Wierd looking mice

Hey guys, i just had a question about mice colors variations/morphs or whatever you call them. I posted this is the "other pet" section becuase i plan on keeping this mouse

I had a litter of feeders born , most of them were black, some of them were black and white and two were white, only one was albino (white with red eyes) but the other one was pure white with black eyes.....shes a pretty little mouse, what do you call a mouse with black eyes and a white body, is there even a name ?

If she were a snake i would say id have a leuguistic (please exuse my spelling,lol)

I believe it is leucistic. The mouse fancy may have a name for it (probably just black eyed white) but genetically, it is leucistic. Just like a pinto horse is a genetic piebald.

Thanks shelby :)

No problem.

*whisper* It's just a high white mouse... I have BEW mice that came from breeding a black variegated male with a blaze with a solid mink colored female with a blaze. They aren't leucistic, just high white. :)

I had that thought, but didn't think the mouse would be completely white.

Yeah, it can be pretty common, especially in mice. In rats, it's not as common, and sometimes can result in megacolon, which is why it isn't bred as much.

Ok. It's like with horses, you don't often see a pinto that is completely white.. I thought it was the same way with mice/rats/whatever.

The reason you don't see horses that are completely white is because they usually die from megacolon or the complete lack of a digestive system. There is a gene called the Lethal White gene, and it causes so many devastating problems. It usually occurs when two homozygous paints are bred together, usually overos(tobianos don't seem to have this problem). Sometimes the foal will carry the lethal white gene, and if bred, will pass it on, creating a lethal white baby. But usually they will just exhibit the gene and will die very quickly. It is definately not a fun thing because the foals are usually born without an anus and the rest of the large intestine. Very sad.


Sometimes high white rats can get megacolon. Their colon just keeps distending with hard, compacted feces, and they end up dying from malnurition and failure to thrive. It usually occurs when the rat first becomes weaned and starts eating solid foods, but can occur even while the baby is nursing, or even 6 months down the road... Some have lived up to a year with this condition, usually from having daily enemas, and a special high calorie diet. I haven't really heard of too many mice getting it, so it must not be too common.

Ok, I think that is quite long enough, LoL. I guess I tend to write books when I get going...

Yes, I've heard of lethal white. It's the frame overos I think.

Also two roans bred is a lethal gene.