Here is a list of rat colours found in Australia. I will be updating this list often whenever I have a confirmed blue or chocolate dilute that has not yet been listed, e.g. chocolate dove.
Colour Genes in Australia
A list of genes in Australia that effect coat colour categorised by their mode of inheritance.
Agouti varieties are usually referred to as 'ticked' as that is how they look in appearance. The guard hairs are solid coloured from the tip to the root, however undercoat hairs are usually banded, on an agouti hairs are dark grey/black at the base, deep orange in the center and dark brown at the top. The presence of other dilutions on agouti has a different effect on the guard hairs and undercoat, altering the colours of each.
Here is a list of all possible agouti based colours in Australia. Although this is a complete list, do be aware that not everyone breeds for some of these colours, such as the chocolate and lilac dilutes. Agouti, cinnamon, silverfawn, fawn, apricot and argente are the most common agouti based rat colours in Australia.
Photos and descriptions of standardised agouti-based colours are provided further down.
"The rat is to be a golden chestnut brown colour, with a dark grey or black undercoat and black guard hairs. The belly is a silvery grey. Eyes black." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a golden chestnut brown colour with a dark grey or black undercoat and black guard hairs. The belly is a silvery grey. Eyes black." - QRF Inc.
[Rattikins Sebastian - agouti Berkshire velour het]
Cinnamon (mink agouti) A/* m/m
"The rat is to be a warm russet brown colour, with a grey undercoat and black guard hairs. The bellyis to be a light silver grey. Eyes black." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a warm russet brown colour with a grey undercoat and black guard hairs. The belly is to be a light silver grey. Eyes black" - QRF Inc.
"The rat is to be a rich golden orange, as deep as possible, with a pale blue grey undercoat and silver guard hairs. The belly is a creamy silver. Eyes ruby." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a rich golden orange, as deep as possible, with a grey undercoat and silver guard hairs. The belly is a creamy silver. Eyes ruby." - QRF Inc.
Note: Fawn and Argente are similar colours, they can be indentified by the colour of their undercoat. A fawn has a pale grey undercoat, where an argente has a creamy white undercoat.
[Ch. Mushroom Tick Tock - fawn self standard]
Argente (ruby eyed mink agouti) A/* m/m r/r
"The rat is to be a bright orange colour, with a cream undercoat and silver guard hairs. The belly is tobe a soft cream. Eyes ruby." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a bright orange colour with a cream undercoat and silver guard hairs. The belly is to be a soft cream. Eyes ruby." - QRF Inc.
Note: Fawn and Argente are similar colours, they can be indentified by the colour of their undercoat. A fawn has a pale grey undercoat, where an argente has a creamy white undercoat.
"The rat is to be a pale apricot colour, with a silver undercoat and white guard hairs. The belly is a silvery white. Eyes pink." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a pale apricot colour with a silver undercoat and white guard hairs. The belly is a silvery white. Eyes pink." - QRF Inc.
Note: Silverfawn and apricot rats are very similar in colour, however, silverfawns do tend to be a more vibrant shade of orange, whereas apricots are a bit muted.
[Drake's Chalace - silverfawn Berkshire standard (courtesy of Tenille Webster of Drake's Rattery) and Chasing Tails Gypsy Jewel - silverfawn hooded standard (fur parted)]
Opal (blue agouti) A/* d/d
"The rat is to be a medium fawn colour, with blue undercoat and mid-blue guard hairs. The belly colour is silver. Eyes black." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To have a mid-blue undercoat with soft fawn tips and dark blue-grey guard hairs. The belly colour is silver. Eyes black." - QRF Inc.
[Rat Addiction (RADD) Serena - opal Berkshire standard doe (Photo courtesy of Sandy O'Hare of Rat Addiction Rattery)]
Non-Agouti (Black) Based Colours
Non-agouti based colours are different to agouti based colours in that they are not ticked. The colour, instead, is solid for both guard hairs and undercoat. No-agouti based colours are also referred to as 'non-ticked' colours. Black (Non-agouti) is recessive agouti (aa), and like agouti, the presence of different dilutions alter the colour of the coat.
Here is a list of all the possible non-agouti colours in Australia. Please note, that many of these colours are not commonly produced.
"The rat is to be a deep solid black colour, devoid of dinginess and without rusting. Some silvering permissible. Eyes black." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a deep solid black colour, devoid of dinginess. Eyes black." - QRF Inc.
Note: All black rats in Australia have silvering to some extent. It is not possible to have a black rat without silvering.
[Mushroom Phantom Menace - silvered black self standard]
Mink (mink non-agouti) a/a m/m
"The rat is to be a rich grey-brown colour, devoid or dinginess, and having a distinct bluish sheen.Eyes black." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a rich, warm mid-grey colour, devoid of dinginess. Eyes Black." - QRF Inc.
Note: Mink is often the most confusing colour for some as it can vary so wildly, from a pale grey through to a very bluish grey, and a brown grey. As minks age, they almost seem to change between shades of grey with each consecutive moult. Deep steely grey coloured minks are often mistaken for blues.
[Ch. Iced Chill Pill - mink Berkshire standard buck]
Buff (ruby eyed non-agouti) a/a r/r
"The rat is to be a mid beige colour with a warm grey hue and no sign of dullness. Eyes ruby." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a mid-beige colour with a creamy-grey hue and no sign of dullness. Eyes ruby." - QRF Inc.
Note: Buff and Dove rats look similar in colour when under 6 weeks of age. Once they moult into their adult coat the difference becomes more obvious, as buff rats are a warm-beige grey, whereas dove rats are a cool mid-grey.
"The rat is to be a cool grey colour, with no sign of dullness. Eyes ruby." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a warm pale grey colour, with no sign of dullness. Eyes ruby." - QRF Inc.
Note: Buff and Dove rats look similar in colour when under 6 weeks of age. Once they moult into their adult coat the difference becomes more obvious, as buff rats are a warm-beige grey, whereas dove rats are a cool mid-grey.
[Mushroom Time Piece - dove self standard]
Champagne (pink eyed non-agouti) a/a p/p
"The rat is to be a very light cream colour, with no sign of dullness or greyness. Eyes pink." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a light cream colour, with no sign of dullness or greyness. Eyes pink." - QRF Inc.
[Drake's Topaz - champagne Berkshire standard (photos courtesy of Tenille Webster of Drake's Rattery)]
Blue (blue non-agouti) a/a d/d
"The rat is to be a deep steel blue colour, with no brown colouration. The fur is to be blue grey to theskin. Eyes black." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a steel blue colour, with no brown colouration. Colour is to resemble the blue found in cats. Eyes black." -QRF Inc
[Rattikins Silvered Blue Self - blue self standard]
Platinum (ruby eyed blue non-agouti) a/a d/d r/r
"To be a mid blue colour, with no brown colouration. Eyes ruby." - QRF Inc
Silver (pink eyed blue non-agouti) a/a d/d p/p
"The rat is to be a soft ice blue colour, with no brown colouration. Eyes pink." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be a soft ice blue colour, with no brown colouration. Eyes Pink." - QRF Inc.
Australian Chocolate (Aus. chocolate non-agouti) a/a T/*
"To be a milk chocolate shade of brown. Rat must be an obvious shade from the first glance. Eyes black." - QRF Inc.
Beige (ruby eyed Aus. chocolate non-agouti) a/a r/r T/*
Albino has a class of it's own. I would have mentioned BEW, REW and PEW here, however the gene responsible for these is an over marking gene and so they are not colours as such, but more markings, hence you will find them under the markings tab.
Albino cc
"The rat is to be as white as possible with no creamy tinge or staining. Any coloured hairs to be severely penalised. Eyes pink." - AusRFS NSW Inc.
"To be as white as possible with no creamy tinge or staining. Any coloured hairs to be severely penalised. Eyes pink." - QRF Inc.
More Info
rusting/mealing mink variances moulting silvering coat effects colour every colour varies vs. colours (mink vs blue, blue vs lilac, dove vs buff, etc)