Australian Down Under Rats by Debbi J. Needham
| 2010 Repost: These animals are not available. OFR closed in 2006. About Down Under Rats in the USA by Debbi Needham (2004) Down Under rats were first imported from Australia into the United States by Connie Perez in December 2002. The dominant Down Under spotting gene causes a spot of color to occur on the belly of the rat, even if the area is covered with white. The white belly is splattered with color as paint is on a canvas. Thus, the best mates for Down Unders are rats with a lot of white on them so more canvas is exposed. This trait has been selectively bred in Austrailia. Connie bred one of these pure Austrailian rats to a rat from the United States. The litter contained both DUs and non DU rats. We were given one DU male rat on Feb. 28, 2003. The genes of these rats may be unique to the Australian continent. It is known that the mink, blue and beige genes in the USA are compatible from the rats of Europe, but we are not sure if they can combine genetically with Austrailian genes. (Update 10-2003: The blues are compatible and possibly the Aussie mink to a brown gene in the USA). (Update 1-2004: Bred to a tailless line that contains chocolates, more dilutes, including platinum and cinnamon were observed in the litter. It is possible the brown gene is chocolate?) (Update 10-2004: The DUs are USA show rats! Through selective breeding, we not only have bred DUs with great personalities, but beautiful bodies! OFR Skitter, Black Du manx, won Best in Show, Best of Manx Variety and an Award for the Most Laid Back at the 10-04 RatsPacNW show. PESONALITY & HEALTH The Australian rats appear to be disease resistant and I have been told they are long lived, some living to be 3-4 years-old. At first, the majority of the hybrid rats in the USA had very busy and curious personalities. Now-a-days, one will find an assortment of temperaments, including very laid back, as different lines of rats have been bred to the Down Under line. |
Australian Rats - Down Unders
| The Hooded Down Under rat on the left RG Freckles, stayed at Odd Fellows Rattery for three weeks in March. The rat on the right is also a Down Under with a Berkshire marking. He now permanenty resides at OFR. |
| Link to: New World Down Under Rats discussion group on Yahoo Groups. |
| The Hooded Down Under rat is Bonnie Walters' Bonita. She was born on Aug 1st to a manx (tailless rat)and a Down Under. She is our newest DU, aquired from CA on Oct. 2, 2003. |
| Pure Australian Rat |
| This boy, RG Kalarabi, is a Cinnamon hooded mismarked. He was bred by Connie Perez, and is the son of two Austrailian rats. His mink is from Austrailia and may match up with some browns found in the USA. But, because their is alot of confusion on exactly what minks (browns) we have in the USA, determining the exact compatible mink gene has not been verified. |
Down Under - 1/4 Aussie
| OFR Lightening, a cinnamon Down Under manx carrier. She was born to RG Meadow and RG Mr. Wrigley. |
| Bonnie Walters' Bonita, Down Under. |
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