Feeder, Not Such a Feeder

Not all rats that are high white will get megacolon. The chances are much higher than say, a self black rat or a berkshire.

I'll give you a quick run down if it helps.

When the little rat embryo is forming, the first cells to migrate from the main nerve (spine) of the rat are the pigment cells. They will not always migrate to the whole body, giving us berkshires, hoodeds etc. Where those cells dont end up is white. They have been stopped by something, and that something is not quite nailed down yet by scientists.

The nerve cells that innervate the colon go along the same path as these pigment cells, and the same 'something' that stopped the pigment cells from traveling all over and down the body very often stop the nerve cells too.

For this reason, the correlation between high white rats and megacolon is very close, because there are some of the same factors stopping the progress of both animals.

Dominant (high) white spotting is not megacolon, but it is a separate factor that also correlates strongly with megacolon.

NOW! Not ALL high white rats get megacolon. Just as not all solid or low white animals are free from it. We have no real set identity of what causes megacolon, but that is why so many rat breeders do many breedings between high white animals to find the ones with no instances of this disease.

No one knows exactly how megacolon is inherited. There are so many rumors and opinions on whether it is dominant or recessive or whatever... That's why it is so frustrating. We have to go with what's been proven to inhibit or not show megacolon, and that is low white or self colored rats.

perfect! I understood that completely. And like I said, I know the breeder of these rats personally, and he has GREAT success! Thanx Connie!