Silver Fawn
Overall impression: Shall be a rich orange colour
with silvery guard hairs (Monotrich) evenly dispersed
over the body. The belly to be white as chalk and the
demarcation between belly and top colour to be straight,
sharp and clear cut.
Under colour: White.
Band colour: Rich orange.
Ticking: Silvery white.
Belly colour: As white as possible. (White as chalk.)
Feet: To conform with top colour.
Eye colour: Pink.
Other name/s: Fawn, Argente, Amber, Brandgul (TRV).
Genetics: (pp). The p gene was described by Castle
in 1914, and called Pink-eyed Yellow.
Known since: 1910. In NFRS standards as
Silver Fawn 1935.
Interestingly enough there are two genetically different versions of the Silver Fawn!
Silver Fawn - AApp Eye colour: pink, but a shade darker
than that of bbpp Silver Fawn.
This rat is called Toylandin Honka and is a Finnish import.
White and fawn (brownish red), blue undercolour.
Dirty white/yellow belly. The colour of the eyes are
just a shade darker than that of a bbpp Silver Fawn.
Silver Fawn - AAbbpp Eye colour: pink.
This rat is Aristoteles Ibira, which I sold
to a breeder in the south of Sweden. I still
have two littermates, though.
White and bright orange, white or off-white undercolour.
White belly.
I mainly breed bbpp since I prefer their strong orange colour. The pp gets too dark and dull, with a too strong blue nuance, especially in rex.
False information about Silver Fawns
The NFRS Handbook states that a Silver Fawn is pp, and has
white belly and rich orange-fawn overall colour with even
silver ticking. Well I cannot get Silver Fawns looking like
this without adding the chocolate gene.
The NFRS Handbook also states that a good Silver
Fawn is a Berkshire - what nonsence! I have
European Berkshire Silver Fawns,
European Irish Silver Fawns and Silver Fawns without
any marking whatsoever on the belly or chest. As long
as they are bbpp and well colour bred the white markings
can only be seen when the rat is a young baby.
In most of my adult Silver Fawns it is impossible to see
which rat has which marking - if any at all!
The rat in the photo is my now soon 2 years old Silver Fawn
Aristoteles Iboss, bbpp.
Here is a more newly taken picture of him.
All photos by Eva Johansson.
Last update: 26th of November 2000.