# a question about hair



## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

One of the babies from the gray girl that I posted the other day has really weird hair, almost wavy. He/she is a little less than 2 weeks old, but the difference in that ones hair is very noticable. it covers the babies whole body, not just here and there, like one of his/her siblings who only has it on the shoulder blades. The texture of it so much different than "standard" mouse hair.

I'm not sure of the difference between the hair types, so if someone could help me out, it would be great!! I will post a pic when his/her hair comes in a little more and when they have their eyes opened.


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

Theres several types of rex fur.
A picture would be helpful


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

I'm hoping one of these will be clear enough, they look clear on my laptop screen, so I'm hoping everyone else can see them clear too.


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

And her whiskers are all curly at the tips, unlike her siblings, which all have straight whiskers.


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## ian (Oct 3, 2008)

I dont know much about fur types like this but it is definately a genetic cause like texel.


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

Its a rex,but Im not sure what kind. (Rex, Texel, Caracul, Frizzy)
All standards call for them to have curly whiskers I beleive.


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

Would you need to know the genetics to know what kind she is? Or is it possible to know by looking at a picture when she is bigger?


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## nanette37 (Feb 1, 2010)

you're so lucky! i wish i could have a surpirse baby with that type of fur. its my favorite!


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

It should be easier to tell when older, since usually all types of rex start off with nice curls and it can be hard to tell them apart, until older.


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

Wow! Thank you everyone! I'm completely amazed by her... she is so pretty. I've been wanting one with different fur, but wasnt ready to start looking for one yet. It was a total shock when I was holding her this morning and saw her fur! Is that a gene that both parents have to carry to make pop up, or can one parent carry it? I'd like to make more, but I'm not sure if I should breed her to her daddy, or one of her brothersto their mommy? Or breed her to one of her brothers? I'm really not good at all with genetics, obviously! :lol: I wish i knew more about her parents background, it would help so much. I will post pictures as she grows.


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## nanette37 (Feb 1, 2010)

i think your best chances would be to breed her to the dad because he for sure carries the gene. breeding brother to mother might not give you any. same with breeding her to a brother. so you should breed the dad with her. that should give you some in the first generation  . correct me if im wrong!


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

Does the dad have fur like that? or has he produced any other offspring with fur like that?


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

This was the first time he has bred, and he has "standard" fur...

Should I try him with a different female?


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## nanette37 (Feb 1, 2010)

Erica said:


> This was the first time he has bred, and he has "standard" fur...
> 
> Should I try him with a different female?


i still think you should just breed him with the young rex girl you have. it should get you more. the probability is about 50% of them being rex. and all the babies will carry the gene so you can go from their


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

This could be a case of a Spontaneous recessive and you may or maynot be able to breed more. 
Theres both dominant and recessive types (& some semidominant) of curly coats, so it just might depend on what kind you have.


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

That makes sense too. Hmm... I wish his brother was breedable, unfortunately, that's the buck that has no testis. He might have been able to uncover a little more about it... of whether it is carried or just a once in a lifetime occurance. :lol:


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

Here, these websites might be able to help you more:
http://www.hiiret.fi/eng/breeding/genetics/coat.html
http://www.thefunmouse.com/varieties/coats.cfm


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

Thank you! Both sites were extremely informative, and I know what to look for now.


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## Erica (Apr 18, 2010)

Many thanks to windyhill for posting the two links. After carefully looking over all of the pictures and studying the mother and baby, it appears that she is a caracul. Her mother is too. I noticed when I got her that her fur was wavy, but didn't think too much of it. She has a wavy/plushy look to her. She definitely isn't the best example of that kind of coat, but you can see the waves in her fur. Thank you to everyone that helped.


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## windyhill (Jan 19, 2010)

Your very welcome! I was thinking caracul,but didnt know if the mom was or not.
Glad I could help


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

She's rex.


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## Lizzle (Apr 7, 2010)

As far as I know, the rex/texel/curly gene is recessive to the regular smooth-hair. You're so lucky to have one like that!


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

lizashley said:


> As far as I know, the rex/texel/curly gene is recessive to the regular smooth-hair. You're so lucky to have one like that!


A couple errors:

There is no single "texel" gene. The allele which creates angora is go/go and is recessive. The allele which creates Rex is Re/* and is dominant, as is the allele which creates Caracul, Ca/*. You need either go/go Re/* or go/go Ca/* to get texel. In other words, a texel mouse is a mouse who is angora AND Rex or angora AND Caracul (see note below).

Rex and Caracul are both dominant to standard fur, not recessive.

The confusion arises because what the UK calls "rex" the US calls "fuzzy" and the US has two genes at play which the UK calls "asterex," Re/* and Ca/*.

(note: You can also get a texel by using longhair instead of angora, but longhair is not very common in the US.)


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## sarahsnake (Oct 28, 2009)

i`m really confused now, i have had similar babies pop up in my mousery, and i`ve read the two links.
they contradict each other, so can anyone clarify for me which one is correct?

one states thatthe mice loose the curly coat as adfults, and the other says they stay curly.

mine have popped out of pet shop mice in a feeder colony.

the adults are normal haired, but i shall have a look later on when its foodtime and check for curly whiskers.

one pair has a litter of 10 and two are curly coated, the other pair have a litter of 5 and all are curly coated.

so if moms and dads have straight whiskers does it mean i have recessive genes going on?


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## JustMouse (Jul 23, 2010)

aww she's adorable. lucky.


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## Jack Garcia (Oct 9, 2009)

sarahsnake said:


> i`m really confused now, i have had similar babies pop up in my mousery, and i`ve read the two links.
> they contradict each other, so can anyone clarify for me which one is correct?
> 
> one states thatthe mice loose the curly coat as adfults, and the other says they stay curly.


Both are right to an extent. Rarely do the coats go "completely" flat, but also rarely do they maintain the tight curl you see with babies. It depends on the individual micee, really.



sarahsnake said:


> the adults are normal haired, but i shall have a look later on when its foodtime and check for curly whiskers.


I wouldn't be surprised if they're poor rex.



> so if moms and dads have straight whiskers does it mean i have recessive genes going on?


Probably. Fuzzy is fz/fz, but is much more tightly curled than Rex (or Caracul).


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## sarahsnake (Oct 28, 2009)

mom`s and dad`s are normal coat, and their whiskers are totally straight.

so what does that make my meecers?


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