# What are my rats colors/types called?



## Sowa (Jan 24, 2015)

Can anyone help me out with what type/colors my ratties are?

Would this one be considered hairless even though he has some fuzz?









Wondering if this one would be a Siamese rex maybe? Her coat is pretty short. She also has like a brownish tint on her back.


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## BearNecessities (Dec 6, 2016)

They are double rex, also known as patchwork rats. Both parents of these babies would have been rex, breeding those together produces what you've got - which is double rex. The second one is Siamese, yes. The first looks to either be agouti or chocolate. It's hard to tell with such limited fur.


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## Coffeebean (Jan 6, 2017)

True hairless rats are pretty rare, they have no whiskers or anything- completely nude. They are also missing their thymus gland and so have weakened immune systems and consequently tend towards shorter lives. Quite different from sweet double rex rats like yours. So even an extremely nakey double rex won't ever be considered a true hairless, very different thing.


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## Asteria (Jul 6, 2016)

> They are double rex, also known as patchwork rats.


Patchwork and double rex are different varieties, patchworks are a combination of rex and sometimes silk with a genetic modifier (if they didn't have a modifer, they would be a double rex). They both loose hair in different patterns


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

Coffeebean said:


> True hairless rats are pretty rare, they have no whiskers or anything- completely nude. They are also missing their thymus gland and so have weakened immune systems and consequently tend towards shorter lives. Quite different from sweet double rex rats like yours. So even an extremely nakey double rex won't ever be considered a true hairless, very different thing.


That is not actually true.

Hairless (not drex) can have fuzz & whiskers. 
There are many breeders who breed actual hairless.

It is about genetics. Hairless is recessive while Rex/Drex is dominant. 


I don't work with hairless or drex because I like fluffy lol 
But I just asked another breeder and they said that the health stuff probably only relates to lab strains not most lines as well.


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Don't worry too much about health. Just remember they need a little extra warmth, a little extra food, and a little extra protein (not too much extra!). Might want to be prepared for abscesses as my last hairless had a major issue with them.


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