You Hooded You!

AFRMA - One In A Million: "Hooded rats are very common. Unfortunately, show quality Hoodeds are not. In fact I would consider them one of the rarest.

Let me explain. The distinctive Hooded pattern is caused by the distribution of pigment cells in the rat embryo being impeded. The nerve cell tissue along the spinal column is the origin of these cells, thus when the color is restricted, the head, shoulders and spine are the areas left pigmented.

The AFRMA standard is very specific as to what Hooded rats should look like. It says that “Hooded rats may be shown in any recognized color. The sides, legs and feet should be a pure, clean white, free from spots or brindling. The hood should cover the head, neck and shoulders without a break, showing no white on the throat or chin, and should run in an even line around the body. The spine marking should extend in an unbroken line from the hood to the tail, be of moderate width, and be free of ragged edges or brindling. The tail should be colored at the base, then white to the end. Faults - White on the throat or chin, ragged edges to the hood or spine markings, spine marking too wide or too narrow, break in the spine marking; any color spots in white area; spotted tail.” Needless to say, this description leaves very little room for interpretation, and is in fact one of the most explicit standards we have. On top of the description being very precise, the rat also has to be a good example of a recognized color, and has to have good type. This combination can be almost an impossibility."

Go ahead punk..make my day!