Standard Ear

Standard ear rats have the normal ear placement for the domestic fancy rat: ears set higher on the head, generally upright to slightly angled, and proportionate to the skull. The label is most useful when distinguishing them from dumbo ear rats, whose ears sit lower and farther out to the sides. Standard ear is not a color, coat, or separate breed, so these rats may be smooth-coated, rex, satin, harley, hooded, berkshire, albino, black, blue, chocolate, or many other varieties.

Management is the same as for other healthy pet rats, with attention to companionship, ventilation, cleanliness, enrichment, and gentle daily handling. Ear set by itself does not make a rat more active, smarter, or easier to train; those qualities depend on age, socialization, and family temperament. In breeding, standard ears commonly mask dumbo ancestry because a standard-eared rat may carry the dumbo trait. For buyers or adopters, ear shape is a matter of preference, while sexing, respiratory history, parasite checks, and compatibility with existing rats are more important.

Colors: Albino, Amber, Beige, Berkshire, Black, Blue, Champagne, Chocolate, Dalmatian, Himalayan, Hooded, Irish, Masked, Mink, Pearl, Platinum, Russian Blue, Siamese, Silver Fawn, Variegated