Rat Genetics (color) Question

kbear951 · 09-10-14, 02:38 AM

Hi there! I'm new and wasn't sure if this was the appropriate place to post this. I bred a Siamese Standard Coat, Dumbo Buck (Siamese Sire X Supposed "Russian Blue" Dam) to a Himalayan Standard Coat, Standard Ear Doe with limited pedigree information (Supposed "Hairless" Sire X Supposed "Siamese" Dam - who could have very well been a Himalayan, but I only know what I was told). I just got a litter that looks like this.

I am particularly interested in the one on the top who has a dark spot....like would be seen in a Merle, but as far as I know that is not possible because: Merle only shows up on Mink based rats, such as Pearl (and I also read, occasionally, Silver Lilacs). Could it be a birth mark? Also, aside from the fact that most of them are marked, any idea what color they are?

Also, I think I have three hairless.......and while they haven't opened their eyes yet, several look to have black eyes, even some black eyed whites...The lady I bought the female from, told me she thought that the Hairless sire of my Himalayan female may have been BEW, but I didn't think too much of it.

**Tsubaki** · 09-11-14, 08:01 AM

I never focused much on rat colors (and in English it's even harder), but i have owned (and still own) several pet rats. And at one time i had a odd eyed dumbo Siamese female rat which also had a dark spot on her side similar to this one, the people on the rat forums just declared it was just a bad coloration.

pdomensis · 09-11-14, 08:27 AM

You joined a snake forum to ask a rat question?

**millertime89** · 09-11-14, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdomensis

You joined a snake forum to ask a rat question?

Dumbest comment award goes to...

Tons of snake people breed their own snake food, and desirable traits are often sold to pet stores because pet rats bring in more money than food rats. I used to just do it for food, sorry OP, can't really help you with genetics. I just had the biggest rats I could find and bred them in the hopes of creating the biggest, fastest growing babies. That's about as scientific as I got with the rats in the 6 months I had them.