These are the that colours that can be found in New Zealand.
Category: Genetics
Rat Colour Genetics
It took me quite a while to get my head around rat colour genetics because information specific to the colours we have in New Zealand is really limited. We have significantly fewer colours than overseas and this means that almost all the information I could find online was way over complicated and confusing. I think I’ve got it now though so I’ve written this analogy to help others figure out the genetics of their (NZ) rats…
RAT MOUNTAIN
Imagine a mountain with separate territories for all the different rat colours. There are fences surrounding each of the territories and you can only get into each territory if you have the keys (genes) to the gates.
Pick a bag, the letters are the colour genes each rat has, these are your ‘keys’:
Mouse’s bag: aaMmRrPPCC
Cricket’s bag: AaMmrrPpCc
Fred’s bag: AammrrPPCC
Dusky’s bag: aammRrPPCc
Ember’s bag: AAMmRrPpCC
Rufio’s bag: AAMmrrppCc
Finn’s bag: AAmmRrPpCC
Gus’s bag: Aammrrppcc
Delphi’s bag: aammrRPpCC
Nano’s bag: aammrrPpCc
(these are examples only, there are many different genetic combos that could go into creating each colour. These also might not be the exact genetic codes of these rats – I’d have to do a lot of test breeding to find out for sure!)
Look into your bag of keys. You should have 10 keys in total, each with a different letter on it. If you have two tiny lowercase ‘c’ keys you can unlock the chairlift and shoot right up to the top of the mountain to hang with the cloud rats – the albinos or PEWs (pink eyed whites). Your other keys will still work though so if you’d prefer to walk up some of the way you totally can. Do you want to go straight to the top? Hop on the chair lift and go and hug some cloud rats!
If you have a capital C key (or 2) they wont work on the chairlift so you’ll have to walk…
The path splits into two at the foot of the mountain and you come to the first two gates. To the west are the ticked/agouti based territories and to the east are the self based territories. Look into your bag of keys again. The two biggest keys have ‘a’s on them – either capital or lowercase. The west gate, the ticked one, has just one lock labeled with a capital A. If one of your keys has a capital A on it you can go through to meet the ticked rats regardless of what your other keys are labeled with. GO THROUGH THE TICKED GATE.
If you don’t have a capital A key you can try the other gate. This one has two locks so you’ll need two keys, two lowercase a keys. The path through this gate will lead you through to the self territories. GO THROUGH THE SELF GATE .
TICKED TERRITORY
Did you open the west gate? You’re now in the ticked territories. At the bottom of the mountain are the agouti rats with their mottled brown coats and grey tummies. If you keep walking you’ll come to another group of gates. They are in the ring fence that loops round the whole mountain. This time there are 3 gates, each with 2 locks. The first gate is the pink eyed gate. To open this you’ll need two lowercase p keys. If you have these, open the gate and go on through. GO THROUGH THE PINK EYED GATE
If you have a capital P key (or two) you won’t be able to get through the pink eyed gate so go and have a look at the next one. This is the mink gate. To open it you’ll need two lowercase m keys. Got them? Through you go to the cinnamon zone then! GO THROUGH THE MINK GATE
Do you have a capital M key (or two)? No cinnamon for you then for you then. Have a look at the last gate. This is the ruby eyed gate. You’ll need two lowercase r keys to get though. Have a look in the bag and if you have them trek onwards through the ruby eyed gate. GO THROUGH THE RUBY EYED GATE
If you couldn’t get through the mink, ruby eyed, or pink eyed gates your hike ends here with the goots (just check your bag for the tiny chairlift lowercase c keys before you unpack your picnic though)
END – AGOUTI
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
PINK EYED TERRITORY (Champagne)
On the other side of the pink eyed gate you’ll find the pink eyed rats. On the ticked side of the mountain these are silverfawns, pale goldy-yellow with creamy tummies and brilliant pink eyes. There are no gates leading out of this zone so settle down with the beautiful silverfawns (do check your bag for the chairlift keys leading to the albinos first though).
END – SILVERFWAN
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
MINK TERRITORY (Cinnamon)
Onwards through the mink gate! On the ticked side of the mountain you won’t see any mink rats, even though they have the exact same ‘m’ gene as their self based mink cousins on the east side of the mountain. The rats though this door are cinnamons, with golden brown coats and pale grey tummies. The path carries on up the mountain where there is another gate. This is another ruby eyed gate with two locks identical to the ones on the first ruby eyed gate that you possibly didn’t see earlier because you were to busy unlocking the gate that got you to the cinnys. The rats on the other side are slightly different from the one’s further down the mountain though. If you have two lowercase r keys you can go through. GO THROUGH THE SECOND RUBY EYED GATE (ticked) If not, stay here with the cinnamons.
END – CINNAMON
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
RUBY EYED TERRITORY (Argente)
Through the second ruby eyed gate you’ll find the argente rats They look similar to fawns, though they’re often slightly lighter and they have cream instead of grey undercoats. There are no gates out of this territory, so end your journey here with the argentes.
END – ARGENTE
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
RUBY EYED TERRITORY (Fawn)
Through the ruby eyed gate are the fawns. Fawns are a warm orange-brown with a light grey undercoat and ruby eyes (these are different from the pink eyes you see on white rats, ruby eyes are a deep reddish brown that can look black some of the time). Here’s where your journey ends, with the fawns.
END – FAWN
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
SELF TERRITORY
Did you open the east gate? You’ve entered the self territories. At the bottom of the mountain are the black rats with their glossy dark coats. Walk along the path and before long you’ll come to another group of gates. They are in the ring fence that loops round the whole mountain. This time there are 3 gates, each with 2 locks. The first gate is the pink eyed gate. To open this you’ll need two lowercase p keys. If you have these, open the gate and go on through. GO THROUGH THE PINK EYED GATE
If you have a capital P key (or two) you won’t be able to get through the pink eyed gate so go and have a look at the next one. This is the mink gate. To open it you’ll need two lowercase m keys. Got them? Through you go to see the minks then! GO THROUGH THE MINK GATE
Do you have a capital M key (or two)? No minks for you then for you then. Have a look at the last gate. This is the ruby eyed gate. You’ll need two lowercase r keys to get though. Have a look in the bag and if you have them track onwards through the ruby eyed gate. GO THROUGH THE RUBY EYED GATE
If you couldn’t get through the mink, ruby eyed, or pink eyed gates your hike ends here with the black rats (just check your bag for the tiny chairlift lowercase c keys before you unpack your picnic though)
END – BLACK
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
PINK EYED TERRITORY (self)
On the other side of the pink eyed gate you’ll find the pink eyed rats. On the self side of the mountain these are champagne, creamy coloured with brilliant pink eyes. There are no gates leading out of this zone so settle down with the champagne ratties (do check your bag for chairlift keys leading to the albinos first though).
END – CHAMPAGNE
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
MINK TERRITORY (self)
Onwards through the mink gate! Here in the self side of the mountain, unlike the ticked side, the mink gene actually creates mink rats. The rats though this door have grey coats – some paler, some darker – and black eyes. The path carries on up the mountain where there is another gate. This is another ruby eyed gate with two locks identical to the ones in the first ruby eyed gate that you possibly didn’t see earlier because you were to busy unlocking the gate that got you to the minks. The rats on the other side are slightly different from the ones further down the mountain though. If you have two lowercase r keys you can go through. GO THROUGH THE SECOND RUBY EYED GATE (self) If not, stay here with the minks.
END – MINK
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
RUBY EYED TERRITORY (dove)
Through the second ruby eyed gate you’ll find the dove rats. They look similar to the buffs further down the mountain, though, with thier pale grey fur and ruby eyes, they’re a cooler colour than the warm beige buffs. There are no gates out of this zone so end your journey here with the doves.
END – DOVE
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
RUBY EYED TERRITORY (buff)
Through the ruby eyed gate are the buff rats. Buffs are a warm beige colour that sometimes has pinkish undertones, and thier eyes are ruby (these are different from the pink eyes you see on white rats, ruby eyes are a deep reddish brown that can look black some of the time). Here’s where your journey ends, with the buffs.
END – BUFF
Want to go back and start again? Go back to the bottom of the mountain and grab another bag of keys!
Marking Genetics
I’ve found it quite hard to find information on rat genetics that’s relevant to New Zealand. We have a very limited number of colours and markings compared to other countries due to import laws so often the information online is confusing as it talks about genes that we don’t have here. The genetics of the three most common marking types – self, berkshire, and hooded – is straight forward though.
A self rat (HH) has no distinct white markings. Often their undersides are a lighter shade than their backs but they are basically all one colour. Berkshire rats (Hh) have white paws, white makings on their undersides, and they usually have white tail tips. Hooded rats (hh) have a coloured head and shoulders and a coloured stripe or blotches down their spine but the rest of their body is white. If a self is breed to a self they should produce get 100% self babies. Similarly, two hooded rats together should produce a whole litter of hooded babies. Two berkshire parents however should produce 25% self, 25% hood, and 50% berkshire. Punnett squares for these three crosses look like this:
There are three other pairings possible: hooded and berkshire, hooded and self, and self and berkshire. A hooded rat paired with a berkshire should produce 50% berkshire and 50% hooded babies, a hood and a self should produce a full litter of berkshires, and a berkshire and a self should produce 50% self and 50% berkshire babies. The Punnett squares look like this:
It’s not really that simple, and more in depth research suggests that the genetics denoting markings are not as pure as as they would seem from the Punnett squares, but they serve as a good estimate for what will come out of a pairing.
