Eva's Rat Colours and Genetics Page - Self

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The self rat is supposed to be unmarked. No white patches, feet, toes or tail tips.

The colour of a self is supposed to be uniform all over the body, and the individual hairs are supposed to be of uniform colour from root to tip. This effect is caused by the non-agouti gene (a).

NOTE: Today we have at least three different blue rat colours that easily can be bred as self blue, compare these colours to the colour of a blue mouse.

Self, solid colour varieties (aa)

Black
Overall impression: Shall be a deep colour, black as raven, without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: As black as possible all the way out on the claws.
Eye colour: Black.
Genetics: (aa).
Known since: 19:th century, shown since 1901 in England.
German Blue
Overall impression: Shall be a deep and even slate blue colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: Blue.
Eye colour: Black.
Other name/s: Graphite (SRS, a Swedish club).
Genetics: (aadd).
Known since: Known since: 1929, re-introduced 1995 in Sweden, through imports from Germany. Not in standards in the NFRS, not in standards in the US (RMCA, AFRMA).
Russian Blue
Overall impression: Shall be a deep and even slate blue colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: Blue.
Eye colour: Black.
Genetics: (aarbrb). ("rb" for russian blue...)
Known since: Known since: ? Imported to Sweden from the US in 1998. Not in standards in the NFRS, in standards in the US as Russian Blue (RMCA, AFRMA).
English Blue
Overall impression: Shall be a light and glittering extreme blue colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: Same as body.
Eye colour: Black.
Other name/s: Blue, Slate (US), Selene (TRV).
Genetics: (aagg, g not scientifically described).
Known since: 1989 (US). In standards in the NFRS as Blue. In England believed to be aadd... Known since 1990 in the US, In standards as Blue (AFRMA).
Chocolate
Overall impression: Shall be an even, warm chocolate brown colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour to be the same hue as top colour.
Feet: Chocolate all the way out on the claws.
Eye colour: Black.
Genetics: (aabb).
Known since: 1915. In NFRS standards 1935, temporarily out of NFRS standards 1978 - 1983.
Lilac
Overall impression: Shall be a even, warm lilac colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: Lilac all the way out on the claws.
Eye colour: Black.
Other name/s: In scientific litterature this colour is recognized as lilac, but this is not the same lilac that are in standards in the US. The american lilac is a lighter version of mink (aamm).
Genetics: (aabbdd).
Known since: 1996 in the pet rat.
Dove
Overall impression: Shall be a even dove grey colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: Colour of feet to look as top colour.
Eye colour: Red or ruby.
Other name/s: Champagne.
Genetics: (aapp).
Known since: 1935.
Champagne
Overall impression: To be an even and warm beige colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be ligher than top colour.
Feet: To conform with top colour.
Eye colour: Red.
Other name/s: Cream.
Genetics: (aabbpp).
Known since: 1935.
Beige
Overall impression: To be an even and warm beige colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be ligher than top colour.
Feet: To conform with top colour.
Eye colour: Black.
Other name/s: Dark Eyed Champagne, Magnolia (TRV), Buff (NFRS) and Dove.
Genetics: (aarr).
Known since: Guidestandard 1991 (not in standards in the NFRS).
Blue Beige
Overall impression: To be an even and bluish beige colour without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be ligher than top colour.
Feet: To conform with top colour.
Eye colour: Dark ruby.
Genetics: (aarr rbrb).
Known since: Imported to Sweden 1998 from the US.
Mink
Overall impression: Shall be an even, dark greyish brown colour with a blue hue and without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: Greyish brown all the way out on the claws.
Eye colour: Black.
Other name/s: Blue.
Genetics: (aamm).
Known since: 1905.
Black Eyed White (No photos yet.)
Overall impression: To be a clean, evenly white colour without tinges, coloured hairs or spots.
Feet: To be white.
Eye colour: Dark ruby, as close to black as possible.
Genetics: (marked rat, might be aah^eh^e).
Known since: 1984.
Ruby Eyed White (No photos yet.)
Overall impression: To be a clean, evenly white colour without tinges, coloured hairs or spots.
Feet: To be white.
Eye colour: Clearly ruby, not red.
Other name: Ruby Eyed White (USA).
Genetics: (marked rat with ruby eyes).
Known since: 1991, maybe earlier.
Albino (Pink Eyed White)
Overall impression: To be a clean, evenly white colour without tinges, coloured hairs or spots.
Feet: To be white.
Eye colour: Red.
Genetics: (cc).
Known since: 1810 (has probably been known long before this though it is a not too uncommon mutation that appears among wild rats). In NFRS standards 1901.
Ivory (No photos yet.)
Overall impression: To be a bonewhite colour, without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: To conform with body colour.
Eye colour: Eye colour extremely dark ruby, almost black.
Other name: Elfenben (TRV). "Ina-coloured", after "Ina" (Apollonias Inadanllonia), one of the first rats in Sweden with this colour.
Genetics: Not clear. May be aaddrr + plus one more gene?.
Development of colour: Looks at first like an albino. Eyes starts to darken at 4 weeks of age.
Known since: 1995 (Appolonias rattery). There actually excists a colour called ivory in the US too, that is not exactly the same. The theory is that our Swedish ivory is based on the german blue gene, and the US ivory is based on the russian blue gene.
Silver
Overall impression: To be an even silver colour with an ice blue hue, without tinges, white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: To conform with body colour.
Eye colour: Red.
Genetics: (aaddpp).
Known since: 1996, Runatun Stud.
Lavender
Overall impression: To be an even cream colour with pink/lilac tinges. Without white hairs or spots. Colour to be carried down the skin. Belly colour not to be lighter than top colour.
Feet: To conform with body colour.
Eye colour: Pink.
Other names: In mice this colour is called pale lilac or lavender. Pink Eyed Lilac.
Genetics: (aabbddpp).
Known since: 1998 (Aristoteles Stud).