# harley coat rats! adorable! explody!



## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

omg has anyone else ever heard of a harley-coated rat?! i had not until just now and i thought i would share them with anyone else who has not heard of them.

http://www.skyclyde.com/HarleyII.html
this page has a billion adorable pictures of rats that look like they got stuck in an electrical socket and have had their fur poofed. they have practically exploded! oh man i am so excited for one, i may have to get one (previously i was on the hunt for a dumbo black self rex).


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## RambunctiousRatzSFL (Dec 11, 2007)

I think they are awesome. Hoping that someone will get a line going in my area.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

They're too cute!

OnlyOno- if you find one - sneak a second in your pocket for me! Lol


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## Sami (Dec 11, 2007)

....AWW!! The white ones look like what would happen if a Bichon and a rat had babies!

I want one. :')


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

Ration1802 said:


> They're too cute!
> 
> OnlyOno- if you find one - sneak a second in your pocket for me! Lol


ditto. 

i've actually heard of them before. and i think i heard that they weren't breeding them anymore too. though that may have been the tri-colored rats. in anycase, i wish they were up here too so i could have a couple. they are adorable


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

from what i can tell, they have only been a registered variety since like, 2005. i think there is a colorado breeder that breeds them near me, but she won't sell to me, so i'm gonna ask the other breeder cuz the two often work together.


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

yes, get me one aswell, or 5....

they look almost like long haired rexes


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## Macabri (Oct 8, 2007)

Are they related to the velveteen rats? I had an opportunity to get a velveteen baby or two, but got a couple of other cuties instead.


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## paperhearts (Dec 13, 2007)

I'm not sure if that particular breeder is still breeding or not, but there are several in CA that I know of that are. I am also planning to have some harley carries shipped to NJ this weekend and hope to establish them in this area.

They have had to be heavily inbred for many generations so far to establish the fur, but now breeders are trying to expand the gene pool.

I don't think the harley gene is believed to be related to velveteen although the first harleys were velveteen also. But after a couple of generations it was realized that it was a separate gene.


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## jellybeanqueen (Sep 6, 2007)

i heard of harleys a couple of months ago, and i think they're super adorable (they look like "teddy bear" rats!) <3
i doubt i'll be getting one anytime soon though..they're rare still. :wink:


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## RambunctiousRatzSFL (Dec 11, 2007)

I know of a person in Texas who has just started a line & I believe I heard of one person in Florida with them but I was never able to confirm that.

If you read the page they pretty much described what they have been doing to reproduce the harley coats. 

I read one time before that the original "Harley" was found in pet store.
( _We found Harley on Sept. 1, 2002. We were checking out an independent pet shop in town._ )


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## AlexzRose (Aug 15, 2007)

They are so cute!


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

well if its spreading throughout the US maybe it'll some up to canada soon. until then i don't know i would get one. i'd love to get a boy though and have him neutered to join the family. maybe when i'm ready to get more rats in a couple years the harley's will be in canada or at least close enough that i can get a train going.


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## Ratty1100 (Nov 17, 2007)

Harley is some kind of mutation of th velveteen gen if i remember correctly.

I want one...


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

Are they genetic nightmares?


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## Ratty1100 (Nov 17, 2007)

At the moment i havent heard of thm being weaker or with shorter lifespan so problably no.


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