Marking Standards

At this time, the following shall be standardized for show:

American Irish
The body of the rat shall be of any standardized color. The feet, tail-tip and lower belly marking are to be white; white should not extend upward to half the length of the tail, nor up the legs. The abdominal marking to be as round as possible, of even shape and moderate size, not extending to the chest or legs.
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Bareback
The head, shoulders, neck and throat of the rat to be of any standardized color, while the feet, sides, back, belly and tail should be completely white with no spots or colored hairs. The line of demarcation between color and white should be as even and sharp as possible.
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Banded
Jaw line, neck, legs, feet, sides and underside of rat to be completely white leaving a very wide band of color across the back. There should be a clear demarcation line between top color and white around the entire rat. Wedge-blazes acceptable.
Fault: Overmarked (seeming berkshire), undermarked (seeming hooded).
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Berkshire
Symmetrically marked with full white underside. To have a clear cut demarcation line void of brindling or spotting between top and bottom. Feet and up to half of the end of tail to be white. Small headspot or wedge blaze acceptable for this variety.
Faults: White coming up the sides, color dipping into the underside. Incomplete marking.
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Capped
The head and ears of the rat to be of any standardized color, including the underside of the jaw and chin, while the shoulders, body, feet, belly and tail should be completely white with no spots or colored hairs. The line of demarcation between color and white should be as even and sharp as possible.
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Dalmatian
A clean white background splashed with spots of any recognized color variety. Spots should be numerous, similar in size and evenly distributed throughout.
Faults: Any other marking in addition to spots. Clumped spotting. Sparsely spotted.
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Downunder Berkshire
Solid body color, in any recognized color, on top with a matching colored stripe running the length of the white Berkshire belly. Belly stripe to be of good width (1" or more), and as clean and symmetrical as possible, extending in a thick, unbroken line from the base of the throat down to, and filling in, the area between the back legs. To have a clear cut demarcation line devoid of brindling or spotting between top and bottom. Feet and up to half of the end of tail to be white. Small headspot acceptable. Agouti-based rats will have a paler belly stripe.
Faults: broken or overly jagged belly stripe, white spots on belly.
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Downunder Hooded
Rat should have a white body, with a hood of any recognized color, covering the head, neck, throat, chest and shoulders and continuing in an unbroken line or stripe from the hood's center between the rat's shoulders, down the rat's spine to the base of the tail, with as much of the tail as possible being colored. Spine stripe should be of moderate width ( 1/2" to 1" ) and as straight and even as possible, without ragged edges or brindling. Belly stripe to match top, being as clean and symmetrical as possible and extending in a thick, unbroken line from the colored chest down to, and filling in, the area between the back legs. Agouti-based rats will have a paler belly stripe.
Faults: Broken or overly jagged hood or belly stripe, color or brindling in any of the white areas including the belly.
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Downunder Hooded/Spotted
Similar to the Downunder Hooded but with as many side spots as possible allowing for brindling or jagged edges where the spine stripe meets spots. Belly stripe to match top, being as clean and symmetrical as possible and extending in a thick, unbroken line from the colored chest down to, and filling in, the area between the back legs. Agouti-based rats will have a paler belly stripe.
Faults: Broken hood or belly stripe, lack of spots.
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Downunder Spotted
Back and belly stripes, in any recognized color, to be as broken and spotted as possible giving the appearance of spotting all over the back and the underside of rat. Belly stripe to extend in a broken and brindled line from the base of the throat down to, and filling in, the area between the back legs. Agouti-based rats will have paler belly markings.
Faults: Distinct and unbroken spine or belly stripes, lack of spotting.
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Downunder Variegated
Head and shoulders to be of a recognized color variety complete with a headspot or blaze. Back of the animal to be covered in clear, distinct patches and spots of the same recognized color. Tail to have spotting. Belly stripe to be of good width (1" or more), and as clean and symmetrical as possible, extending in a thick, unbroken line from the base of the throat down to, and filling in, the area between the back legs. Agouti-based rats will have a paler belly stripe.
Faults: Broken belly stripe or spotting on the underside, distinct hooded marking along spine, clumping of spots and patches or lack of spots and patches.
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English Irish
Clean, white equilateral triangle on the chest between the two front feet. All four feet and tail tip to be white
Faults: Uneven triangle, other white markings.
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Hooded
Rat should have a white body, with a hood of any recognized color, which COVERS the head, neck, throat, chest and shoulders, with no breaks or white spots in the color. Color continues in an unbroken line or stripe from the hood's center between the rat's shoulders, down the rat's spine to the base of the tail, with as much of the tail as possible being colored. Spine stripe should be of moderate width ( 1/4" to 1" ) and as straight and even as possible, without ragged edges or brindling. There should be no spots of color or brindling on the white portions of the body. In pale colored rats, a pale colored throat and chest is to be allowed.
Faults: Ragged edges on hood or spine stripe, spots of color or brindling in the white areas, breaks in color of hood or spine stripe; spine stripe not extending to the base of tail.
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Masked
A colored mask of any standardized color is to cover the face of the rat across both eyes; the chin, throat, ears, muzzle, jowls and body and tail of the rat are to be completely white without spotting or colored hairs.
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Roan
To be of any recognized color variety. Distinct white hairs to be blended with the solid color to give an intensely faded black/grey/white (salt-and-pepper) appearance. Roan to have Striped or Berkshire markings.
Faults: A completely faded (white) rat.

*Striped Roan
Symmetrical marking in which the legs, underside and sides of the rat to be completely white creating a thick stripe of color across the back. To have a prominent inverted V-shaped blaze encompassing much of the nose, coming close to but not touching the eyes. Jaw line and underside of the head to be white.
Faults: Stripe too thin, non-wedge blaze.

*Berkshire Roan
Marking to be same as regular Berkshire. To have a prominent inverted V-shaped blaze encompassing much of the nose, coming close to but not touching the eyes. Jaw line and underside of the head to be white.
Faults: Messy berkshire marking, non-wedge blaze.

Self
Rat shall be all one color displaying no markings.
Faults: White fur on body, white toes/feet
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Variegated
Head and shoulders to be of a recognized color variety complete with a headspot or blaze. Back of the animal to be covered in clear, distinct patches and spots of the same recognized color. Tail to have spotting. Underside to be a clean white without color.
Faults: Hooded marking in addition to patches and spots, Spots on the underside of the animal, Clumping of patches and spots, Unbroken stripe down spine.
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The following Markings are not standard in and of themselves, but require other markings in order to be shown:

**Blazed
Blazed rats to be shown with Berkshire or Variegated varieties. To be a symmetrical wedge-shaped white marking starting as a fine point located midway between the eyes and the ears. White to encompass bridge of the nose, enveloping the nose, whisker-bed and mouth of the rat in a thin triangle.
Fault: Thin blazes
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**Headspot
White marking to be small but clear and distinct placed as centrally as possible between the rat's ears and eyes on the top of the face. To be allowable in combination with the following standard markings: Bareback, Berkshire and Varigated.
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**Odd-Eye
Rat is to have one dark ruby or black eye, and one pink eye, with a clear and obvious difference between the two. Color and markings to be judged according to their own standards.

Images generously provided by Shannon McGaffigan