[ManBeard]

Im just wondering if domestic rats come in different breeds.

I have two rats, Skurge, whom is on the large side and has creamy off-white fur and a light caramel brown hood. Her temperament is more "laid back" than my other rat. My other rat is named Plague. She is white with a black hood, and of diminutive stature. She is very very active. Ive heard that some domesticated rats are breed from ones wich originated in South America, while some are North American, and others Europian.

Judging by the differences between the behaviors and colorations of my and others rats, I was wondering if different breeds had unique characterists, or if they are all just rats.

 

[Weedthrasher]

I dont know if there are different breeds per se but there are different varieties and markings. I was looking at this page earlier today... but Im sure thats not all of them.

 

[Stephanie]

there are different breeds but as far as different personalities it isn't breed specific every rat has a different personality LoL there is no such thing as "just a rat"

 

[lilspaz68]

Here is the basic history of the domestic rat. Only one original breed, the Brown Rat. Other than that its markings, colours, types, coats (or lack thereof) and sizes are all genetics within this. Size and temperament are due to genetics, and upbringing. Your beige or fawn hooded rat may have been brought up with proper nutrition, etc and handling/socializing, or she may come from line of sweet rats. Your black hoodie may have been carelessly bred as a feeder, and had a bad upbringing with seed mixes as their only food, making her smaller and more flighty because she wasn't handled as a baby.

from http://www.ramshornstudio.com/rat_history.htm
The domestic Brown rat is most often called a "Fancy Rat". The Rats raised for pets today descend from the "Brown Rat", Rattus norvegicus , that only colonized Europe in the 18th Century. Being that the Brown Rats are larger and bolder they have pretty much taken over the position held for centuries by their cousins the Black Rats. The latter are the "Black Rat" of legend that carried the fleas that in turn carried the Black Plague all over Europe, these were not the Brown Rats kept as pets today. There are a very few fanciers now trying to domesticate the more timid Black Rat, rattus rattus but they are not readily available to adopt any where in any number. The Brown Rat have been used first for blood sport and latter in laboratories for experiments so they have been bred down thousands of generations to be docile and friendly towards humans. This is why rats make far better pets than Hedgehogs, Gerbils, Hamsters, or Chinchillas. Only the Guinea Pig is as tame and sweet as the domestic rat for the same reason. They were domesticated very early by the Ancient Incas . Few pets bite less and are more loving than a well handled Fancy Rat. Human handling makes them even kinder as companions.

 

[stockhart]

Nope, all rats are unique so you'll find they'll have different personalities Take my girls; they're identical twins, but Puggy will happily sit on my shoulder for hours and fall asleep, whilst Beebop hates to sit still and never stops hiding, running and climbing

 

[KayRatz]

No breeds. :] Just different colors. Like you don't have different breeds of squirrel, but on occasion you see a black or a white :3

 

[OnlyOno]

No breeds. :] Just different colors. Like you don't have different breeds of squirrel, but on occasion you see a black or a white :3

not entirely true.
red squirrel:

eastern grey squirrel:

eastern fox squirrel:

sorry. just struck me as interesting. black squirrels are apparently a lot more common on the east coast, and i think albino ones are on one coast or the other. here in colorado, i have never seen anything more interesting than a standard reddish or greyish squirrel.

but no, i don't think that rats have breeds, just coat types and colors, ear sizes and shapes, etc. there are dwarf rats that might eventually become a different breed, but for now they can still cross with standard sizes.

 

[ManBeard]

Thats interesting, thanks for the info.