INTRODUCTION

In rats we find a very rich and complex genetics that is completely governed by ‘dominant genes’ and ‘recessive genes’, in the following pages we can learn about the colours that we can find in fancy rats, as well as their characteristics and which particular gene influences each one.   

This is another very important point to learn when we want to get into the world of fancy rats. In this way we will be able to breed in a more complete way, to know more about our animals (extending their family tree) or to define our breeding lines towards the colours we like the most and those in which we want to specialize. 

BASE COLOURS

In the ‘fantasy’ rats we can find two ‘base’ or ‘primary’ colours: The ‘agouti’ and the solid black. 

-AGOUTI: Also called ‘wild’ is the colour of the ‘wild’ rats. This is characterised by a brownish tone (brown) composed of black and golden bands which give the appearance of being a combination of several colours, when blowing on the fur we can distinguish the golden rings which characterise this type of colour. The belly is light in colour and, with age, can become rusty, turning to brown and yellow tones. The ‘agouti’ is dominant.

-BLACK: On the other hand, solid black is recessive. When we find a solid black rat, we can observe a uniform, bright and very, very intense colour, but with the years this colour will oxidize (as it happens with the ‘agouti’), so it is not strange that they end up having a uniform ‘brownish’ or ‘stained’ aspect of this colour.   

SOLID COLOURS

BEIGE: In the ‘beige’ coloured rats the coat is a warm grey-bronze colour, the shade not being too dark. The eyes are of a very strong dark ruby colour. 

BLACK: Uniform, shiny and intense, the black colour of rats of this colour is free from white hairs or rust of any kind. The eyes are black. 

BLUE: The blue colour is seen as a dark slate grey (the darker the better), without rust or brown or silver highlights. The eyes, in this case, are black or dark ruby.

BLUE-BEIGE: This colour is similar to ‘beige’ but should not be confused with it, as the coat of the ‘blue-beige’ has a generalised bluish tinge. The eyes are dark ruby in colour.

CHAMPAGNE : Coat of warm, even ‘beige’ colour, without shades or markings of grey or any other shade.  Eyes red. 

CHOCOLATE: The ‘chocolate’ colour in rats is a deep, uniform shade, without white markings or hairs, with hands and feet of the same shade.  Black eyes. 

COCOA: In this case we find a pale chocolate colour very similar to cocoa powder. Unlike the ‘chocolate’ colour we have seen before, in the ‘cocoa’ the eyes can be black or dark ruby. 

LILAC: The ‘lilac’ is a mixture of grey and brown of medium tone which, without being too dark, is evenly distributed throughout the body of the rat. The eyes are ruby or black.

MINK: The ‘mink’ has a uniform, medium brown, medium tone coat with black eyes. The mink coat is free from grey shadings or spots and has a distinctive blue sheen. Hands and feet may match. 

PINK EYE PLATINUM: White in colour with greyish shades of medium tone, the ‘pink eyed platinum’ is not to be confused with ‘beige’, ‘champagne’ or ‘silver’. The eyes are ruby.

PLATINUM: In the ‘platinum’ the coat colour is not as white as in the ‘pink-eyed platinum’, but a pale grey with no blue tints. The eyes may be ruby or black. 

POWDER BLUE: The colour ‘powder blue’ is a very pale blue, without rust, grey or silver markings, not to be confused with ‘sky blue’. The eyes are deep ruby or black.  

RUSSIAN BLUE: The ‘russian blue’ in rats is identical to that found in ‘Russian blue’ cats, being a very intense slate blue with black eyes. 

RUSSIAN DOVE: The colour of the Russian dove is soft and warm, with tips coloured similarly to the Russian blue. Black eyes.

SKY BLUE: The sky blue is an intermediate colour (from root to tip) and shiny, without brown or silver markings; it is the basic colour of the blue gene. The eyes should be ruby or black. 

BLACK EYED WHITE: As the name suggests, this type of rat has a pure white coat and black eyes. Any kind of shadow, hair or patch of colour in the coat is severely penalised. 

ALBINO: ‘Pink-eyed white’ rats are albino animals, in which the ‘albino’ gene hides all colour (both on the outside and inside of the rat). The eyes of albino rats are pink, although it is not a colour, it is the veins that irrigate the eye that are visible due to the lack of melanin. The fur is pure white.

OTHER COLOURS

AGOUTI: This is the basic colour of all rats, it is composed of a dark grey base, with an intermediate golden band and black tips, the belly is light. This colour becomes visible after 8-10 days, they have black eyes.

OPAL (AGOUTI BLUE): This colour is composed of ‘agouti’ + blue, the base of the coat and the tips of the coat are blue, having between them the typical golden band of the ‘agouties’. The belly is silvery blue and the eyes are black. 

AMERICAN BLUE: Very similar to the ‘powder blue’ and in some countries the same name is used for the same variety, the main difference between the two is that the yellow tinge of the ‘american blue’ is much more noticeable. 

PLATINUM MINK: The ‘platinum mink’ is a very light pearl grey colour with yellow highlights, also reminiscent of a ‘dirty white’. Red eyes.

CHINCHILLA: The pattern is the same as that of the ‘agouti’ but in this case, the chinchilla gene, ‘eats’ the colour, making it slate, silver and black; the belly is silver. The eyes should be black.

CINNAMON (AGOUTI CHOCOLATE): The eyes can be ruby or black. In the case of the ‘cinnamon’ colour the colour pattern is identical to that of the ‘agouti’, except that the top coat is a warm chocolate and the belly is a little lighter.

CINNAMON PEARL: The ‘cinnamon pearl’ (‘cinnamon pearl’) is a very beautiful and curious colour which is characterised by having the coat colour bands distributed in the following order (starting from the base): Cream, blue and orange. The upper hairs have a nice silvery sheen. Eyes black.

FAWN: The ‘fawn’ colour is another of the most attractive; the coat of the rats is a deep orange and uniform colour. The belly is slightly lighter in colour.

LYNX: The coat of the body is grey-tan with a very light slate-coloured base, the belly being pale silver. Eyes dark ruby.

PEARL: In pearl rats, a low intensity silver coat can be observed, with grey points and a cream-coloured base. The belly is pale silver and uniform, the hands and feet should match and the eyes should be black.

RUSSIAN BLUE AGOUTI: As in the other colours belonging to the agouti family, in the ‘Russian blue agouti’ we find a dark steel blue base, followed by a bronze band and blue tips. The belly is silver blue and the eyes black. 

B.E SIAMESE: Of medium beige colour we can observe a soft shading which is distributed through the sides of the body towards the belly, being much darker at the base of the tail. The points of colour (hands, feet, nose, ears and base of tail) should be deep sepia, without pale areas. Eyes black.

BLUE POINT: The body of the blue point is ivory (preferably dark) with blue undertones, and the above mentioned colour points of medium slate colour; no pale or white areas. The eyes are ruby or red.

BURMESE: In the ‘burmese’ the colour of the body is of a rich medium brown shade, uniform except for the coloured points, which are more intense than the rest of the body, (having to be easily distinguishable). Black eyes. 

HIMALAYA: The coat is pure white with the coloured points (hands, feet, nose, ears and base of tail) in dark sepia. The eyes are red or black.

RUSSIAN BLUE AGOUTI BURMESE: In the ‘Russian blue agouti burmese’ the coat is sand coloured with blue markings, the base is a pale bluish grey and the belly is pale. The coloured points are much darker than the rest of the body and the eyes are black.

GOLDEN HIMALAYA: The body colour is a pale golden cream and the colour points are of medium sepia tone. The eyes are black. 

RUSSIAN BLUE POINT HIMALAYA: Ivory with a touch of dark grey (the more intense the better), the shading is uniform and the colour points are dark blue-grey. Ruby or red eyes.

SEAL POINT: In the ‘seal point siamese’ the coat is medium beige and the shading is much darker at the base of the tail, extending over the tail; the colour points are deep sepia and the eyes are red or light ruby.

MERLE: Merle rats can be seen in any recognised colour, distinguished by their pattern of numerous, uneven dark patches on a light background. The eyes should correspond to the colour of the body.

AMBER: The ‘amber’ colour is a light tawny-golden colour, interspersed with paler hairs. The belly is of a much lighter shade but never white. The eyes are red.

SILVER: The silver gene can be found in all colours, characterised by ‘silver splashing’ on the coat of the rat, focused on the tip of the hair. The eye colour must correspond to the base of the coat.

D'ARGENT: It is presented in ‘chocolate’, ‘black’, ‘mink’ and ‘Russian blue’; the background must be of solid colour and the tips of the coat are all silver, giving it a ‘very silver’ appearance. The mask (muzzle and eyes) is of a darker shade. The eye colour corresponds to the base colour.
The ‘d'argent’ pups are born normal in colour and begin to acquire this particularity at about 12 weeks of age. 

UNRECOGNISED COLOUR

COLOUR PATTERNS IN FANCY RATS

SOLID: The rat is of a single colour, with no white patches in the coat.

ENGLISH-IRISH: The ‘English-Irish’ is characterised by a well defined white reverse triangle on the chest.

IRISH: In the ‘Irish’ there is a spot on the lower part of the abdomen, white in colour, of moderate size and as uniform as possible. 

DOWNUNDER: The ‘Downunder’ pattern is characterised by elegant coloured markings on a white background; they can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, striped.... 

BERKSHIRE: It can be presented in all the recognised colours, the ‘Berkshire’ is a colour pattern which presents a rat with the upper part of the body coloured and the lower part white.

ESSEX: In the ‘Essex’ rat, the area of colour corresponding to the spine is darker than the rest of the coat, which gradually lightens until it reaches the belly, hands and feet, which are white. In the centre of the forehead there is a distinct white spot.

VARIEGATED: In the ‘Essex’ rat, the area of colour corresponding to the spine is darker than the rest of the coat, which gradually lightens until it reaches the white belly, hands and feet. In the centre of the forehead there is a distinct white spot.

HUSKY: Husky rats (also called ‘roan’) are born solid (one colour) and, as they age, begin to lighten until they are completely white; as this happens the colour pattern is reminiscent of this breed of dog.

DALMATIAN: These can occur in all recognised colours, being a pattern of well distributed, numerous and irregularly shaped coloured patches.

BLAZED: The ‘Blazed’ can occur only in the ‘Berkshire’ and ‘Veriegated’ categories. In these rats we can see a kind of white ‘mask’ with a triangular shape.

HOODED: They can be presented in any recognised colour. Hooded rats have white sides, hands and feet, while the head, shoulders and spine to the base of the tail are of a uniform colour. The tail itself is white.

BAREBACK: The ‘Bareback’ rat has a colour pattern very similar to the ‘Hooded’, except that the ‘Bareback’ does not have the coloured line on the spine.

VARIHOOD: In the Varihood the rat is white except for the head and the dorsal line, on the belly, the same marking can be observed.

CAPPED: In the ‘Capped’ the rat is white except for the head, which is coloured up to the ears (it does not go beyond) leaving aside the throat, which is white. 

VERIBERK: Like the ‘Berkshire’, the ‘Veriberk’ is a solid coloured rat with a little white on the belly; however, these rats have much more white on the underside, white running up the sides and sometimes up the spine. 

MASK: In the ‘mask’ pattern the colour (which may be any recognised colour) is confined to the face area (nose, muzzle and eyes).

CONCLUSION

Rats are fascinating creatures and we can find them in such a wide range of colours and colour patterns that studying them becomes a lot of fun. If we learn more about our rat and investigate even the smallest trait we will grow in knowledge and know much more about our beloved pet.