Self 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.
This is Atena, a black rescued rat. Most Self Blacks here in Sweden are not true selfs since they usually have at least some little white on their toes.
Desdemona, black female, bred and owned by a wellknown Swedish rat breeder. Desdemona came to see my pet rat Inka the 4th of Mars 1999, she went home again the 7th of Mars. And then they had a litter of pretty babies!
Sadly enough I later learned that several of Desdemona's littermates was put to sleep because they had been biting too much. Even one of the babies in her litter with Inka turned out to be a biter. I should have known better than letting my pet male be bred to such a female. When she was at my home I would not even dare to put my hand in her cage, since she behaved so badly and she also bit Inka...
She was nice enough when she was not inside a cage or
something she wanted protect, though. But from this
experience I do not recommend breeding from a rat with
this behaviour. I must add that here in Sweden so many breeders
breed only for colour and many of them breed aggressive rats.
All photos by Eva Johansson.
Last update: 13th of February 2003.