Markings

Coat Markings

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Badger

NFRS Standards, 2009: (previously blazed Berkshire) (shown in AOV Marked) As much of the underside of the rat as possible to be white, including belly, chest, throat and underside of the legs, the white not to extend up the sides of the body. Back feet to be white to the ankle, forelegs to be white to the elbow. Tail to be white to half its length. The body colour shall conform to a recognised colour variety. The white area shall be pure and devoid of any colour or staining. The defining feature of this variety is the blaze. This is to be a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Markings not to extend onto the cheeks or the eyes.
Genetics: many possible

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Baldie (Essex Capped)

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in New Varieties) The top of the head with the exception of the nose tip and the pattern to be coloured with the colour to extend a short way behind the ears. The rest of the rat to be white. Nose tip to be white, white triangle between the eyes pointing rearwards and with a white line running from the point of the triangle to the white on the nape of the neck. As with the related Essex variety, colour paling is normal for this variety and not a fault.
Genetics: Essex gene combined with h. H^ro

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Bareback

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in New Varieties) The hood shall be unbroken, covering the head, throat, chest and shoulders, except in the case of light coloured bareback varieties where a pale coloured throat is permissible. The remainder of the body to be white. The edges of the hood shall be clear cut and devoid of brindling. The white area shall be pure and devoid of any yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: hhHm^s

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Berkshire

NFRS Standards, 2009: To be symmetrically marked, with as much white on the chest and belly as possible. The white shall not extend up the sides of the body, the edges shall be clear cut and devoid of brindling. Back feet to be white to the ankle, forelegs to be white to half the leg. Tail to be white to half its length. The body colour shall conform to the recognised colour variety. The white area shall be pure and devoid of any colour or staining. A white spot on the forehead is desirable.
Genetics: Hh or Hh^e + other marked genes

Krindle and Dandelion, Black Capped and Agouti Capped

Capped

NFRS Standards, 2009: The colour not to extend past the ears and to follow the line of the lower jaw bone, it should not extend under the chin. A white blaze or spot on the face, and the rest of the body white. Colour to conform to a recognised colour variety. White area should be pure and devoid of yellowish tinge and staining.
Genetics: h^eh^e possibly hh^ehm^s

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Chinchilla

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in AOV Marked) Top colour grey, caused by the intermingling of black guard hairs over a pearl white ground. The whole to give a sparkling appearance. Undercolour dark slate blue, intermediate portion pearl, tips black. All the underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top colour and belly. Head markings may be present or absent. Where present either a blaze or a spot to be acceptable. The standard for both is as follows:
Head spot: Head spots to be centrally placed on the rat's forehead and no bigger than the rat's eye.
Blaze: This is to be a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and to taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Markings not to extend onto the cheeks or the eyes.
Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet white to the ankle (hock or tarsal bone). Tails to be pied.
Faults: drags, yellow or brown tinge to the top colour, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or over large head spots.
Genetics: Not known but probably caused by the interaction of at least two marked genes, at least one of which is a lethal dominant.

Brandywine Kitinen, Agouti Essex Rat

Essex

The present day Essex gene was discovered in a pet shop in 1996, the rats being called 'Roberts' after the first rat bred for this marking. It is now known by the name of the county in which it appeared. The gene sits on the hooded locus, so is known as Hro. It is thought to be a lethal homozygous dominant gene, which means that all surviving Essex rats are heterozygous, Hro/H, with homozygous Essex kittens not surviving.

In plain English this means that any rat with the Essex gene (and no other marked gene to complicate things) will be Essex. Essex rats all have one copy of the gene for Essex gene and one copy of the non-Essex gene, because any that had two Essex genes would never be born. Essex litters are always expected to give a mixture of Essex and non-Essex rats.

References

Pro-rata (NFRS club magazine) issue 99, May/June 1997 - The Robert gene, by Sheila Sowter
Pro-rata (NFRS club magazine) issue 117, May/June 2000 - Essex rats, by Joanna Holmes and Anne Foster
Rat-A-2-E (MRC club magazine) issue 30, Feb/Mar 2006 - The Varieties, by Graham Mobbs
Joanna's World

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in own class) To be recognised in any standard colour, remembering that the effect of the gene responsible is to lighten the top colour. The darkest area is along the spine, becoming less intense down the sides of the animal. The gradual fading of colour continues onto the belly which is off white, with no spotting of darker colour. When viewed from above, the fading effect should be symmetrical, having no clear demarcation. The fading effect also to be seen on the legs so that the feet are also off white. There should be no obvious patches of contrasting colour. Pied tails not to be penalised. A head spot or blaze is essential; this must be well defined, centrally placed on the forehead and symmetrical. (Note - from Jan 2008, Blazed Essex is shown in the Essex Class.)
Genetics: Unproven lethal dominant gene on H locus tentatively named H^ro *

Brandywine Sherbourne, Blazed Agouti Essex Rat

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Hooded

NFRS Standards, 2009: The hood shall be unbroken, covering the head, throat, chest and shoulders, except in the case of light coloured hooded varieties where a pale coloured throat and chest is permissible. The hood shall be continuous with the saddle spinal stripe which should extend down the spine to the tail, with as much of the tail as possible being coloured. The saddle width shall be a quarter to half an inch in length (nearer one quarter) - it must be as even as possible and unbroken. The edges of the hood and saddle shall be clear cut and devoid of brindling. The white area shall be pure and devoid of any yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: hh or hm^l

Beige Hooded Downunder bred by 6th Happiness Rattery

Hooded Downunder

The downunder is so called for two reasons, for having a stripe along the belly and because the variety originated in Australia.

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in New Varieties)
The hood: The hood should be unbroken and clean cut covering the head, throat, chest and shoulders except in the case of light coloured rats where a pale throat is normal. The hood shall be continuous with the saddle, extending down the spine to the tail with as much of the tail coloured as possible.
The saddle: The saddle width shall be 2 - 3.5 cm in the adult (proportionately smaller in the kitten) , as even as possible and unbroken.
Under: the belly stripe should be 2 -3.5 cm wide and unbroken (proportionately smaller in the kitten). Side areas should be devoid of spotting.
Colour: Colour to conform to a recognised colour variety. The white areas shall be devoid of a yellowish tinge or staining.

Genetics: Unproven marked gene, possibly on H or a recessive to it. In this case combined with hooded.

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Irish

NFRS Standards, 2009: White equilateral triangle on chest with front feet white and back feet white to half their length. The triangle to be of good size, clear cut and devoid of brindling, not to extend in a streak down the belly but to occupy all the space between the front legs. The body colour shall conform to a recognised colour variety.
Genetics: Hh or Hhⁱ + other marked genes

The 'real' Irish

Merle

Merle

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in New Varieties) Merle rats may be shown in pearl and cinnamon pearl. The unique feature is a pattern of dark splash-spots distributed evenly throughout the entire lighter background colour so as to resemble a merle dog. The markings should be numerous and distinct. Eye colour black.
Genetics: Pearl or cinnamon pearl rats with patchy expression of the pearl gene.

Roan

Roan (Husky)

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in AOV Marked) A strikingly marked bi-colour variety, with roan colouration, symmetry and contrast being important impressions. Clearly distinct from existing marked varieties. Roans are born solid coloured, but from the age of about 4-6 weeks they start to exhibit roaning.
This is a steady increase in the amount of white hairs intermingled with the solid colour, starting with the face, sides and tail root on the juvenile, then working its way up to the nape of the neck with the moult. With each moult the rat becomes progressively lighter, the final effect not really complete until the rat is well into adulthood. The roan effect is most pronounced on the face, around the rump and the sides.
Pattern: The Roan shall have as symmetrical markings as possible. The underside should be completely white.
Head: A wide inverted V shaped blaze, including the whisker bed, coming as close to the eyes as possible without touching the eyes, and coning to a point between the ears. Jaw line and underside of the head must be white. Eye colour to conform to base colour standard.
Body: From the head, the colour runs back covering the ears and continues along the body extending down the sides. Belly to be white.
Tail: Unmarked tail preferred.
Faults: White spots in coloured fur/ coloured spots in white fur. Brindled demarcation line. Lack of white on face and head or a completely white face or head.
Genetics: Due to an unproven recessive gene not on the H locus with the amount of colour controlled by modifiers.

Squirrel

NFRS Standards, 2009: Top colour silver blue, caused by the intermingling of blue guard hairs over a pearl white ground. Undercolour slate blue, intermediate portion pearl, tips blue. Underside to be white with a clear demarcation between top colour and belly. Head markings may be present or absent. Where present, either a blaze or a head spot to be acceptable. Blazes to conform to the standard for a blaze, head spots to be centrally placed and not to be larger than the rat's eye. Forelegs to be white to half their length, back feet white to ankle (hock). Tails are pied.
Faults: drags, yellow or brown tinge to the top colour, skewed or misshapen blazes, uneven or overlarge head spots.
Genetics: Chinchillated blue agouti.

Silvered

Silvered

NFRS Standards, 2009: To be of a recognised coat colour, the coat containing equal numbers of silver and non-silver guard hairs. Each silver hair to have as much of its length white as possible. A coloured tip to be allowed. Silvering to give an overall sparkling appearance. It should not be possible to confuse a Silver with a Pearl or a Self. Foot colour to match top. Belly colour on silvered agoutis or cinnamons to be adjusted as per agouti and cinnamon standards. Belly colour on other silvered varieties to match top.
Genetics: This is not due to a silvering gene but selection for white hairs.

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Spotted Downunder

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in New Varieties) The head: The colour not to extend past the ears and to follow the line of the lower jawbone. It should not extend under the chin. A white blaze or spot is highly desirable.
The body: The body should be broken marked, giving the effect of spotting over the back and belly. Side spots are desirable.
Colour: Colour to conform to a recognised colour variety. The white areas shall be devoid of a yellowish tinge or staining.
Genetics: See Hooded downunder.

Valhalla Wolfie, Striped Roan

Striped Roan (Banded Husky)

NFRS Standards, 2009: (shown in AOV Marked) A strikingly marked bi-colour variety with roan colouration, symmetry and contrast being important impressions. Clearly distinct from existing marked varieties.
Pattern:' The striped Roan shall have as symmetrical markings as possible. The chest, belly, sides and all the legs to be completely white.
Head: A wide inverted V shaped blaze including the whisker bed, coming as close to the eyes as possible without touching the eyes, and coming to a point between the ears. Jaw line and underside of the head must be white. Eye colour to conform to the standard for the base colour.
Body: From the head, the colour runs back covering the ears and continues along the body with no suggestion of a hood, in an unbroken horizontal stripe, symmetrical and as straight as possible. The stripe to be approximately 5cm wide. Demarcation shall be as clear cut and even as possible.
Tail: Unmarked preferred.
Faults: White spots in coloured fur/coloured spots in white fur. Brindled demarcation line, demarcation line too low. Lack of white on face or a completely white face. Stripe too narrow or broken, any suggestions of a hood.
Genetics: Due to an unproven recessive gene not on the H locus with the amount of colour controlled by modifiers.

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Turpin (shown in New Varieties)

NFRS Standards, 2009: Marked rat with colour confined to defined areas of the face and a wide band of colour sprinkled in a wide band down the back. Face (similar to the roan) - two triangles of colour from the ears to points at the eyes. Triangles to meet between the ears. This colour and the colour along the back to be mixed with white to give the appearance of the colour being lightly sprinkled onto the white background. The colour on the back to be present in a wide band.
Genetics: Chinchillated ?

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Variegated

NFRS Standards, 2009: The head and shoulders to be of a distinct colour with a white spot or blaze on the forehead. Where a spot is present this should be centrally placed on the forehead, round or oval in shape and no bigger than the rat's eye. Blazes are a wedge shaped symmetrical blaze of white starting at the nose and extending up the face to the forehead. The blaze to cover the whisker bed and taper to a fine point midway between the eyes and the ears. Markings not to extend onto the cheeks or the eyes. The rest of the upper portion (back, sides and tail) of the rat's body to be white, evenly marked with patches and flecks of distinct colour, the colour to conform to a recognised colour variety. Underside (including belly, chest and throat) to be white, devoid of creamy tinge or staining.
Genetics: hh^e or h^eh^e