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Mark Thompson - 25 Feb 2006 12:32 GMT

I've often wondered why black eyed whites aren't more popular? Pink eyes
don't see as well as black, so is there a move to get breed out PEWs and
turn them all into BEWs?

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Vanessa - 25 Feb 2006 12:47 GMT

BEW's aren't albinos with black eyes, they are white rats with black
eyes. Albinos aren't white rats, they are whatever colour their genes
dictate (blue, black, tan) with no pigment.
PEW's and BEW's are two totally different things, and you can't take
PEW's and breed them until a BEW litter is acheived. PEW's are albino,
and BEW's are white.
I believe that BEW's are produced using the lethal 'high white' gene in
North America. The high white gene brings the risk of megacolon. High
white breeding can have very tragic results if you don't know what you
are doing, and sometimes even if you do know what you are doing. Not
many people fool with that. People who breed blazed, possum faced,
dalmation type markings are usually using the high white gene. A BEW
would be possible in one of those litters.
A breeder please correct me if I am wrong about the high white gene
producing BEW's.

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Joanne - 25 Feb 2006 13:10 GMT

> BEW's aren't albinos with black eyes, they are white rats with black
> eyes. Albinos aren't white rats, they are whatever colour their genes
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> A breeder please correct me if I am wrong about the high white gene
> producing BEW's.

Yes, BEWs are achieved through high white.

But... if you observe your rats, regardless of eye color, they both do
not depend on eye sight, ever.
Their sight allows them to determine shapes, depths and lengths. The
pink/ruby eye guys will sway their heads because they have more of a
problem determining the depths.
It is their sense of smell that gets them to where they want to go.
Put peas in a bowl of water in front of your rat and watch him. Make it
so the bowl has enough water in it that the rat really has to find the
pea with his paws. He will not use his eyes. He smells for it and then
reaches around for the pea in the spot where he smelled it. He will not
dip his head down to look for the pea.

Joanne
Owned by 15 rats

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Mark Thompson - 25 Feb 2006 19:16 GMT

> But... if you observe your rats, regardless of eye color, they both do
> not depend on eye sight, ever.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> reaches around for the pea in the spot where he smelled it. He will not
> dip his head down to look for the pea.

Yep, they use taste and smell far more than eyes. Baba would often grasp
one of my fingers in her teeth before realising that it wasn't food. For
some reason feet in socks always fooled her. She could never tell that the
socks weren't (strictly speaking) edible, or that they had my feet inside.

Fascinating about the high white gene. What is it about a lack of pigment
that affects the eyesight, or is it something that just goes along with
this gene?

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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / February 2006

More on breeding