# What Color Am I???



## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

Well, the title is self explanatory.


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## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

I am thinking blue self, but I have been wrong about this type of thing before LOL. I always had pet rats, but they were the general pet store variety from the feeder section. Now that I am getting into breeding seriously I have learned a tremendous amount about the different colors, coat types, ears, tails, and the like.


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## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

The mother was a black self and the father was a siamese dumbo. 

I was trying to strengthen the siamese markings and I ended up with a bunch of blue babies LOL.

I also ended up with some interesting little champagne guys too.

I tried to find some good blue stock in my neck of the woods to start a blue dumbo project and I couldn't find any. Then I bred my second best dumbo male to my black self female and got my own blues that are het for dumbo.

I guess that sometimes things just work out.


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## Nekopan (Mar 18, 2010)

Looks like a Russian Blue to me, but it's hard to tell with the light.

Here is a good site for figuring out genetics. I love genetics, might get into breeding rats one day because it seems so interesting.


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## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

I have been reading everything that I can get my hands on about rat genetics.

For a long time I just picked the healthiest breeding stock that I could, meaning well formed, long lived, non chewing, non biting, good mothering rats. This was the foundation for all of the rats that I bred.

Now that I have started breeding dumbo rats I have been intrigued to see what types of colors I can produce. Eventually I will get everything right LOL. Until then, I will still have my healthy, well mannered, well formed rats.

As I am making the transition to focus exclusively on dumbos I have picked up a lot of good animals to add to my gene pool. I have added the blue gene, the tailless gene, the rex gene and a few other things that I haven't identified yet.

My long term goal at the moment is a Siamese, blue point, tailless, rex dumbo. It stinks that when you get a GREAT rat you only have them for a few generations of offspring.


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## ZoeHale (Jan 9, 2010)

Please, don't breed Manx (tailless) rats. Rats "sweat" out their tails, so a tailless rat would have alot of health problems and wouldn't be able to regulate their body temps as well.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Many tailless rats have problems birthing because of spine compression and deformation and you'll end up with disaster (likely lose the mom and all the pups) if the mom is not properly checked and xrayed to make sure she is suitable to give birth. As Zoe said they are also very prone to overheating, poor balance, spine problems and paralysis, among other things. If you're just starting, please don't breed tailless rats. The pros don't outweigh the cons.


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## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

Could a moderator please delete this thread?

I just got here LOL. I don't want the bashing party to start already LOL.

This thread can only go down from here.


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## Nekopan (Mar 18, 2010)

What? I don't see any bashing here - just a couple people explaining the dangers of tailless rats. 

I have to say a dumbo rex tailless blue point Siamese is _very_ specific, lol.


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## xxchelle (Aug 1, 2009)

No bashing, just explaining. You admitted yourself that you're "new" to genetics, etc. So maybe you don't know the dangers of tailless rats, so people are simply explaining that they can be born with exposed spines, underdeveloped anuses, they can have trouble walking, keeping balance, regulating temperature, etc. and that it's really not humane to breed them with so many probable issues. These forums aim to educate, so we are simply trying to educate.


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## oatsnyogurt (Apr 5, 2010)

Looks like a mink to me. But then again I'm not an expert ???


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## ratastic (Jul 1, 2007)

That second pic is so adorable!!


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## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

You don't have to worry about careless errors in my breeding program. Abnormalities occur. That is a certainty, but I am taking every possible precaution to prevent them.


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## TomsDumbos (Apr 13, 2010)

Ratastic said:


> That second pic is so adorable!!


Thanks! It took me a good while to get him to pose for that shot. Taking belly shots by yourself is never easy. Especially when they are that age they never want to hold still.


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