AFRMA Fancy Rats - Unstandardized

AFRMA Fancy Rats - Non-Recognized Colors, Markings, & Coats

Some miscellaneous colors, markings, and coats of rats that have been produced by AFRMA breeders/seen at AFRMA shows but never standardized. There are many more out there. See Fancy Rat Genes for possible genetics.

See the AFRMA Official Color Standards Rat book for more.

Note: The pictures on this page are not meant to be true representatives of the animal’s color. Because of differences in monitors (CRT/LCD) and how the monitor is adjusted, the colors may be different. Seeing in person is always best.

Velvet Harley

COATS
VELVET - Coat 30, color 20 The coat to be soft, short, and plush similar to Rex rabbits. Russian Blue came from these rats; Blue-Beige, Silver Blue, Russian Fawn, Russian Silver, Russian Platinum came from Russian Blue; these colors have ticking/heathering and a different feel to their coats. Eye color to match base color. [Accepted into Unstandardized July 18, 2009; removed from Accepted Proposed Unstd. December 1, 2012, and moved to Non-Recognized due to lack of entries.] Genetics: unknown (bred as a recessive) Note: Developed by Karla Barber from very pale bluish beige rats shipped from the East Coast in 1987; coat doesn’t develop until adult; coat has minimal guard hairs so Agouti colors look like a different color than what they are. Read the information on Velvet Rats.	A Blue-Beige Velvet rat owned and bred by Karla Barber. Photo ©1997 Karla Barber. A Fawn? Velvet rat owned and bred by Karla Barber. Photo ©2009 Karen Robbins. This rat had very light ruby eyes. A Russian Blue Agouti Burmese Velvet rat owned by Kimberly Millspaugh, bred by Connie & Ken Van Doren. Photo ©2013 Karen Robbins. Coat has minimal ticking so you don’t get the “blue” ticking over the entire rat which makes the color look like a different color
HARLEY - Has a sparse, fine, wispy coat with no undercoat that falls out easily. Reported that most lines have health/breeding issues so not likely to be standardized in AFRMA. If interested in breeding this variety, choose a line without any issues. Genetics: unknown (recessive gene) Note: Found in pet shop Sept. 1, 2002, by Debbi J. Needham, Odd Fellows Rattery (OFR), WA. Has a shiny coat like Satins. Note from biologist Nicole Housel (11-14-20): Harley lacks the undercoat that normal furred rats typically have which can lead to an impression of a longer coat, even though the actual length is normal. They can have singed looking whiskers which further supports Harley is in fact not a long haired type. Whiskers are modified hairs and affected by hair coat genes the same way the rest of the coat is. The look of whiskers will be different due to the different structure, but they are still affected. Think of how Rex whiskers are curled... That being said, if Harley is a long-coated variety, then the whiskers should also be longer than normal. If the whiskers are in fact shorter, or otherwise same length (let’s assume shortening is due to breakage), then that supports that Harley itself is a normal or even short-length coat type. The singed look, along with shortening and crimping suggests the whiskers are actually more delicate than normal and prone to breakage. This goes along with Harley coats: they tend to be sparse, easily broken, and dry. Harley seems to make a more delicate fur type than normal fur mutations, which possibly goes along with some effect in the integumentary system in general (not just fur) since their skin also tends to be dry. Perhaps the mutation affects the sebaceous glands, not just the hairs. More information: Harley’s Story Harley Coated ‘Long Haired’ Domesticated Fancy Rats Harley Rat Information	B.E. Himalayan Harley Dumbo owned by Jozzette Hagemann, bred by CT Rattery. Photo ©2012 Karen Robbins. A Beige Harley Dumbo owned by Kaily Porter, bred by Jeannine Porter. She has a little thicker coat than the one above and has a bare spot on the side of her face. Photo ©2015 Karen Robbins.

COATS

VELVET - Coat 30, color 20
The coat to be soft, short, and plush similar to Rex rabbits. Russian Blue came from these rats; Blue-Beige, Silver Blue, Russian Fawn, Russian Silver, Russian Platinum came from Russian Blue; these colors have ticking/heathering and a different feel to their coats. Eye color to match base color.

[Accepted into Unstandardized July 18, 2009; removed from Accepted Proposed Unstd. December 1, 2012, and moved to Non-Recognized due to lack of entries.]

Genetics: unknown (bred as a recessive)

Note: Developed by Karla Barber from very pale bluish beige rats shipped from the East Coast in 1987; coat doesn’t develop until adult; coat has minimal guard hairs so Agouti colors look like a different color than what they are.

Read the information on Velvet Rats.

A Russian Blue Agouti Burmese Velvet rat owned by Kimberly Millspaugh, bred by Connie & Ken Van Doren. Photo ©2013 Karen Robbins. Coat has minimal ticking so you don’t get the “blue” ticking over the entire rat which makes the color look like a different color

HARLEY - Has a sparse, fine, wispy coat with no undercoat that falls out easily. Reported that most lines have health/breeding issues so not likely to be standardized in AFRMA. If interested in breeding this variety, choose a line without any issues.

Genetics: unknown (recessive gene)

Note: Found in pet shop Sept. 1, 2002, by Debbi J. Needham, Odd Fellows Rattery (OFR), WA. Has a shiny coat like Satins.

Note from biologist Nicole Housel (11-14-20): Harley lacks the undercoat that normal furred rats typically have which can lead to an impression of a longer coat, even though the actual length is normal. They can have singed looking whiskers which further supports Harley is in fact not a long haired type. Whiskers are modified hairs and affected by hair coat genes the same way the rest of the coat is. The look of whiskers will be different due to the different structure, but they are still affected. Think of how Rex whiskers are curled... That being said, if Harley is a long-coated variety, then the whiskers should also be longer than normal. If the whiskers are in fact shorter, or otherwise same length (let’s assume shortening is due to breakage), then that supports that Harley itself is a normal or even short-length coat type. The singed look, along with shortening and crimping suggests the whiskers are actually more delicate than normal and prone to breakage. This goes along with Harley coats: they tend to be sparse, easily broken, and dry. Harley seems to make a more delicate fur type than normal fur mutations, which possibly goes along with some effect in the integumentary system in general (not just fur) since their skin also tends to be dry. Perhaps the mutation affects the sebaceous glands, not just the hairs.

More information:

Go to the AFRMA Rat Unstandardized page.
Go to the AFRMA New Standards/Unstandardized page.
Purchase the AFRMA Official Color Standards Rat book.

Updated October 9, 2022