# Second opinion of the colorations/markings of these two rats. (Picture heavy)



## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

This is Raimei. I believe she's a black variberk dumbo rat? Am I correct? And she has a tiny white spot on her head, but is it large enough to be considered a headspot?

















This is Raiko. I believe he's a Russian silver variegated rat with a headspot.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

51 views, but no replies at all. :/ Guess I'll just go with what I think they are.


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

I don't know enough about colors to say, but I do know the little headspots are called stars, I'm pretty sure.  They're adorable, though!  I love rats at that stage. x3


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Yep you are correct. any amount of white on the forehead counts as a head spot, or stars as almost everyone calls them.

Raimei is a black, but looks like she carries the blue gene so is ligther. Its very common in black rats where if they carry a gene they can molt into that color. It can be annoying sometimes cause they will be born pure black but their adult coats can be blue hinged or even full blue. Its kind of like rusting, just genetic based.

Raiko looks like more like a blue or russian dove (Dove) then a russian silver. Russian silvers are more like, well, Silverish grey. He looks more dark grey/blue. Can you get a picture of him maybe in natural light? like a window? that might help, but he doesn't look Russian silver to be all that honest in the pictures.

They are very cute. If you wanted to go more in depth Raimei is a Varibrek (Varigated Berkshrie) which basically means that she is an under marked (not enough white) Varigated. My rat Storm is a Black variberk with a head, he's also a dumbo satin.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Thank you. 
I'll try to get a better picture of Raiko. I have horrible lighting in my apartment :s 

I thought Russian silver because I was comparing to this picture, and it said the one in the center was Russian silver.








After looking at pictures online, he is more bluegray than other Russian silver pictures.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I would say he was probably a light russian blue (so not as dark as the standard calls for but still genetically Rb), if it's any help here's a picture of two of mine who were definitly Rb but a very similar colour (they weren't to the UK show standard at all, should have been much darker). Silver has a more translucent quality, hard to describe actually but easier to see in adult rats, often there undercoat is a little paler (like american or british blue)


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## VampireSmeezeGirls (Oct 7, 2012)

I'd say the second is a hooded more than veriberk.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

It's a varigated, which some will called varigated hoodeds (even though that is typically used for hoodeds who have spots) the main difference is that variagated will have silvering on their saddle (the stripe down their back, which is typically dots) and often have a head spot or blaze (recessive blaze).

To see if he is a russian blue look for heathering. The Russian Blue gene causes the hair to slowly fade to a white/silver (its different front ticking which is bands). if he doesn't have heathering he is a blue.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

I wasn't saying the second was a variberk. I was saying the first was a variberk; the black and white one.

How do I tell if he has heathering?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

With heathering their fur will slowly fade to white or silver. I'll see if I can find a picture of Soda where it shows really good, he's a Russian beige so its kind of harder to see on him though, plus he never wants to sit still. I'll see if I can find a good one. if you look on Russian Blue and Russian Silvers you'll notice that in some spots they'll have lighters areas of fur, like on the eye brows or nose/muzzle. That's typically from Heathering.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Not sure if this will hep with your heathering question, this is a picture of Luke, a Russian Blue (admittedly he's quite silvered, despite the NFRS not recognising silvered russian blues lol). You can see how his colour sometimes looks flecked, thats heathering, it's also quite solid, rather than slightly translucent like some Blues can be


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