Colours
Agouti –
A ticked coat that is usually orange on the base of the hair strand and black on the tips giving the impression that the rat is brown in colour due to the ticked coat. Guard hairs are black. Eyes are also Black. Agouti is the colour most associated with wild rats.
Cinnamon – 
Cinnamon coloured rats have a ticked coat of grey (base) and brown (tips) giving the rat a chestnut or rusty brown coat colour. Guard hairs are brown. Eyes are Black.
Topaz (aka Fawn) – 
Topaz coloured rats have ticked (or banded) hairs. The base of the hair colour is grey while the tips are orange. The guard hairs are grey. Eyes are Ruby. NB – Not to be confused with Argente which has cream undercoat .
Argente –
Argente coloured rats have ticked (or banded) hairs. The base of the hair colour is cream while the tips are orange. The guard hairs are Orange. Eyes are Ruby. NB – Not to be confused with Topaz which has Grey undercoat .
Silverfawn –
(From L to R - Agouti, Topaz & Silverfawn)
Silverfawn is sometimes confused with Argente due to the cream and Orange ticked fur, however Silverfawns have a creamy silver guard hairs and Pink eyes.
Champagne –
Champagne has no ticking (banding) and is seen as a solid colour. Champagne colours can range from off white to beige with light coloured guard hairs. Eyes are pink. Sometimes hard to tell apart from PEW due to the champagne markings being light are sometimes hard to see.
PEW (Pink Eyed White)- 
PEW’s have no colour apart from white in their coats, colour appears solid. Eyes are Pink. Sometimes confused with Champagne if the coat is dirty.
BEW (Black Eyed White)
BEW’s are fairly new to Australia and are rarely seen although they are getting more popular. Their coats are white however some mismarking does happen where the ears and parts of the coat have small daps of colour. Eyes are Black.
Dove – 
The Dove colouring can range from pale silvery brown to almost blue tones. Guard hairs are grey. Can be confused with Mink at times. Dove coloured rats have ruby eyes.
Mink - 
Minks have a solid colour that tends to be a warm grayish brown. Guard hairs are the same colour as the coat. Minks range in colour variations from medium greys to warm silverfish browns. Can be confused with Dove. Minks have capping when molting and have Black eyes.
Black – 
This colour is not ticked and appears like a solid colour. Black colours tend to “rust” as the rats age which makes the black turn a dark brown. Guard hairs are black. Eyes are Black.
Blue –
Blue rats tend to have a distinct blue-grey colour coat, ranging from pale to gunmetal grey. Sometimes can get confused with Mink or Dove. Eyes are Black. NB - Blue Rats in Australia have been known to have bleeding issues. Due to this blue coloured rats are not common.
Tips when trying to determine the colour of your rats.
- Some colours are very hard to tell apart i.e. Dove and Mink. Be sure to check the eye colour as Minks have black eyes and Doves have Ruby. A bright light source may be needed.
- In colours like Topaz and Argente the undercoat colour is a determining factor. Topaz has grey while Argente has cream.