# ID help? Tri-color, curled ears, and tan...



## Labwork (Jun 9, 2012)

I snagged this buck out of a feeder cage today because he was so interesting looking... he's definitely older, and has an odd swirled dark red and dark brown pattern ontop, very curled ears, and a tan belly. He's also got stray white hairs peppered over his face and body... what in the world is he? From this same feeder cage also came a Himalayan, several black tans, and a few dove rexes...


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

colorwise I'd say just a black tan with a very bad coat that could be due to age, or just very poor health. The eas *could* be something interesting...or again it could be related to age and/or poor health (a deficiency of some sort and/or dehydration). He doesn't look healthy.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Whoa; that is one nasty looking mousie. :!:

Sorry, that's my gut reaction; I have to agree; he doesn't look at all well formed or well at all, for that matter. I could be wrong and he just got hit several times with the ugly stick. He looks like he's two years old or more. I have three year old meeces that look better than this.The first thing I'd do is treat for mites, and put on a wheat-free diet with extra fats from safflower or linseed. I might give him a bath with water free shampoo and a brushing with a soft toothbrush. The fading in the coat is not a normal feature but something I see only in very, very old meeces. He's a black tan with serious condition problems at the very least.

If ever there were a mousie that needed a bunch of TLC, etc., this is one.

Good luck with this one. If nothing else, you can give him a comfortable life for whatever time he has left.


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## Labwork (Jun 9, 2012)

Thanks for the input! Yeah I had a feeling he was older, here's a pic of another that was in with him with nearly the same markings (which maybe you can tell if this is a skin/coat issue) - 









I'm gonna take good care of him, he wasn't bought with the intention of breeding or anything, I just though his markings/ear issues were interesting. He'll be getting a bath tonight for sure, haha. Thank you again!


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Make sure it is a DRY bath...do NOT get him wet!!

That mouse has a bad moult line. It happens often with older and/or unhealthy mice and in some colors.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Ah, yes, a weird moult cast. It happens.


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

I don't think he's ugly, just a very senior mouse in need of some TLC. I agree that that's a moult line on his back rather than some marking. The white stray hairs may be from age (grey) or strays from the headspot marking. Is he tame and friendly?


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

white hairs are not uncommon in mice, and they don't even need to be all that old for them to show up.

The mouse *looks* old...but keep in mind that just b/c he looks old, doesn't necessarily mean he is. Regardless of his age, he is in poor condition.


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

There was a thread somewhere on here about the faces mice make when they are uncomfortable. Curling the ears back and scrunching the face was one of these signs, i just mention it because in the second picture his ears don't look as curled, making me think that he has some control over it. We used to buy steers who'd had poor diets, they would grow in rough brown hair like your mouse here. And yeah, poor nutrition/condition can result in an older looking mouse, although with how big he his I would also assume an older mouse going through rough times. Good luck!


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

I don't think its curling the ears...its pinning them back...


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

^^^
Yeah, I think you're right. But his ears do look different in the second picture?


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

the second pic is a different mouse


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

Oops, my bad.


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