Our Lines
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This page consists of varieties we are focusing on. Here you can find the standards on our varieties. Many of our rats do carry dilutes so we do get other colors that pop out. It may appear that we are working on quite a few varieties, many of our lines go hand in hand. Some of our rats carry things that may compliment our other lines.
This page consists of varieties we are focusing on. Here you can find the standards on our varieties. Many of our rats do carry dilutes so we do get other colors that pop out. It may appear that we are working on quite a few varieties, many of our lines go hand in hand. Some of our rats carry things that may compliment our other lines.
_Black Eyed Siamese
AFRMA - "Body color to be medium beige, gradually and evenly shaded over saddle and hindquarters towards the belly, being darkest at the base of the tail. There should be no white or very pale areas anywhere on the body, feet or tail. Tail color to extend down the length of the tail. Belly to be light beige. Points to be rich dark sepia (or a grayer/cooler tone than R.E. Siamese) and shade evenly into the body color. Eyes black."
** Rattery Note: We are working toward Seal (Black) Point BES.
** Rattery Note: We are working toward Seal (Black) Point BES.
_Burmese
AFRMA - "To be an even, rich mid-brown, devoid of dinginess, silvering, or patches, with darker points of the same shade. There is to be a strong contrast between the points and body color. Eyes black."
AFRMA - "Sable Burmese: To be a warm dark otter brown with subtle darker points on the feet, tail, face, and ears. Devoid of dinginess, silvering, or patches. Contrast between points and body color not to be overstated. Any suggestion of black in the points to be penalized. Eyes black."
AFRMA - "Wheaten Burmese: Body color to be a warm brown, not too dark or too red, similar to Cinnamon, with a light gray-brown at the base of the hair. Coat is evenly ticked with medium brown guard hairs. Belly color to be light silvery brown. Points to be distinctly darker than body color with shading at the base of the tail. Eyes black. Agouti Burmese aka Wheaten Burmese in the NFRS. (Agouti plus Burmese)."
** Rattery Note: We will be working mainly with Wheaten Burmese and eventually Sable Burmese.
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AFRMA - "Sable Burmese: To be a warm dark otter brown with subtle darker points on the feet, tail, face, and ears. Devoid of dinginess, silvering, or patches. Contrast between points and body color not to be overstated. Any suggestion of black in the points to be penalized. Eyes black."
AFRMA - "Wheaten Burmese: Body color to be a warm brown, not too dark or too red, similar to Cinnamon, with a light gray-brown at the base of the hair. Coat is evenly ticked with medium brown guard hairs. Belly color to be light silvery brown. Points to be distinctly darker than body color with shading at the base of the tail. Eyes black. Agouti Burmese aka Wheaten Burmese in the NFRS. (Agouti plus Burmese)."
** Rattery Note: We will be working mainly with Wheaten Burmese and eventually Sable Burmese.
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_Merle
_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."
RatsPacNW - "Merle color spots/splotches on a lighter base coat. Usually seen as pearl Merle and silvered mink/lilac. Merle may be seen on solid or any standardized marked rat."
** Rattery Note: Mainly we will have Pearl Merle with chances for Mink Merle, Mink, and Pearl.
RatsPacNW - "Merle color spots/splotches on a lighter base coat. Usually seen as pearl Merle and silvered mink/lilac. Merle may be seen on solid or any standardized marked rat."
** Rattery Note: Mainly we will have Pearl Merle with chances for Mink Merle, Mink, and Pearl.
_Roan
NFRS - "Roan: A strikingly marked bi-color variety, with roan coloration, symmetry and contrast being important impressions. Clearly distinct from existing marked varieties. Roans are born solid colored, but from the age of about 4-6 weeks they start to exhibit roaning. This is a steady increase in the amount of white hairs intermingled with the solid color, starting with the face, sides and tail root on the juvenile, then working its way up to the nape of the neck with the moult. With each moult the rat becomes progressively lighter, the final effect not really complete until the rat is well into adulthood.
The roan effect is most pronounced on the face, around the rump and the sides.
Pattern: The Roan shall have as symmetrical markings as possible. The underside should be completely white.
Head: A wide inverted V shaped blaze, including the whisker bed, coming as close to the eyes as possible without touching the eyes, and coning to a point between the ears. Jaw line and underside of the head must be white. Eye color to conform to base color standard.
Body: From the head, the color runs back covering the ears and continues along the body extending down the sides. Belly to be white.
Tail: Unmarked tail preferred.
Faults: White spots in colored fur/ colored spots in white fur. Brindled demarcation line. Lack of white on face and head or a completely white face or head.
Genetics: Due to an unproven recessive gene not on the H locus with the amount of color controlled by modifiers."_
NFRS - "Striped Roan: A strikingly marked bi-color variety with roan coloration, symmetry and contrast being important impressions. Clearly distinct from existing marked varieties.
Pattern: The striped Roan shall have as symmetrical markings as possible. The chest, belly, sides and all the legs to be completely white.
Head: A wide inverted V shaped blaze including the whisker bed, coming as close to the eyes as possible without touching the eyes, and coming to a point between the ears. Jaw line and underside of the head must be white. Eye color to conform to the standard for the base color.
Body: From the head, the color runs back covering the ears and continues along the body with no suggestion of a hood, in an unbroken horizontal stripe, symmetrical and as straight as possible. The stripe to be approximately 5cm wide. Demarcation shall be as clear cut and even as possible.
Tail: Unmarked preferred.
Faults: White spots in colored fur/colored spots in white fur. Brindled demarcation line, demarcation line too low. Lack of white on face or a completely white face. Stripe too narrow or broken, any suggestions of a hood.
Genetics: Due to an unproven recessive gene not on the H locus with the amount of color controlled by modifiers."
** Rattery Note: We started mainly with Agouti, but now have Black and Russian Blue. Some other colors may pop-up due to recessives in the line. We will be working more towards the darker colors though as they are much more striking as they fade.
The roan effect is most pronounced on the face, around the rump and the sides.
Pattern: The Roan shall have as symmetrical markings as possible. The underside should be completely white.
Head: A wide inverted V shaped blaze, including the whisker bed, coming as close to the eyes as possible without touching the eyes, and coning to a point between the ears. Jaw line and underside of the head must be white. Eye color to conform to base color standard.
Body: From the head, the color runs back covering the ears and continues along the body extending down the sides. Belly to be white.
Tail: Unmarked tail preferred.
Faults: White spots in colored fur/ colored spots in white fur. Brindled demarcation line. Lack of white on face and head or a completely white face or head.
Genetics: Due to an unproven recessive gene not on the H locus with the amount of color controlled by modifiers."_
NFRS - "Striped Roan: A strikingly marked bi-color variety with roan coloration, symmetry and contrast being important impressions. Clearly distinct from existing marked varieties.
Pattern: The striped Roan shall have as symmetrical markings as possible. The chest, belly, sides and all the legs to be completely white.
Head: A wide inverted V shaped blaze including the whisker bed, coming as close to the eyes as possible without touching the eyes, and coming to a point between the ears. Jaw line and underside of the head must be white. Eye color to conform to the standard for the base color.
Body: From the head, the color runs back covering the ears and continues along the body with no suggestion of a hood, in an unbroken horizontal stripe, symmetrical and as straight as possible. The stripe to be approximately 5cm wide. Demarcation shall be as clear cut and even as possible.
Tail: Unmarked preferred.
Faults: White spots in colored fur/colored spots in white fur. Brindled demarcation line, demarcation line too low. Lack of white on face or a completely white face. Stripe too narrow or broken, any suggestions of a hood.
Genetics: Due to an unproven recessive gene not on the H locus with the amount of color controlled by modifiers."
** Rattery Note: We started mainly with Agouti, but now have Black and Russian Blue. Some other colors may pop-up due to recessives in the line. We will be working more towards the darker colors though as they are much more striking as they fade.
_Aurora
_NFRS - "Chinchilla: Top color grey, caused by the intermingling of black guard hairs over a pearl white ground. The whole to give a sparkling appearance. Under color dark slate blue, intermediate portion pearl, tips black. All the underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top color and belly. Head markings may be present or absent. Where present either a blaze or a spot to be acceptable. The standard for both is as follows:
Head spot: Head spots to be centrally placed on the rat's forehead and no bigger than the rat's eye.
Blaze: This is to be a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and to taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Markings not to extend onto the cheeks or the eyes.
Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet white to the ankle (hock or tarsal bone). Tails to be pied.
Faults: Drags, yellow or brown tinge to the top color, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or over large head spots. Genetics:Not known but probably caused by the interaction of at least two marked genes, at least one of which is a lethal dominant."
NFRS - "Argente Cream: The back of the rat to be a delicate shade of apricot, ticked with silver and shading to cream on the sides and face. Head marking not to be present. Undercoat white, belly white. Eyes Red.
Genetically a chinchillated silver fawn."
** Rattery Note: I just wanted to add here our Argente Cream rats do have blazes. It is the standard that states for showing purposes they prefer no facial markings.
NFRS - "Squirrel: Top color silver blue, caused by the intermingling of blue guard hairs over a pearl white ground. Undercolor slate blue, intermediate portion pearl, tips blue. Underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top color and belly.
Head markings may be present or absent. Where present, either a blaze or a head spot to be acceptable.
Blazes to conform to the standard for a blaze, head spots to be centrally placed and not to be larger than the rat's eye. Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet white to ankle (hock). Tails are pied.
Faults: Drags, yellow or brown tinge to the top color, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or overlarge head spots.
Genetics: Chinchillated blue agouti."
NFRS - "Cinnamon Chinchilla aka Rose Grey: Top color light brown, caused by the intermingling of brown guard hairs over a pearl white ground. The whole to give a pale speckled sandy appearance. Under color mid-grey/brown, intermediate section pearl, tips brown. All the underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top color and belly. Head markings may be present or absent. Where present either a blaze or a headspot to be acceptable.
Headspot: Headspots to be centrally placed on the rat's forehead and no bigger than the rat's eye.
Blaze: This is to be a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and to taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Not to extend to the cheeks or the eyes.
Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet to the ankle (hock or tarsal bone). Tails to be pied.
Faults: Drags, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or over large headspots, top color too yellow.
Eyes black."
**RMFE Note - Any eye color is permissible in this breed due to the spotting genes effect on the eyes, unless the eye color is darker than normally expected in the non-aurora colors created by the genes. For example, a mink aurora with pink eyes is perfectly acceptable, but an argente cream aurora with dark ruby eyes is not. The eyes can be oddeyed, where they are different colors.
Head spot: Head spots to be centrally placed on the rat's forehead and no bigger than the rat's eye.
Blaze: This is to be a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and to taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Markings not to extend onto the cheeks or the eyes.
Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet white to the ankle (hock or tarsal bone). Tails to be pied.
Faults: Drags, yellow or brown tinge to the top color, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or over large head spots. Genetics:Not known but probably caused by the interaction of at least two marked genes, at least one of which is a lethal dominant."
NFRS - "Argente Cream: The back of the rat to be a delicate shade of apricot, ticked with silver and shading to cream on the sides and face. Head marking not to be present. Undercoat white, belly white. Eyes Red.
Genetically a chinchillated silver fawn."
** Rattery Note: I just wanted to add here our Argente Cream rats do have blazes. It is the standard that states for showing purposes they prefer no facial markings.
NFRS - "Squirrel: Top color silver blue, caused by the intermingling of blue guard hairs over a pearl white ground. Undercolor slate blue, intermediate portion pearl, tips blue. Underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top color and belly.
Head markings may be present or absent. Where present, either a blaze or a head spot to be acceptable.
Blazes to conform to the standard for a blaze, head spots to be centrally placed and not to be larger than the rat's eye. Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet white to ankle (hock). Tails are pied.
Faults: Drags, yellow or brown tinge to the top color, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or overlarge head spots.
Genetics: Chinchillated blue agouti."
NFRS - "Cinnamon Chinchilla aka Rose Grey: Top color light brown, caused by the intermingling of brown guard hairs over a pearl white ground. The whole to give a pale speckled sandy appearance. Under color mid-grey/brown, intermediate section pearl, tips brown. All the underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top color and belly. Head markings may be present or absent. Where present either a blaze or a headspot to be acceptable.
Headspot: Headspots to be centrally placed on the rat's forehead and no bigger than the rat's eye.
Blaze: This is to be a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and to taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Not to extend to the cheeks or the eyes.
Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet to the ankle (hock or tarsal bone). Tails to be pied.
Faults: Drags, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or over large headspots, top color too yellow.
Eyes black."
**RMFE Note - Any eye color is permissible in this breed due to the spotting genes effect on the eyes, unless the eye color is darker than normally expected in the non-aurora colors created by the genes. For example, a mink aurora with pink eyes is perfectly acceptable, but an argente cream aurora with dark ruby eyes is not. The eyes can be oddeyed, where they are different colors.
_Downunder
AFRMA - "Body marking to follow any standardized pattern but with belly stripe or spots."
NFRS - "Spotted Downunder: The color not to extend past the ears and to follow the line of the lower jawbone. It should not extend under the chin. A white blaze or spot is highly desirable. The body should be broken marked, giving the effect of spotting over the back and belly. Side spots are desirable. Color to conform to a recognized color variety. The white areas shall be devoid of a yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: See hooded downunder."_
NFRS - "Hooded Downunder: The hood should be unbroken and clean cut covering the head, throat, chest and shoulders except in the case of light colored rats where a pale throat is normal. The hood shall be continuous with the saddle, extending down the spine to the tail with as much of the tail colored as possible. The saddle width shall be 2-3.5cm in the adult (proportionately smaller in the kitten), as even as possible and unbroken. The belly stripe should be 2-3.5cm wide and unbroken (proportionately smaller in the kitten). Side areas should be devoid of spotting. Color to conform to a recognized color variety. The white areas shall be devoid of a yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: Unproven marked gene possibly on H or a recessive to it. In this case, combined with hooded."
** Rattery Note: We will be focusing mainly on spotted downunders.
NFRS - "Spotted Downunder: The color not to extend past the ears and to follow the line of the lower jawbone. It should not extend under the chin. A white blaze or spot is highly desirable. The body should be broken marked, giving the effect of spotting over the back and belly. Side spots are desirable. Color to conform to a recognized color variety. The white areas shall be devoid of a yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: See hooded downunder."_
NFRS - "Hooded Downunder: The hood should be unbroken and clean cut covering the head, throat, chest and shoulders except in the case of light colored rats where a pale throat is normal. The hood shall be continuous with the saddle, extending down the spine to the tail with as much of the tail colored as possible. The saddle width shall be 2-3.5cm in the adult (proportionately smaller in the kitten), as even as possible and unbroken. The belly stripe should be 2-3.5cm wide and unbroken (proportionately smaller in the kitten). Side areas should be devoid of spotting. Color to conform to a recognized color variety. The white areas shall be devoid of a yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: Unproven marked gene possibly on H or a recessive to it. In this case, combined with hooded."
** Rattery Note: We will be focusing mainly on spotted downunders.
_Dwarf
RatsPacNW - "Miniature: The rat shall conform to color, marking, temperament and condition standards as for regular rats. May have curious and busy personalities. Body size should be 1/3 the size of standard rats. Feet are smaller in proportion to body. Tails are short in proportion to body size. Legs are short. Eyes should be large. The facial features of males may be more feminine and this should not be faulted."
RatsPacNW - "Stocky: The rat shall conform to color, marking, temperament and condition standards as for regular rats. May have curious and busy personalities. Body size should be 1/3 the size of standard rats. Feet are smaller in proportion to body. Tails are short in proportion to body size. The facial features of males and females are shortened and wider than miniature dwarf rats. Eyes are very large and out of size proportion. Legs are short. Kittens may have thin tails."_
RatsPacNW - "Stocky: The rat shall conform to color, marking, temperament and condition standards as for regular rats. May have curious and busy personalities. Body size should be 1/3 the size of standard rats. Feet are smaller in proportion to body. Tails are short in proportion to body size. The facial features of males and females are shortened and wider than miniature dwarf rats. Eyes are very large and out of size proportion. Legs are short. Kittens may have thin tails."_
_Tailless/Manx
AFRMA - "Tailless rats may be shown in any recognized color, marking, or Variety. The distinct feature is the complete absence of a tail. Tailless rats may have a cobbier body and will have a rounded rump."
RatsPacNW - "The tailless rat should not have points taken off for being too small. When allowed to walk they should sit a little higher in the rear then most rats. Their spine should feel like it ends where the tail would begin (that is quite a bit farther then most people think) there should not be anything sticking out. You should be able to feel the last vertebrae in their spine. A rat should not be docked for having a small piece of skin sticking out so long as their is no bone. A tailless rat should be more rounded in body shape, not fat but the whole body should appear more rounded and shortened. Hind legs should be slightly longer then the front legs (not dramatically)."
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RatsPacNW - "The tailless rat should not have points taken off for being too small. When allowed to walk they should sit a little higher in the rear then most rats. Their spine should feel like it ends where the tail would begin (that is quite a bit farther then most people think) there should not be anything sticking out. You should be able to feel the last vertebrae in their spine. A rat should not be docked for having a small piece of skin sticking out so long as their is no bone. A tailless rat should be more rounded in body shape, not fat but the whole body should appear more rounded and shortened. Hind legs should be slightly longer then the front legs (not dramatically)."
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_I just wanted to thank the National Fancy Rat Society (NFRS), Rat Fanciers Club (RatsPacNW), and the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association (AFRMA) for allowing us to quote their standards from their websites. Also a thanks to The Rat & Mouse Fanciers for Excellence (RMFE) for use of their side note used for the Auroras.
This page shows what we are focusing on in our rattery to better help people understand the varieties we have and are breeding. It also explains their standards.
Below we listed direct links to their websites to show our appreciation:
This page shows what we are focusing on in our rattery to better help people understand the varieties we have and are breeding. It also explains their standards.
Below we listed direct links to their websites to show our appreciation: