dilute" these two base colours. These genes are called the mink gene, BEW gene, Ruby-eyed(RE) gene, Pink-eyed(PE) gene, and Albino(cc) gene. (also blue and chocolate genes.)
Example: Cinnamon is genetically a mink-agouti. A Fawn is genetically a ruby-eyed-Agouti, and an Argente is genetically a ruby-eyed-mink-Agouti (aka ruby-eyed Cinnamon).
The BEW gene covers all other colour with a layer of white. A BEW can be any black-eyed colour underneith, a REW any ruby-eyed colour underneith, and a PEW any pink-eyed colour underneith.
There are technically 6 colours that a pink-eyed rat can be genetically, but Champagne and Mink-Champagne, as well as Silverfawn and Mink-Silverfawn, are so hard to tell apart and are commonly just grouped together. Similarly Pink-eyed-white and Albino are genetically different colours, but look the same on the outside.
Rat colours can be split into two catagories; Black based and Agouti based (shown in the two vertical collums to the left). Then combinations of different genes can be added to lighten or "dilute" these two base colours. These genes are called the mink gene, BEW gene, Ruby-eyed(RE) gene, Pink-eyed(PE) gene, and Albino(cc) gene. (also blue and chocolate genes.)
Example: Cinnamon is genetically a mink-agouti. A Fawn is genetically a ruby-eyed-Agouti, and an Argente is genetically a ruby-eyed-mink-Agouti (aka ruby-eyed Cinnamon).
The BEW gene covers all other colour with a layer of white. A BEW can be any black-eyed colour underneith, a REW any ruby-eyed colour underneith, and a PEW any pink-eyed colour underneith.
There are technically 6 colours that a pink-eyed rat can be genetically, but Champagne and Mink-Champagne, as well as Silverfawn and Mink-Silverfawn, are so hard to tell apart and are commonly just grouped together. Similarly Pink-eyed-white and Albino are genetically different colours, but look the same on the outside.
Patterns/Markings.
Rats can be three basic markings;
Self -(all one colour)
Berkshire -(all one colour with white feet and belly marking)
Hooded -(white with colour on the head, shoulders and a stripe or spots of colour down the back)
And then there are variations on these patterns.
Hooded can be Variegated(very spotty) Bare-backed, Capped or split-capped.
Berkshire can be Variegated, with patchy white reaching from the belly un the sides of the rat.
And any marking can also be accompanied by a stipe of colour or lots of spotting on the belly know as a Down-Under(DU) marking, and/or white face markings such as a headspot, lightning-blaze or Wedge-Blaze.
Self -(all one colour)
Berkshire -(all one colour with white feet and belly marking)
Hooded -(white with colour on the head, shoulders and a stripe or spots of colour down the back)
And then there are variations on these patterns.
Hooded can be Variegated(very spotty) Bare-backed, Capped or split-capped.
Berkshire can be Variegated, with patchy white reaching from the belly un the sides of the rat.
And any marking can also be accompanied by a stipe of colour or lots of spotting on the belly know as a Down-Under(DU) marking, and/or white face markings such as a headspot, lightning-blaze or Wedge-Blaze.
Coat Types.
By far the most common coat type is the straight coat known as Standard. But there are also a number of non-standard coat types out there.
These are Single-Rex(aka Rex), Double-Rex, Silk, and the rarer patchwork-rex, Double-Silk, Carasilk, Powder Puff and Velour.
Though the difference between Carasilk vs Silk, and Rex vs Velour are hard to see, and are thought by some to infact be the same coats called different things in other states. Some breeders are working with these rarer coats to prove that they are infact different.
These are Single-Rex(aka Rex), Double-Rex, Silk, and the rarer patchwork-rex, Double-Silk, Carasilk, Powder Puff and Velour.
Though the difference between Carasilk vs Silk, and Rex vs Velour are hard to see, and are thought by some to infact be the same coats called different things in other states. Some breeders are working with these rarer coats to prove that they are infact different.