# Agouti or Variegated Berkshire?



## rattikins (Jun 12, 2007)

Hey, what's the difference between an Agouti and a Variegated Berkshire?

I tried to determine which of these my rat is, but she seems to qualify for both. Perhaps they are the same thing??

Anyone know?


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

As far as I know, agouti is a color, where berkshire and variegated berkshire are markings. So an agouti colored rat with a white tummy (I don't know exactly what variberk is off the top of my head, is that where the white extends up the sides a bit?) would be an agouti berkshire, or agouti variegated berkshire..


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

Yes agouti is a color. It is also called wild type. I don't remember the pattern but each single hair has 3 colors on it. It is the same color as a Noway rat.


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## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

Agouti is black brown and grey on one hair strand and variberk is where the white kind of fades into the sides. If you look at my post on meet my rat that has the link to my pictures you will see that Jackson is an sagouti and Bill is a vari berk. I still need to get bill's pictures up there but keep checking back LoL.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

The first rat in my sig is agouti, the last two are black variberks.

A rat can be an agouti variberk.


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## rattikins (Jun 12, 2007)

Well then I'm thinking that one of my girls is a variberk and the other is a berkshire. 

I would call her a "self" but her tummy has a faint white color to it that does not extend up the sides at all. That's a berkshire right?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

If it's a kind of silvery grayish white she's probably actually a self... agouti rats have pale tummies.

But if it is white and doesn't go up the sides, yes, that's berkshire.


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## rattikins (Jun 12, 2007)

I don't think that either of them are agouti at all. They both look kind of mocha brown in color. And the tummy is kind of silvery, so perhaps she is a self.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Something like a mink or cocoa then?

Do you have pics around for us to look at?


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## rattikins (Jun 12, 2007)

Here, this link has two pictures. One to show their color and one of my (presumed) varigated girl. 

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1984/highlight=dumbo.html


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

FreedomDove said:


> Yes agouti is a color. It is also called wild type. I don't remember the pattern but each single hair has 3 colors on it. It is the same color as a Noway rat.


Just to nitpick - All pet/domesticated rats *are* "Norway rats", aka Rattus norvegicus (Brown Rat), unless they are Black Rats (Rattus rattus), but they are VERY rarely kept as pets.

I had to clarify that.  I think you meant that wild Rattus norvegicus are agouti, but I wanted to make that more clear to newbies to the rat world.


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## rattikins (Jun 12, 2007)

Why are black rats rarely kept as pets? I would love to have a rat that was all black!


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

There are all-black Rattus norvegicus (black self)! But the Rattus rattus, I'm not sure... Something to Google.  I wonder if it has something to do with temperament? I haven't the slightest idea.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

A quick search told me nothing about why they're rarely kept as pets. I have to go pick up a spay from the vet, or I'd look more.


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

I have several self black satin dumbos, black english/irish satin dumbos. and both of the above in rex. The satin self blacks are beautiful. So shiney. I love the self blacks. They behave the same as my others.


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

Yes I know that all domestic rats are Norways. But all wild Norways are agouti.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

I was refering to a different rat species... Rattus rattus, Black Rat, sometimes known as the "Ship Rat"...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rat

Not to be confused with the Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus (Norway Rat)... 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Rat

Which is what you're referring to with your black selfs. 

Yes, I know you know that. I was clarifying for those who don't know.


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

My black selfs are just black Norways. The black roof rats are pretty willey. And not as big. I am going to start taking pics of each rat to keep in it's file. I think that dumbo satin selfs might be my fav. Especially the different shades of blues.


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## rattikins (Jun 12, 2007)

So yeah, what would you call their color?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

FreedomDove said:


> I have several self black satin dumbos, black english/irish satin dumbos. and both of the above in rex. The satin self blacks are beautiful. So shiney. I love the self blacks. They behave the same as my others.


The black rats we get are all of the same type, its just a colour so they will always act like domestic rats. 

Btw Satins are not shiny like you think. they have longer sparser coats and almost look greasy. I have a friend who breeds them.

This boy was bred by NeoRats out of TEK stock.










Here is a link explaining Satin coats to the uninitiated.

http://www.ratregistry.org/satin.htm


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

My guess Rattikins is a variation on mink


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

The rex pup on that link looks more like a velveteen. Some of my blacks are satin or shiny. I have a few satin blues. What is is called when a blue rex has a darker hue? Is it a standard coat when there is long silver hairs mixed in?
Do you have a website that is the most accuarate with vaireties and picstures not just discriptions? I have several websites but they all say something a little different.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

FreedomDove said:


> The rex pup on that link looks more like a velveteen. Some of my blacks are satin or shiny. I have a few satin blues. What is is called when a blue rex has a darker hue? Is it a standard coat when there is long silver hairs mixed in?
> Do you have a website that is the most accuarate with vaireties and picstures not just discriptions? I have several websites but they all say something a little different.


Rex can be velveteen (a poor rex). 

When white hairs are interspersed with a solid coat its called Silvering.
Here my neutered black berk Bear will model the silvered black coat









Blues come in a wide variety of types, from powder blues, american blues, blue agoutis, and one of my fav's russian blue. I have a lovely russian blue hooded boy who is much loved by a whole rat community.










This is one I have found handy
http://www.spoiledratten.com/varieties.html

Markings
http://www.geocities.com/phoenixashesrattery/markings.htm

And my favourite but not complete 
http://www.hawthorn.org.uk/varieties.asp


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

Thank you so much for the sites. This is Fox. I had alwys called him a blue agouti just cuz thats what he looks like. Does he look like that to you? He is the only one that has ever come out in my colony. He reminds me of a hooded grey fox. I am going to take pics of everyone of my rats so I can show you guys.


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## FreedomDove (Aug 16, 2007)

Some of my blacks look like yours but with a longer coat.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

You need to start your own thread about your rats (this is hijacking a thread)
and you need to take much better pics, those are washed out, for all I know that Fox is a pearl merle.

This is a show standard blue agouti (just remember its all about the 3 band ticking on the hair shaft)
http://www.rmca.org/Standard/Rat/images/archie.jpg

http://www.pxrats.com/genetics.html

[/end of hijack] Sorry!!


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