Name and Colouring

[Natasha]

I have two rats, the first is a sort of charcoal black colour, she has a white stripey bit down her stomach and it looks like she is wearing socks because she has white fur just above her paws.

The second was a creamy colour when i first got her but it now looks a bit gingery, and when you part her her it look a bit grey.

What are the proper names for these colourings?

[Suebee]

Without a picture, it's hard to tell, but I would guess black bershire and fawn, repsectively.  

Rimmer, at left, is a fawn hooded, but he looks a little more orange in the picture because of the room lighting. It's not too far off, though...

[Natasha]

thanks for the help, the creamy sort of colour one does sort of resemble yours

[Ali]

On the subject of colours...... I still don't really know what colour my rats are? Officially, I mean! I know that they're brown!

I call Roger chocolate, but he's not really. He's just a very dark brown (lots of silver ticking) - sort of black coffee colour - with a white tummy. Badger, my hooded boy, is also the same colour, as were my two old girls.  

When people say 'black hooded' or 'black berks' or whatever, are they talking about real 'black' or this dark brown colour! I never see anyone else posting about their brown rats!

Thanks!

[Suebee]

I had a boy, Gus, who was like you describe... he was never really black... sorta very dark brown, with the silver ticking. I never found out what he was!

But my two black berks are definitely black. They also have some silver ticking, though...

[SonyaFancifulRats]

Ali, my Badger has that same color you describe.. like very dark ( semi sweet here) chocolate. However, there is no ticking or banding on the hairs, just a solid dark brown.  I have had a black berk that was actually black.. different from this...

[valleykat]

I know just what you mean.  Our recently departed Oreo was very dark brown and white, hence the name Oreo.  I have always wondered if she would be considered black in rat terms, since, as you noted, you seldom hear of brown rats.  Now, Missy is gray and white and you never hear of gray rats either.  Is this what is referred to as blue because I know there are no blue rats out there?!?

[Spiralgirl]

I had a boy, Gus, who was like you describe... he was never really black... sorta very dark brown, with the silver ticking.

Black can "rust" with age or poor genetics...they start out a good deep black as babies and turn kinda brownish.  And actually good deep black with no rusting and no silvier ticking is one of the harder things to breed for in ratties.

[Ali]

Roger and Badger are only 4 months so I don't think they've 'rusted' yet! The ticking came later, but they've always just been dark brown!

They're definitely not black - not even black with a brown-ish tinge! -  and nor were my old girls.

We need a new name for these brown rats.

I was thinking maybe 'brown' ??!!!!