RatVarietiesIndex

OFR RAT VARIETIES & Timeline

OFR Rare Rat Varieties by Debbi J. Needham

Varieties at Odd Fellows Rattery from 1999 to 2006

March 2001 - Hairless
OFR successfully bred completely exhibition quality hairless rats. However, these rats were discovered to not be able to lactate or
nurse their babies. Widespread communication of this problem spawned enthusiasts to breed lines that could lactate.
Many OFR rats went on to win Grand Championships in rat shows solidifying their place and lineages in the hobby.
OFR Hairless Rat Does & Breeding
Hairless Rat Care Sheet
OFR Hairless Rats

December 2002 - Down Under Rats
Connie Perez imported the first "Down Under" rats from Australia in 2002.
They were white-spotted rats that inherited stripes of color along their bellies.
OFR Australian Down Under Rats

June 2002 - Tailless Rats
Tailless rats were sent to OFR from Connie Perez. They were rare, occurring at a rate of 1 in every 1-2 litters sired by a tailless rat.
Through X-ray, OFR discovered that the taillessness was caused by inheritable pelvic deformity.
Some tailless rats could not eliminate waste because of the deformity. OFR stopped breeding them thereafter.
OFR Tailless Rats

February 2002 - Solaris, Tri-color calico rat
Born in Alaska, Solaris was sent to OFR to be bred in hopes the tri-color mutation would be reproduced.
The tri-color trait was a somatic mutation and stopped with Solaris. It was never reproduced.
History of NLR Solaris
OFR Solaris Line of Tri colored, Calico Rats

April 2003 - Harley Coated or 'Long haired' rats
With a keen eye for genetic anomaly, Debbi Needham discovered a white rat with a fluffy hamster like coat in a pet shop in
Washington State. That rat was named Harley.
The coat type was found to be caused by a recessive inheritance pattern. It was sent to Europe in 2005.
"Harley" Long Hair R at
O FR Harley Coat Line

May 2004:- Dwarf Rats
Dwarf Rats from a California laboratory were imported to Washington State via Connie Perez to Debbi Needham. At Odd Fellows
Rattery, lines were established. The majority of the domesticated lines of dwarf rats bred and shown today originated there.
Domesticated Dwarf Rats Information
OFR Dwarf Rat Line

Jan. 24, 2005 - UK Burmese & BE Siamese
Debbi Needham & Connie Perez went to London to import the following fancy rat varieties from London, England.
Their genetic lineage was considered extremely rare at that time.
UK Burmese, UK Black-eyed Siamese, & UK Pearl

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