Too Freaking Cute

She is super cute! I had a Himalayan female a while back, and my rat guy works with them pretty extensively.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BrucenBruce

Hi, Robin!

That is a cute rat - IIRC, the Himalayan gene is recessive, and its expression is thermally controlled. (The points are darker because they're cooler.) I've got himalayans (without tanned butts) in my colony - including some dumbo rexes that I recently held back. As fuzzies, they're often whitish over the front half of their bodies, and dark on the back half - the front half is kept warm while nursing under momma's belly, while the exposed back half is cooler! I've read that a good outcross for the Himalayan gene is to a self black, which help with the intensity of the points.

Enjoy working with her!

~Bruce

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I agree with the thermal point on this, but I believe that the siamese is a darker version of this. I almost want to say its co-dominant because when two himalayans are bred together the point and fur becomes darker. But like Bruce said it may simply be from outcrossing with darker genes.

I know blue points are made by outcrossing to blue selfs. So it may simply be that a siamese is from outcrossing to a darker self.

I have a himalyan dumbo female right now (almost breeder size a few more weeks), she came form my himalayan TE breeder to a black hooded dumbo.