What's Up With These Ears?

Tonight I was seperating out pregnant female rats and I'm a bit confused by this one female. She's a mink that was originally slated to be fed off with the rest of her litter but since she has the same odd two toned coat as her mother, Patches, I kept her back. She's heavily preggo with her first litter so was popped into a 10 gallon maternity tank. That's when I noticed she doesn't look like my other females. Her ears are just...off...not set like the regular top ears I have. Is she a dumbo or what? Her ears are sort of bigger and sort of floopy looking (okay is that a technical term or what LOL) and set down low like a dumbo a bit.

How in heck did I get a single dumbo though? I guess Patches may have produced others that were fed off young and perhaps I just never noticed she throws the occasional dumbo or whatever this female is. I have kept one other daughter of Patches and she has quite normal ears (though is a solid mink, not two toned liked Patches and this female pictured).

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ibleDumbo1.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ibleDumbo2.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ibleDumbo3.jpg

Just for reference this is this rat's mother, Patches, with her oddly colored coat.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...romtheSide.jpg

It's Dumbo the Flying Elephant!

Oh wait.. No it's not ;) But she's still dumbo-EARED :)

She is a cutie! Dumbos are my fav. Mine is very dominant, I wonder if that's normal.

Thanks Becky. I'm just trying to figure out how this happened and how I missed it up until tonight when I seperated her out. Granted she was "just" a feeder and in a big female feeder bin which I do not handle the rats from. Worst part is I've no idea which male fathered her LOL. Obviously Patches must have carried the Dumbo gene but apparently one of my colony males does. Now I'll just have to figure out which one it is.

Thanks Sarah. I've been wanting to buy a Dumbo and dumbo me didn't realize I had one hanging out in the feeder bin! Talk about clueless LOL. Luck of the draw she didn't get fed off. She would have been other than she has her mother's odd two tone coat.

From what little I know of Dumbo genetics it's a simple recessive.

Well crud now I need a name for her! All the breeders have names and she doesn't have one yet. :(

ummm... cute-adorable-mama works for me!!!

i looooove rattie ears but i reallly love dumbo ears!

She's adorable! Simple recessive, eh? Guess I need to find a nice dumbo male now! LOL


I'm totally head over heels in love with mine - a VERY sweet girl with personality plus! And very "clingy", she doesn't wander off much before jumping back on my shoulder (when sitting on the couch) and giving me kisses all over my face - who wouldn't fall in love? LOL

Robin, they are simple recessive. Jo, congrats on that cutey Dumbo. You love those guys, they look real innocent when they look you in the eye.

Thanks Tim! I'm still laughing at myself. Searching all over Toledo and grumbling because I couldn't find a single dumbo eared rat and here was one in the dang feeding tub the whole time. Guess I just accidentally hit on the right combination of male and female that had the gene. So I guess the best way to get more dumbos is to keep one of Dee's sons back and breed back to her right? (Dee is the dumbos new name).