Rat Colors
Basic Information, and Photos of Rat Colors
By Emily of EaglesEye Rattery

Rat Colors can come in any marking, and can be affected by genes carried, and the enviroment. The base colors of rats are black, and agouti (wild rat color).

Agouti: AKA Wild Rat Color
A brown color.  The color of wild Norway rats.  Agoutis have many hair colors mixed in to their fur (Called 'banded') including reddish browns, light tans, cream, black.  Agoutis range from deep dark red to light rusted colors and any shades in-between.  Agoutis have a light colored underbelly,  Usually yellow or creamish.

Black:
Preferably a deep black with no rusting, but rusting (Brown spots, or a complete change to brown) usually occurs as the rat matures.

Beige:
A warm beige color. Beige rats are black, with their color diluted by the red eye dilute (RED) gene.

Champagne:
The pink eyed dilute (PED) version of black. A light "pinkish" color, with pink eyes.

Fawn:
A orange color with slight ticking.  Fawn are agoutis whose color is changed by red eye dilute (RED) gene.

Amber:
The pink eyed dilute (PED) version of agouti. A light fawn/orange with pink eyes.

3GR Otto
Bred by 3 Girls Rattery in Washington

Black Eyed White:
A white rat with black eyes.  Some BEW's have a few stray spots but by many people these are called 'Dalmatians'. BEW's are typically a marking gene rather than a 'color'.

Pink Eyed White:
An all white rat with pink eyes.  Can be genetically albino, a multiple color dilute (Such as mink, plus blue, plus PED) or pink eyed "black eyed white" marked rat.

Slate blue:
AKA American Blue, Aussie Blue, Sky Blue, Powder Blue.
This color comes in many shades but can be best explained as the color of the sky on a clear day.  Can have black or red eyes.

Blue Agouti:
AKA Opal, Slate Blue Agouti
Rat is blue with agouti banding.  (Different browns, reds, grays etc mixed in)

Silver:
Silver rats may appear to be white until you see a silvery blue tint in their fur. A pink eye diluted blue, silver rats have pink eyes.

Platinum:
There are two types of 'Platinum' rats. Mink based (Slate Blue + Mink) and RED Platinum (Slate Blue + Red Eye Dilute gene). Different clubs standards have different descriptions for this color- usually not separating the blue plats from the minks.
Mink Based: A light blue color, typically with dark red eyes. May have a yellow/gold cast to it.
RED Blue: Light blue, that resembles the color of platinum metal. Red eyes.

Russian Blue:
A dark steel blue.  Has a ticking on each hair that is known as heathering.

Russian Blue Agouti:
Dark grey/blue with agouti ticking. Belly is lighter colored than the top.

Russian Silver:
AKA Double Blue, Silver Blue
A stunning silvery blue.  Has a ticking-like look on each hair that is known as heathering.

Russian Silver & Russian Blue color comparison
1.5 week old UCVR littermates

Mink:
An even grey brown color with black eyes.

Cinnamon:
A mink agouti. A reddish brown color with agouti ticking.

Cinnamon Pearl:
Pale orange color with a blue/gray tint.  Hair shafts are banded with a cream undercoat, pearl (blue colored) center banding, and cinnamon outer coat.

Cinnamon Pearl, Agouti, and Cinnamon.
2.5 week old babies

Pearl:
A light to medium silver color with cream intermixed.  Hair often tipped with grey.

For 'shading' and color modifiers, such as siamese, himalyan, burmese, and merle visit the rat markings page