This article is from the WSSF 2015 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Karen Robbins

We have added some new notes to our Facebook page to help in identifying colors in rats and the differences between similar colors.

ID Colors: Agouti, Cinnamon, Blue Agouti, Russian Blue Agouti, Russian Cinnamon Agouti looks black/red where Cinnamon looks brown. Blue Agouti is a pastel color compared to Russian Blue Agouti which looks like a washed out Agouti (instead of red color it is brown with blue ticking). Russian Cinnamon looks like a milky-caramel color and is a diluted Cinnamon. [note now on the web site, 5-27-21]

ID Rat Colors: Lilac, Mink, Silver Lilac, Silver Mink, Pearl Lilac and Mink can look the same and will make other colors the same way (i.e. Agouti + Lilac/Mink = Cinnamon) but are not the same gene. Silver Lilac and Silver Mink can look the same but the Silver Minks don’t normally keep the silvering into adulthood whereas Silver Lilacs do. Pearl have the lighter undercolor with dark tips where Silver Mink/Lilac don’t have this lighter undercolor. [note now on the web site, 6-7-21]

We also have other comparison pics for both rats and mice on our Facebook page in the photo albums: (also on the web site)

• Cinnamon vs. Russian Cinnamon
• Agouti, Cinnamon, Cinnamon Pearl
• Russian Blue vs. Russian Blue Agouti
• Russian Cinnamon vs. Russian Blue Agouti vs. Russian Blue Rats
• Siamese Rat Colors Comparisons between Himalayan (Himi), Seal Point Siamese, Russian Blue Point Siamese, Blue Point Siamese rats.
• Satin vs. Standard Marked Rats
• KK Agouti, Cinnamon, Cinnamon Pearl Rats (2147) Comparing Agouti to Cinnamon to Cinnamon Pearl [24-day-old kittens]. Agouti looks black, Cinnamon looks brown, Cinnamon Pearl looks like a faintly orange Pearl.
• KK Mink, Silver Mink, and Pearl Rats (2142) Comparing Mink to Silver Mink and Pearl.
• Rat Belly Colors Shows the differences between agouti-based colors and black-based colors in the belly color.
• Mink & Pearl Rex Rats Mink and Pearl Rex rats at 26 days and again at 5 weeks.
• Seal Point Siamese vs. Blue Point Siamese Mice
• Rat Whiskers Comparing Standard, Satin, and Rex baby rat whiskers.
• KK Splashed Mice Various colors of Splashed mice.
• KK Pearl Mice Pearl (different shades) and Silver Dove mice.
• KK Silvered mice Silver Chocolate, Silver Black, and Silver Dove mice.
• KK Mice Champagne, Blue Point and Seal Point Siamese mice.
• KK English Rats Cinnamon, Cinnamon Pearl, Mink, Pearl at different ages, along with Cinnamon Pearl vs. Russian Cinnamon Pearl.
• KK Rats (2102) Black and Agouti rats.
• KK Dalmatian Rats (2101) A litter of Dalmatian and P.E White rats.

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