# The tip of my rat's tail looks different, why?



## Tibbs87 (Dec 25, 2011)

Howdy - I noticed that the tips of my rats tails look bare/different from the rest of the tail. Could this be because they're growing, so their tails are growing as well?


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Photo? If it's stumpy and bald, it might be de-gloved. Nothing to worry about.


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## HighwayStar (Aug 20, 2010)

Do you mean like the rest of their tail is brown but the last half inch or so is white? My girl has a tail like that.


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## Tibbs87 (Dec 25, 2011)

HighwayStar said:


> Do you mean like the rest of their tail is brown but the last half inch or so is white? My girl has a tail like that.


 Yes - that's exactly what it is. But I've noticed it more with my two boys lately, almost like their tails are growing and the tip is a different color for awhile because of that?


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

If they have white on their tummies, they are berkshires, which normally have white tail tips too.


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## binkyhoo (Sep 28, 2008)

Jaguar said:


> If they have white on their tummies, they are berkshires, which normally have white tail tips too.


It might just be pigmentation. I love a tippy tail. cuteness, specially on a black rat.


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## Tibbs87 (Dec 25, 2011)

binkyhoo said:


> It might just be pigmentation. I love a tippy tail. cuteness, specially on a black rat.


 Oh, ok. It seems like the tip of the tail gets a little more pink every day, almost like it's growing. I'm guessing maybe that's what's going on, and when fully grown, the tail just has a small white tip on the end.


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## HighwayStar (Aug 20, 2010)

Like Jaguar said, my berkshire girl has the white tip. But my hooded and self don't.


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## CarolineRose (Nov 18, 2011)

Many berkshires (as Gus and Bernie appear to be) have white tips on the tail. A half white tail is generally what they look for in show rats.
From my experience the tail keeps growing until the rat is fully mature (5-7 months from what I know) and the colors should balance out once they stop growing.

Degloving makes the tip of the tail misshapen and is very recognizable so I wouldn't worry about that.


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