Markings / h locus

Genetics terms:      Allele      Gene      Genotype       Phenotype       Dominant Genes- can not be carried, but can be masked. [ex. the dominant Pearl gene will only express itself on a mink rat, therefore a black rat carrying the recessive mink gene could genetically be pearl, while phenetically being black]      Recessive Genes- can be carried from generation to generation and will only express itself when paired with an identical recessive gene making them homozygous recessive. [ex. a/a (black) x a/a (black) will produce all black babies unless other recessivce genes are carried by the parents]      Homozygous -  Having identical alleles for a single trait.                                  ~ homozygous recessive carries two copies of the allele that codes for the recessive trait. [ex. a/a is a rat expressing the recessive trait of black (non-banded) hair]                                  ~ homozygous dominant carries two copies of the allele that codes for the dominant trait. [ex. A/A is a rat expressing the dominant trait of agouti (banded or ticked) hair]      Heterozygous - A rat is heterozygous for a particular gene when two different alleles occupy the gene's position on the homologous chromosomes. Heterozygous genotypes are represented by a capital letter (representing the dominant allele) and a lowercase letter (representing the recessive allele) [ex. A/a is an agouti rat carrying the black gene]    MARKINGS (H locus)  Recessive  Heterozygous   Homozygous Dominant  Self (solid)  h/h hooded  H/h berkshire  H/H self - entire body one solid color (should have no white on body including toes) Self/Solid standards- RatsPacNW: No markings on a colored rat or color marks on a solid white rat. Faults:  White toes, white foot, tail tip.  DQ:  Other spotting.  English Irish English Irish marking standards- RatsPacNW: Uniform triangle of white between front legs reaching from armpit to armpit that points down but not extending down belly. Usually seen with two front white feet, ok to have white on back feet feet/toes and small white tail tip. AFRMA: White equilateral triangle on chest with front feet white and back feet white to half their length. The triangle on chest to be of good size, clear and devoid of brindling, not to extend in a streak down the belly but occupying all the space between the front legs. The body color shall conform to a recognized color.   Irish  h(i)/h(i) Irish marking standards- RatsPacNW: Symmetrical white spot on belly of uniform size.  Four white feet to ankles and white tip tail to no more than 1/4 its length.  AFRMA: Irish rats may be shown in any recognized color. The top color is to be judged as to the respective color. Distinctive markings are the white underside, with four white feet and a white tail tip. The under marking should be a pure clean white, of moderate size and as even in shape as possible, not extending onto the legs, sides, or chest. The white feet should resemble the stops on a Dutch rabbit. The tail should be colored for most of its length, with a white tip of no more than one-fourth of its total length.     Berkshire  h/h hooded  H/h berkshire Berkshire markings standards- RatsPacNW: American Berkshire:  White symmetrical belly marking extending down legs and neck (no color on the underside)  white feet and white tail to no more than 1/2 its length.  Head spot or blaze is preferred but not required. Classic Berkshire:  Full symmetrical white belly not extending down legs.  White feet stops, and white tail tip to no more than 1/2 its length.  Head spot or blaze is preferred but not required. AFRMA: Berkshire rats may be shown in any recognized color. The top color is to be judged as to the recognized color. Distinctive markings are the colored top with a completely white belly and white feet and tail, with a small white spot between the ears. There should be an even line between the top and bottom color. The white markings should be a pure clean white.  H/H self  Hooded h/h hooded Hooded markings standards- RatsPacNW: Colored hood that covers the head, neck, chest, and shoulders with white front feet.  The body to be white with  a spine mark that extends from the hood to the tail.  The stripe should be symmetrical and unbroken.  Color should extend partially down tail.  AFRMA: Hooded rats may be shown in any recognized color. The sides, legs, and feet should be a pure clean white, free from spots or brindling. The hood should cover the head, neck, and shoulders without a break, showing no white on the throat or chin, and should run in an even line around the body. The spine marking should extend in an unbroken line from the hood to the tail, be of moderate width, and be free of ragged edges or brindling. The tail should be colored at the base, then white to the end.  H/h berkshire H/H self Bareback  h/h bareback Bareback markings standards- RatsPacNW: Similar to hooded but NO stripe, no spotting on back. AFRMA: Bareback rats may be shown in any recognized color and will have markings like the Hooded rat but without a spine marking. The back, sides, legs, and feet should be a pure, clean white, free from spots or brindling. The hood should cover the head, neck, and shoulders without a break, showing no white on top of head, throat, or chin, and should run in an even line around the body.   H/h berkshire  H/H self Variberk   H/h + modifiers Variegated   H/h + modifiers Variegated markings standards- RatsPacNW: Colored hood (head and shoulders) with  numerous small color spots or splashes on shoulders, sides and tail.  Has a white belly, head spot or blaze.  May have white lips and line extending from chin to belly. AFRMA: Variegated rats to be shown in any recognized color and are similar to Hooded rats but instead of a spine marking, will have patches and flecks of color on the back side. The head and shoulders to be solid like those of a Hooded rat with a white spot/star on the forehead which should be centrally placed, round or oval in shape, and no bigger than the rat’s eye. The variegation (patches and flecks of color) to evenly cover the rest of the white body from the shoulders to the tail including the sides and tail. Underside (including belly, chest, and throat) to be white, devoid of creamy tinge or staining.    Dalmation     H/h + modifiers Dalmation markings standards- RatsPacNW: Numerous non-symmetrical color spots on a white body.  May not have full colored head but may have spots on head.   AFRMA: Dalmatian rats may be shown in any recognized color. Markings will be similar to the Variegated mice with color splashes/spots on a white background, and free from any solid clear-cut markings. The splashes should be numerous and ragged in outline, but approximately equal in size, and well distributed over the entire body.    Black Eyed White (BEW)  a variation of Dalmation - H/h + modifiers Black eyed white rats are so highly marked that all coat color is covered. Think of taking a black or other colored rat and covering it completely with white paint. Black Eyed White standards- AFRMA: Color is a pure clean white, free from ivory, cream, or beige tint. Eye color is red.   Capped h/h + modifiers Capped markings standards- RatsPacNW: Cap on head not to go past the ears or throat.  Should have notch between ears.  Pure white body, no blaze or head spot. AFRMA: Capped rats may be shown in any recognized color. The body should be a pure clean white, free from spots or brindling, with a colored head. The color should be confined to the head area only, not appearing on the throat area. The cap should be free of ragged edges or brindling, follow the line of the lower jawbone in an even line and not extend past the ears.     Baldie   H/h + modifiers Baldie markings standards- RatsPacNW: White body with coloring on the head reaching behind the ears, white nose tip, white jaw line and white diamond shaped head spot that trails into a white line between the ears to the neck.  Color will not be intense. AFRMA: Baldie rats may be shown in any recognized color. Markings will be similar to Capped rats with a colored top of head and the rest of the body a pure clean white free from spots or brindling. The colored area to be clear of the nose tip and jaw line, extending a short way behind the ears. They will have a large white triangle between the eyes with a white line running from the point of the triangle to the white on the neck. Baldies are from Essex rats and color fading is normal.   Patched  a variation of dalmation - H/h + modifiers A color patch over one eye. The rest of the body is white.   Masked a variation of dalmation - H/h + modifiers Masked markings standards- RatsPacNW: Mask covering face and eyes only, white body. AFRMA: Masked rats may be shown in any recognized color. The body is to be a pure, clean white, free from spots or brindling. A colored mask to cover the face, to include just around the eyes and above the nose, not to extend down the sides of the face onto the jowls or under the chin. Possum   H/h + modifiers Possum markings standards- RatsPacNW: Wide, white blaze that appears reaches mid-way between ears and eyes. Marking should reach from jaw line to jaw line in a round, even pattern (prefer no point at crown). Color mark extends beyond the ears and there should  be no clear splits in the colored cap. No color marks allowed on the face. The overall affect should be of a possum like face.  Any body marking that is recognized within the club can be present on the body of the rat.  Usually seen on Dalmatian, Bareback, Variegated and banded. faults: color touches eye, split cap   Blazed   H/h + modifiers  Blazed marking standards- AFRMA: Blazed rats may be shown only in Berkshire or Variegated classes in any recognized color. A wedge shaped blaze of white should run from muzzle to ears including the whisker beds, tapering to a fine point at the ears. Other markings as for respective pattern.   Downunder (DU) h/h(du) = hooded downunder Downunder markings standards- RatsPacNW: Body marking to follow any standardized pattern but with belly stripe or spots. H/h(du) = berkshire downunder H/h(du) + modifiers = hooded DU, variegated DU etc  Downunder markings standards- RatsPacNW: Body marking to follow any standardized pattern but with belly stripe or spots.  H/H(du) = self downunder (the downunder marking would not show) Banded    this is a dominant high white marking. Care must be taken when breeding high whites as they can have health issues such as megacolon. Banded markings standards- RatsPacNW: color covering head, down shoulders in a wide spine/body mark down through tail.  Mark should be at least as wide as the shoulders.  The underside of the rat, including the head will be white.  Blazes are accepted and preferred.  this is a dominant high white marking. Care must be taken when breeding high whites as they can have health issues such as megacolon. Banded markings standards- RatsPacNW: color covering head, down shoulders in a wide spine/body mark down through tail.  Mark should be at least as wide as the shoulders.  The underside of the rat, including the head will be white.  Blazes are accepted and preferred. Collared Collared markings standards- RatsPacNW: H(ro)/h(i?) To have a hood extending over shoulder blades.  Front legs to be white.  Back marking to start at the tail, extending down hindquarters but not down leg.  Mark will taper over back up towards shoulders forming a “triangle.”  Back mark may touch hood but with mottling or have a full white collar.  Back mark will be mottled along the edges.  Has a head spot or sometimes a blaze.  May have white lips.  Coloring may not be intense due to Essex type genetics. Faults –No mottling or separation between hood and back mark.  Color extends down legs.  No head spot.   Essex     H(ro)/H Essex markings standards- RatsPacNW: H(ro)/H Color gradually shades down from the top of the rat to the belly; the darkest area is along the spine and the color becomes less intense down the sides of the animal.  The belly should be white, with no spotting.  The fade down the sides should be even and symmetrical with no dark spotting.  Silvering should be even throughout the fur, with less at the top and more at the bottom of the rat.  A symmetrical head spot is required and a white muzzle is preferred.  Any color may be shown but shows best in darker colors.  Tail may be mottled with color or absent of color. Undercoat may appear light and is not faulted. Faults:  Lack of head spot, no fading or silvering. AFRMA: To be recognized in any standard color, remembering that the effect of the gene responsible is to lighten the top color. The darkest area is along the spine, becoming less intense down the sides of the animal. The gradual fading of color continues onto the belly which is off white, with no spotting of darker color. When viewed from above, the fading effect should be symmetrical, having no clear demarcation. The fading effect also to be seen on the legs so that the feet are also off white. There should be no obvious patches of contrasting color. Pied tails not to be penalized. A head spot is essential; this must be well defined, centrally placed on the forehead and symmetrical. Genetics: Unproven lethal dominant gene on H locus tentatively named Hro * Roan H/h + roaning Roans are born colored with a white blaze. Through molting they gradually lighten until at an older age they become completely white. For standards, the rat should roan out evenly with no patchy dark spots on the body.