# A little Mystery - what could it be?



## Natasha (Apr 26, 2009)

I´ve got here a little mouse which has started to changing color. She is now about 8-9 weeks old. I Ask the Breeder I got the Buck from, she had similar happenings in the same line twice, and all are females, and changed when they where about 9 weeks old. I´m just wondering what this could be geneticly?

Father ist Geneticly: a[t]a[t] Bb dd Lghlgh Pp Sasa ss Vsvs 
Mother, as far I know: a[t]- Cc Dd Frfr Lghlgh

The entired Litter had no spottings, and I never had spotted babies with the mother and an other Buck, so this is why it is so a mystery to me.

She started getting some spottings, neither she had no lighter pigmention in those areas as Baby, nor did she have it 4 Weeks ago. (See photos below).

So, did anyone here, breeding spotted Mice ever had something like this?

Here some Photos from now...

























































And this was wenn she was younger, sorry for the poor quality...

















I had two Blue Tans in this Litter, but the other one, did and does not have anything like this!

Because these "Spots" are not pure white, more like a mix between White an the ground colouration (top Blue, belly Tan), it reminds me a lot of Roan. But I thought Roan only exists in the US?

Greetings,
Natasha


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

It almost looks like she's greying out, like a horse does! lol

That is very strange, I have never heard of anything like that... :shock:

Who knows!! Keep us updated with pics if her lighter patches get any bigger!! =oD This is very interesting!

Willow xx


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## Natasha (Apr 26, 2009)

WillowDragon said:


> It almost looks like she's greying out, like a horse does! lol


That´s why the breeder calls them "Appaloosa"-Mice  :lol: :mrgreen:


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

It almost looks like Blue Merle on a dog! LOL

But I'm pretty sure merle mice are born that way and don't develop it, and again, i'm pretty sure thats a US gene.

Willow xx


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## violet1991 (Oct 3, 2008)

it does look like Merl doesn't it!! Maybe it's something new, certainly havn't heard/seen of it before, but then i've not been doing this long enough to know!!

VERY interesting though


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## Natasha (Apr 26, 2009)

Well I just asked the other breeder, I´ve got the Doe from, she said, she had these too very often. But she is a feeder breeder, and not in to genetics, so not so helpful either. 
But due to that, it could really be something genetic? Or is it just a freak of nature? :roll:


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## WillowDragon (Jan 7, 2009)

Personally I would breed her back to the daddy to see if it occurs again.

Is she healthy? Aslong as there are no health issues, I think this is a beautiful occurance and i'm sure other people will too.

Willow xx


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## razelamy (Jul 8, 2009)

I have an American brindle that's about thirteen months old, and she was a niec auburny brown with brown stripes and recently her spine down to her nose has turned black! She's beautiful and everything (even more so now), but I thought it was odd. Someone else said that it happened to their brindles, too.

Just thought I'd share a transmorphing story


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

WillowDragon said:


> It almost looks like Blue Merle on a dog! LOL
> 
> But I'm pretty sure merle mice are born that way and don't develop it, and again, i'm pretty sure thats a US gene.
> 
> Willow xx


Merle was found and developed in the US, but there are a few breeders on the Continent (primarily in Germany) who have or may have the gene. I don't breed merle, but from the ones I've seen at shows and online, the contrast in her fur isn't dark enough to be merle. Here is what a black merle that a friend of mine bred looks like: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4079/p8304956.jpg (that mouse is in Germany)


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## Natasha (Apr 26, 2009)

Jack Garcia said:


> Merle was found and developed in the US, but there are a few breeders on the Continent (primarily in Germany) who have or may have the gene. I don't breed merle, but from the ones I've seen at shows and online, the contrast in her fur isn't dark enough to be merle. Here is what a black merle that a friend of mine bred looks like: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4079/p8304956.jpg (that mouse is in Germany)


That is what I wanted to kow, if it is possible that we have this gene in Germany. Thanks for letting me know.

I think it could really be something genetic, because I just spoke with the breeder of the mother .... she had these "colorings" relative often in her mice, but like I said, she has no knowledge about genetiks, so it was more pure Luck, that one like this fall in a litter. :mrgreen: 
So now *BOTH breeders* have seen this coloring in there mice, so it is really possible, that it is something genetic!

Now someone has to tell me, if this is common in Merle, that they get there typical coloring, when they are about 8-10 weeks old?

Btw ... the spots got bigger.

Will take new Fotos of here, and hope she´ll grow to a good size, cause now she ist rather really small. 

When she is old enough, I will cross her back to her dad, and see if more of them turn up.

Thanks.

Natasha


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

Do you know Dr. Roland Fischer? He is the one with the merles in Germany (shipped them over from a friend of mine, Mike Chiodo). I can get you his contact information if you wish.


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## Natasha (Apr 26, 2009)

yes, that would be nice. Maybe he can answer my questions.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

Done!


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## JanA (Jun 8, 2009)

Natasha said:


> So, did anyone here, breeding spotted Mice ever had something like this?


Yes, Dave Bumford (is he on this forum?) had one just like this about fifteen years ago.

I don't think it was from spotted breeding, I think it was from self fawns (or possibly reds). We used to call it 'Watermark Mouse' for obvious reasons. 
If I remember correctly, he bred some litters from it but it never produced any like itself.


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## Maplewood Stud (Jan 2, 2009)

JanA
can u please post in the introduction section of the forum before posting anywhere else as this is a forum rule,
thank u


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