# New surprise tomorrow!



## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

I probably should have waited to make a thread, but I'm just so excited! Someone had an "oops" litter, and I'm getting a surprise baby for free tomorrow. All I know is that it's a little boy, and he's five weeks old. I don't know what colour he is (he could be agouti, cream, white or a combination of two) or his personality, but I'm trusting that he won't be -too- beastly.

So I'll update this with pictures of the little nugget when I get him, but in the meantime, names? I like human names for my animals, but I only have so many at the top of my head.

For human names, I've had: William, Oliver, Charlie, DJ 
Now I have: Carmen and Russel


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

Okay so, his name is Kennedy and he's a wiggly little worm! Every sing picture is blurry because he's a little speed racer  he's so friendly though! He likes sleeping in my bra and nibbling on my fingernails.


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## tab (May 5, 2015)

Cute!!!! What a nice surprise


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

He's so cute. I'm glad you got a good one.


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

He's way friendlier than the big boys, and I just got him! I'm starting to think the boys weren't socialized enough as babies.. Even now they're skittish. 

I'm worried about him though.. He's high white.


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

How do you know he is high white?


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

His markings are.. I don't know how to describe it other than high white? He's split capped and his hood isn't attached to the cap. His jaw is white as well. It won't let me upload my picture for some reason, but I know he's high white. In the one that's already up you can just see the white on his head from the split.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

Remember just because he's a high white doesn't mean he will get megacolin. Crossing my fingers. And if he has it, it will show very fast usually.


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## tab (May 5, 2015)

I am really not understanding this High White thing? Sorry when I had rats years ago I'd never heard of it and now with my new guys, I've seen people talking about High White, can someone please explain it to me.


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## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

High White is a rat that has a high risk of developing Megacolon. Here is a link to some info on colorations of at risk rats:
http://www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/blog/?page_id=777


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

He's the only one out of the litter that's high white, so I'm hoping! But I'm scared of late onset.. From what I know he's the right size for 5 weeks, so he isn't failing to thrive so fingers crossed


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

These are his markings. Does anyone know what the separate back stripe is called? I've been calling it his cape lol


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## tab (May 5, 2015)

So how does mine look? Sorry not trying to invade your topic, just curious.

[/[URL=http://s1083.photobucket.com...-4EB8-9A5E-6A11E027C6B2_zpsv1u3lugs.jpg[/img]
URL]
[URL=http://s1083.photobucket.com/u...-47CE-933E-C489C23CDD2D_zpsxc3llfrs.jpg[/img][/URL]


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## tab (May 5, 2015)

One more of my Potter
[URL][/URL]


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

tab said:


> So how does mine look? Sorry not trying to invade your topic, just curious.


From my mish-mash knowlege of this subject, I'd say he's high white :/ 

The high whit gene is linked with megacolin (I can't spell sh) which causes the intestines to thicken, lose nerves and makes the poor rats unable to absorb nutrients or pass poo.

The gene for high white in rats causes white -spotting-. So a hooded rat, or a PEW aren't HW because one isn't white spotting, it's just delayed melanin (dark pigment) production in the fetus and the other is albino and can't produce melanin. But my boy is high white, so he's like a hooded rat with white spots/stripes covering up his hood. BEW are whatever marked rats covered up by such a big white spot that only the eyes keep pigment. That's what's dangerous.

For your bub, I'd say he's high white because of the spot on his cap marking. It's a spot of white, no matter how big or small, covering up a normal marking. So it's high white.

How I think of it is, all rats with pigment are Self, Berkshire-variant, hooded, capped or Siamese/Himalayan. Other kinds of rats are just those markings covered up with white spots AKA high white.

That's how I think of it. I don't know if that's 100% accurate, but to my understanding it is.

(I'm sorry if you already waded through hundreds of pages like I did, but I thought I'd put the laymans terms out there)


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

Both rats are capped which are not usually considered a dangerous marking. Capped isn't at all related to blazes (unless they have "split capped" which is a cap with a blaze like my girl Anya). Spots on the cap doesn't make any difference, as far as I know. Most capped have headspots, which is not a blaze or extra white spotting. Just a variation of the marking whereas white spotting is an addition, unrelated to the marking. That's just as I understand it, though.

EDIT: The website you linked to earlier refers to it as "notched capped."


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

FallDeere said:


> Both rats are capped which are not usually considered a dangerous marking. Capped isn't at all related to blazes (unless they have "split capped" which is a cap with a blaze like my girl Anya). Spots on the cap doesn't make any difference, as far as I know. Most capped have headspots, which is not a blaze or extra white spotting. Just a variation of the marking whereas white spotting is an addition, unrelated to the marking. That's just as I understand it, though.
> 
> EDIT: The website you linked to earlier refers to it as "notched capped."



I beg to differ, I have a notched capped and it looks very different. I'd post a comparison, but Carmen is a very light beige so it'd be hard to see. Heads spots of any kind are irregular, based on what I've read. Being capped makes no difference. Common doesn't mean not dangerous.. 

Dear god if I'm spreading misinformation someone please stop me with a source.

Kennedy isn't capped, as he has a large black stripe going down his back and caps are lacking that like Potter and Carmen.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

The stripe on the back is odd, but many cappeds have spotting on their back, so it seems yours just ended up with quite a lot. It IS capped from what I can see. Capped seems to be a variation of hooded (related genetically), which I think is why spotting on the back is common. I had capped with quite a lot on two occasions. They were indeed capped, though. I would like to see the rat you are calling a notched capped as the rat you pictured looks like a perfect example of a capped (aside from the strange back stripe). It has the headspot and the white chin. Unless you think it it banded, an at risk marking, I strongly feel it is capped, as is the other rat in this thread.

Headspots I believe CAN be an extra white marking, but capped and variegateds have it naturally. If they didn't, rats in the same litter as those would have headspots as well, even if they weren't capped or variegated or any other marking that has headspots.

I have found plenty of websites that never mention capped as a high risk marking, but since you don't think your rat is capped, I suppose that doesn't help. Do you have a source about the headspots? I would be curious to read it. I've never personally seen rats in North America with headspots unrelated to their main marking. I've only seen it in a virtual rat breeding game based on Australian genetics, which vary greatly from the rats in North America and don't have Mega Colon at all, as far as I know.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

I found some interesting information... There is a marking called "capped striped" which I believe yours is. It is yet another variation of the gene that causes hooded and it makes them a combination of capped and hooded. However, many of these seem to have blazes, but yours does not so it is hard for me to say whether or not the marking alone is high risk since it usually seems combined with a definite high risk marking. I found too many websites to link to for that info, but google "capped striped rat" and you can see some articles about them.

What markings were his siblings?


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

I'll see if I can get a picture of him for you. I've gotta go dig through my history to find the source, I believe a read it somewhere that listed stuff on genetic MC. If I can't find it, then I'm very wrong and I'm so sorry, I've obviously been reading too much at once.

I have no idea what the litter mates* or parents look like..mhes the only one from the litter I've seen, he was given to me for free on his own. Looking at him I have a feeling he's high white but that's just my gut.


*edited for spelling


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

So I talked to my boyfriend, who also read the article (since I can't find it >:T) and he says its IRREGULAR head spotting. I'm such an idiot. How my brain translates that to just head spotting... So a little neat white spot in the middle of the forehead is fine, a big crooked line/spot isn't.

I'm so sorry! I got all confused and I should've read more carefully. Since Kennedy's stripe isn't straight I'm still gonna go with my gut here, but Potter should be fine. Ugh my posting license should be revoked.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

Only show bred rats tend to have neat headspots. I wouldn't call his anything other than a wonky notch in his cap, personally. Again, though, I think he is a capped striped so I don't know what the rules of that marking would be.

Sorry if I've come across as rude or anything. I just didn't want anyone fearing for their rats' life if they don't have to be.

In any case, I think the signs of megacolon would have shown by now and I THINK I read that late onset could happen to any rat, regardless of marking and risk (could be wrong; can't look it up as I'm on my phone) so chances are, you're safe.


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

In no way we're you rude! I was wrong, and I'm glad you set me straight before I gave some poor rat parent a heart attack. I'm just a dunderhead sometimes, it's nice to be politely corrected and not just crash and burn.


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

In what I read (here I go again) there's genetic megacolon (yay I spelled) and non genetic. Late onset is late genetic, non genetic can happen whenever to whoever.


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## tab (May 5, 2015)

I appreciate all the info. I'd never heard of this. So I now am educated for future rats. Thanks for all your help to everyone on this thread, and no your license shouldn't be revoked I really learned a lot!!! Keep the pics coming of your new guy he's too cute


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