?Hairless Rats?

To all the rat experts. I breed rats to feed my ball pythons. I am not a rat expert, I know how to feed, water, and breed them. Lately we have had 3 hairless rats born out of 3 different breeding groups. What makes a hairless rat? Is it a fluke or genetic? If genetic, is it like recessive or codom in the balls?

It is genetic, recessive gene.

Is it a true hairless or just a double rex? Double rexes are from crossing 2 rexes some can be quite bald.

No clue. I will try and get some pics up.

Hairless Rats can be made multiple ways. There is a Recessive Hairless and dominant Rex (Rex x Rex).

Recessive Hairless will appear to be a standard (smooth) coated rat. While Rexes have a fluffy, curly coat with curly whiskers.

A Patchwork Hairless molting. See how curly her fur is?
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...1blackself.jpg

Post pictures of the buck, doe, and offspring. :P

Mine looks nothing like that.

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Originally Posted by FatBoy

Mine looks nothing like that.

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You likely have a few stray Recessive Hairless genes then. About two weeks after that picture, she had lost 95% of her hair. I'd love to see pictures though. :)

My normal female's rexes are fully haired no pachwork but curly( mine are female so they are less curly) but this is my double rex

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ptiles0005.jpg

another double but less effected

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ptiles0003.jpg

the first girls offsprig:

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...ptiles0012.jpg

look at the parents wiskers if they are curly they are rexs.

I have pulled the babies to weaner tubs and are not sure who the two parents are, although all my breeders look perfectly normal. I mix up my breeding groups every week and do not track breedings or birthing. The older hairless seems to have a real long nose. I will definately post some pics tomorrow. Thanks

OK here they are.
The white one is 4 weeks old and the dark ones 2.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...s_rats_025.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...s_rats_019.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...s_rats_012.jpg

And while taking pics of rats a babysitter is a must!!!!

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...s_rats_021.jpg
All my breeders are perfectly normal looking rats.

The white one'd creapy lol!

OK rat guys...I got pics up, where'd you go?

looks like you had the true hairless gene in your breeders. Where did you get your stock?

They actually look Recessive to me. That being said, unless you know the genetics, it can be a guessing game.

Recessive lose all of their at around 4 weeks. vs. Double Rex who generally keep "peach fuzz" on their face, feet and base of tail.

True Recessive Hairless should be completely bald by eight weeks of age (some keep a level of "peach fuzz" though). Sometimes they even lose their whiskers (which is show standards). As babies they might have a thin layer of fur, but generally by six weeks of age, they should be pretty much bald.

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/c...a_figure_2.php

For breeding your better off with them being double rex. True hairless don't do well although they are neat. Grow one up breed it to a normal and you should get rex babies if they are double rex.

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Originally Posted by ThyTempest

looks like you had the true hairless gene in your breeders. Where did you get your stock?

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Got a lot of my stock from a pet store going out of business. That may explain it, huh. I really don't want anymore, I have heard (no idea if it's true) that they are not as nutriential as regular rats & they are too darn cute to feed off!! I will end up keeping every one of them as pets. I have actually produced one more before these but he died very young, like 3 weeks. He was completely bald. Bottom line is I have atleast 2 het hairless rats producing hairless and 66% hets?