This article is from the WSSF 2009 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Carol Lawton

Amanda Brewer, Bloomingfield Rattery, CA, e-mail
Q I had a quick question about what Dumbo ears should look like. For show standards do you want paper plate ears with a furl on the top edge, or perfectly round and flat? Are there any picture examples of what a perfect Dumbo would look like?

A The current AFRMA standard for Dumbo ears reads “Dumbo rats to be shown in any recognized color, marking, or variety. The distinguishing feature being their low ear set. The ears are large and round, set low on the sides of the head. Head to form an equilateral triangle when viewed from above.”

While our standard may differ from that of other organizations, we feel that the round flat (saucer) ear is the most aesthetically pleasing and best compliments a well shaped head. While these ears are more difficult to achieve than tulip or tubular ears, we feel that it is worth the time and work it takes to produce this very attractive, well-balanced head/ear pairing.

In breeding Dumbos you will want to pay special attention to the head structure of the parents and avoid heads that are too long or narrow. Also, parents with a thicker ear structure will often produce babies with denser ears that are less prone to folds or wrinkles in their ears.

We have recently seen some very nice examples of proper ears on young Dumbos at our shows; we hope to be seeing much more of them in the future.