Black Based Coat Colors

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]     BLACK BASED [SELF] COLORS Recessive  Heterozygous  Homozygous Dominant  Black  a/a black coat, should have no silvering or rusting Black color standards- RatsPacNW: black to the skin, black eyes.  Should not exhibit rusting or brown spots. AFRMA: Color is a good solid black throughout, showing no rustiness or white hairs. Eye color is black.  A/a agouti (ticked coat) carrying black  A/A agouti - does not carry the black gene  Beige  a/a  r/r red eye gene dilutes black coat creating a beige colors rat with red eyes Beige color standards- RatsPacNW: Tan, cream to buff color with ruby eyes AFRMA: Color is a warm grayish-tan, not too dark. Eye color is dark ruby.  A/a  R/r agouti carrying black and RED  A/A R/R agouti - does not carry black or RED  Champagne  a/a  p/p  or  a/a b/b p/p pink eye gene dilutes black coat creating a champagne color rat with pink eyes or PED along with chocolate creates a pale champagne rat with pink eyes Champagne color standards- RatsPacNW: a pale creamy - beige color with pink eyes. AFRMA: To be an evenly warm beige, with no suggestion of dullness or grayness. Eyes red.  A/a  P/p or A/a B/b P/p agouti carrying black and PED or agouti carrying black, chocolate and PED  A/A P/P or A/A B/B P/P agouti - does not carry black, chocolate or PED  Blue (American Blue/Slate Blue/British Blue)  a/a g/g blue coat Blue color standards- RatsPacNW: a slate blue color even to skin, black eyes. AFRMA: Color is a slate blue, as dark as possible showing no brown patches or silvering. Eye color is dark ruby or black.  A/a G/g agouti carrying blue  A/A G/G agouti - does not carry blue  Platinum  a/a g/g r/r  or  a/a g/g m/m light blue with red or black eyes Platinum color standards- RatsPacNW: a blue beige color created  from blue & ruby eyes OR blue and mink.  Eye color ruby to pink and sometimes black. AFRMA: Color to be a light gray with no blue cast similar to platinum paint. Eye color is dark ruby or black.  A/a G/g R/r or A/a G/g M/m agouti carrying blue and RED or agouti carrying blue and mink  A/A G/G R/R or A/A G/G M/M agouti - does not carry blue, RED or Mink  Silver  a/a g/g p/p light silver to grey with pink eyes Silver color standards- RatsPacNW: genetically a pink eye blue.  May appear off-white or have a bluish tint.  A/a G/g P/p agouti carrying blue and PED  A/A G/G P/P agouti - does not carry blue or PED  Russian Silver (Double Blue)  a/a d/d g/g silvery blue grey with black eyes Russian Silver color standards-  A/a D/d G/g agouti carrying russian blue and blue  A/A D/D G/G agouti - does not carry russian blue or blue  Russian Blue  a/a d/d dark smokey grey with black eyes Russian Blue color standards- RatsPacNW: a deep dark dusty blue, may have dark ticking, black eyes. AFRMA: Color to be similar to the blue mice or blue cats, a very dark slate blue color with dark ticking throughout. Eyes black.  A/a D/d agouti carrying russian blue  A/A D/D agouti - does not carry russian blue  Blue Beige  a/a d/d r/r blueish beige coat with red eyes Blue Beige color standards- RatPacNW: a Russian blue beige, beige/tan with a blue-gray tint, black eyes. AFRMA: Color is a grayish-tan, not too dark, with a blue cast running throughout, not to be confused with Beige. Eye color is dark ruby.  A/a D/d R/r agouti carrying russian blue and RED  A/A D/D R/R agouti - does not carry russian blue or RED  Blue Champagne  a/a d/d p/p pale blue color with pink eyes  A/a D/d P/p agouti carrying russian blue and PED  A/A D/D P/P agouti - does not carry russian blue or PED  Dove  a/a d/d m/m light sandy color with black eyes Dove color standards- RatsPacNW: Russian blue and mink combined. AFRMA: Color to be a warm dove with ticking throughout similar to Russian Blue. Not to be confused with Platinum or Lilac. Eye color is black.  A/a D/d M/m agouti carrying russian blue and mink  A/A D/D M/M agouti - does not carry russian blue or mink  Mink  a/a m/m deep brown/grey with black eyes (a note about mink: there are two minks for which we use the m/m code. These minks are known as UK mink and mock or US mink. These minks are seperate genes, but work off of the same allele, therefore one rat can not be "double mink" showing both UK and US mink, but can genetically be one type of mink carrying the other. Breeding a UK mink to a US mink will produce black offspring carrying both minks.) Mink color standards- RatsPacNW: A cool, deep, brown color with a blue/gray tint, black eyes. AFRMA: To be an even mid gray-brown devoid of dinginess, silvering or patches, and having a distinct bluish sheen. Foot color to match top color. Eyes black.  A/a M/m agouti carrying mink  A/A M/M agouti - does not carry mink Aussie Mink        Havana  a/a m/m R/r heterozygous red eye dilute on US mink can cause the eye color to lighten from black to a deep garnet color, the mink coat is lightened slightly as well Havana coat colors- RatsPacNW: mink diluted with a ruby eye gene.  A lighter warm brown color, ruby eyes.  A/a M/m R/r agouti carrying mink and RED  A/A M/M R/R agouti - does not carry mink or RED  Lilac  a/a m/m li the modifier lightens mink to a dusty grey brown with black eyes Lilac color standards- RatsPacNW: Dusty gray brown, eyes black AFRMA: Color is a medium dove gray, evenly mixed with brown, not too dark. Eye color is ruby or black.  A/a M/m li agouti carrying mink and the modifier lilac  A/A M/M li agouti - does not carry mink but does cover the modifier lilac  Pearl  a/a m/m Pe/pe the dominant gene pearl [Pe/pe] works off of the recessive mink gene causing a pearly cream to pale grey color, eyes black Pearl color standards- RatsPacNW: silvery cream color to pale gray. Hairs tipped with cream or gray, gray guard hairs, black eyes.  A/a M/m Pe/pe agouti carrying mink and covering the dominant gene pearl  A/A M/M Pe/pe agouti - does not carry mink but covering the dominant gene pearl. Pearl is homozygous lethal in utero, therefore a pearl to pearl breeding will result in a 25% smaller litter as all Pe/Pe babies will not reach birth  Pearl Merle  m/m Pe/pe plus Merle a pearl rat with dark splotching/spotting cause by dominant merling, eyes black Merle standards- RatsPacNW: Merle color spots/splotches on a lighter base coat.  Usually seen as pearl merles and silvered minks/lilacs.  Merle may be seen on solid or any standardized marked rat. Fault: marked toes DQ: blaze, stripes AFRMA: Merle rats may be shown in any recognized color. The unique feature is a pattern of dark splash-spots distributed evenly throughout the entire lighter background color so as to resemble a merle dog. The splash-spots should be numerous and distinct. Splash-spots will be less prominent on a non-silvered background color. Eye color to correspond to the body color. A/a M/m Pe/pe with merle agouti carrying mink and covering the dominant genes pearl and merle   A/A M/M Pe/pe with merle agouti - does not carry mink but does cover the dominant genes pearl and merle  Chocolate  a/a b/b a warm brown with black eyes Chocolate color standards- RatsPacNW: a warm rich brown to skin with black eyes, may have black or dark tipped guard hairs. AFRMA: A deep rich chocolate, as even as possible, devoid of dinginess and white hairs or patches. The feet to match top color. Eyes black.  A/a B/b agouti carrying chocolate  A/A B/B agouti - does not carry chocolate Cocoa  a/a b/b R/rheterozygous red eye dilute on chocolate can cause the eye color to lighten from black to a deep garnet color, the chocolate coat is lightened slightly as well Cocoa color standards- RatsPacNW: a soft warm cocoa color, black to dark ruby eyes AFRMA: Color is a light chocolate, similar to Swiss Miss powdered cocoa. Eyes dark ruby or black.  A/a B/b R/r agouti carrying chocolate and RED  A/A B/B R/R agouti - does not carry chocolate or RED Coffee  a/a b/b m/m a carmel color with black eyes  A/a B/b M/m agouti carrying chocolate and mink  A/A B/B M/M agouti - does not carry chocolate or mink Albino a/a c/c pure white rat with pink eyes Albino color standards- RatsPacNW: all white, no spotting, pink eyes AFRMA: Color is a pure clean white, free from ivory, cream, or beige tint. Eye color is red.  A/a C/c agouti carrying the albino gene  A/A C/C agouti - does not carry the albino gene Pink Eyed White (PEW) any combination of three or more recessive ditutes will cause excessive diluting resulting in a white rat with pink eyes. These rats look like albinos, but have a different genetic makeup. PEW color standards- RatsPacNW: all white, no spotting, pink eyes AFRMA: Color is a pure clean white, free from ivory, cream, or beige tint. Eye color is red.