the euteleostei or euteleosts is a clade of bony fishes within the teleostei that evolved some 240 million years ago .

it is divided into the protacanthopterygii ( including the salmon and dragonfish ) and the neoteleostei ( including the lanternfish , lizardfish , oarfish , and the acanthopterygii ) .

the cladogram is based on near et al. ( 2012 ) and betancur-rodriguez et al. 2016 .

they explored the phylogeny and divergence times of every major lineage , analysing the dna sequences of 9 unlinked genes .

they calibrated ( set actual values for ) branching times in this tree from 36 reliable measurements of absolute time from the fossil record .

euteleostei

euteleostei <EOT> ( 27 ) euteleostei . mrca : lepidogalaxias , takifugu . hard minimum age : 149 ma . 95 % soft maximum age : 260 ma . prior setting : uniform distribution ( crown calibration ) . calibration source : broughton et al . [ 2 ] .

davis mp . evolutionary relationships of the aulopiformes ( euteleostei : cyclosquamata ) : a molecular and total evidence approach . in : nelson js , schultze hp , wilson mvh , editors . origin and phylogenetic interrelationships of teleosts . 2010 . münchen , germany : verlag dr . friedrich pfeil . pp . 317 - 336 .

with regard to the relationships of early euteleosts , our phylogenetic analyses support several results from previous molecular studies and a new result that places galaxiidae as the sister lineage of neoteleostei ( without stomiiforms ) [ bs = 95 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ( fig . 1 , and figs . s1 and s2 ) ] . lineages previously treated as “protacanthopterygians” ( 3 ) are polyphyletic in the molecular phylogeny because the alepocephaliforms ( slickheads ) are resolved in a clade containing clupeomorphs ( anchovies and herrings ) and ostariophysians ( catfish and minnows ) [ bs = 94 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ( 21 , 33 ) ] , the enigmatic freshwater australian species lepidogalaxias salamandroides is the sister lineage to all other euteleostei ( 15 , 23 ) [ bs = 100 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ( fig . 1 , and figs . s1 and s2 ) ] , salmonids ( trouts and salmon ) and esociforms ( pikes and mudminnows ) are resolved as a clade [ bs = 100 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ( 21 , 23 ) ] , and there is strong support for a clade containing stomiiforms ( dragonfishes ) , osmeriforms ( smelts ) , and retropinnids ( southern smelts ) [ bs = 100 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ( 23 ) ] . although most of these relationships were reflected in the species tree , lepidogalaxias was resolved as the sister lineage of galaxiidae ( fig . s3 ) . however , only one of the two gene trees ( rag1 ) that sampled both lepidogalaxias and galaxiidae resolved these lineages as sharing a common ancestor . the phylogenetic resolution of these early euteleost lineages using morphology is thought to have been hampered by a mosaic of highly modified and ancestral character states ( 3 , 13 ) . the relationships inferred in our trees provide a phylogenetic framework to investigate the evolution of morphological character state changes , which have proven difficult to use in the inference of relationships among early diverging euteleost lineages ( e . g . , ref . 34 ) .

edited by david m . hillis , university of texas , austin , tx , and approved july 19 , 2012 ( received for review april 22 , 2012 )

ray - finned fishes make up half of all living vertebrate species . nearly all ray - finned fishes are teleosts , which include most commercially important fish species , several model organisms for genomics and developmental biology , and the dominant component of marine and freshwater vertebrate faunas . despite the economic and scientific importance of ray - finned fishes , the lack of a single comprehensive phylogeny with corresponding divergence - time estimates has limited our understanding of the evolution and diversification of this radiation . our analyses , which use multiple nuclear gene sequences in conjunction with 36 fossil age constraints , result in a well - supported phylogeny of all major ray - finned fish lineages and molecular age estimates that are generally consistent with the fossil record . this phylogeny informs three long - standing problems : specifically identifying elopomorphs ( eels and tarpons ) as the sister lineage of all other teleosts , providing a unique hypothesis on the radiation of early euteleosts , and offering a promising strategy for resolution of the “bush at the top of the tree” that includes percomorphs and other spiny - finned teleosts . contrasting our divergence time estimates with studies using a single nuclear gene or whole mitochondrial genomes , we find that the former underestimates ages of the oldest ray - finned fish divergences , but the latter dramatically overestimates ages for derived teleost lineages . our time - calibrated phylogeny reveals that much of the diversification leading to extant groups of teleosts occurred between the late mesozoic and early cenozoic , identifying this period as the “second age of fishes . ”

ray - finned fishes ( actinopterygii ) are one of the most successful radiations in the long evolutionary history of vertebrates , yet despite the rapid progress toward reconstructing the vertebrate tree of life , only 5 % of the ray - finned fish phylogeny is resolved with strong support ( 1 ) . actinopterygii contains more than 30 , 000 species ( 2 ) , with all but 50 being teleosts ( 3 ) . compared with other large vertebrate radiations , such as mammals ( 4 ) or birds ( 5 ) , a general consensus on the phylogenetic relationships and timing of diversification among the major actinopterygian and teleost lineages is lacking ( 3 , 6 , 7 ) . this uncertainty about relationships has prevented the development of a comprehensive time - calibrated phylogeny of ray - finned fishes , which is necessary to understand macroevolutionary processes that underlie their diversity .

) , and unlike other clades of vertebrates , there has been no comprehensive effort to resolve the phylogeny of actinopterygians and teleosts using molecular data that sample multiple nuclear genes and include taxa that span the major lineages . despite the long history of using morphological data in the phylogenetics of ray - finned fishes , there are several areas of uncertainty and disagreement regarding some of the most fundamental relationships . first , there are two competing hypotheses on the phylogenetic relationships that reflect the earliest diversification of teleosts : either the osteoglossomorpha [ bony tongues (

) ] are the sister lineage of all other teleosts . second , the relationships of lower euteleosts ( e . g . , salmons , smelts , pikes , slickheads , and galaxiids ) , or “protacanthopterygians , ” has changed frequently as a result of phylogenetic analyses of different morphological datasets (

) to label the percomorpha as the “bush at the top of the [ teleost ] tree . ”

applications of molecular data to these three long - standing questions in teleost phylogenetics have yielded mixed results . for example , analyses of nuclear and mtdna gene sequences have supported all three possible relationships among osteoglossomorphs , elopomorphs , and all other teleosts [ i . e . , clupeocephalans (

we investigated phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of all major lineages of actinopterygii and teleostei using dna sequences of nine unlinked protein - coding nuclear genes sampled from 232 species . we used 36 well - justified absolute time calibrations from the fossil record of ray - finned fishes in relaxed - molecular clock analyses to estimate divergence times . phylogenies resulting from these analyses were well resolved , the majority of phylogenetic inferences were supported with strong node support values , were robust to inferences using new “species tree” methods , and provide a comprehensive molecular perspective on areas of long - standing disagreement and uncertainty in the relationships of teleost fishes . divergence times estimated from relaxed - molecular clock analyses yield a comprehensive time - scale of actinopterygian diversification that is remarkably close to ages inferred from the fossil record .

maximum - likelihood analyses of the nine nuclear gene dataset resolved 89 % of the 232 nodes in the actinopterygian phylogeny with bootstrap replicate scores ( bs ) ≥70 % and the phylogenies inferred using the bayesian method had 91 % of the nodes strongly supported posterior probabilities ( bpp ) ≥ 0 . 95 ( fig . 1 , and figs . s1 and s2 ) . relationships of nonteleostean actinopterygians were consistent with traditional morphologically - based inferences ( 6 ) with polypterids ( bichirs and ropefish ) resolved as the sister lineage of all other actinopterygians ( actinopteri ) in the relaxed - clock analysis ( fig . 1 ) . in addition , acipenseriformes ( sturgeons and paddlefishes ) were the sister lineage of neopterygii with strong support ( bs = 100 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ) , and holostei ( bowfin and gars ) was resolved as the sister lineage of teleosts [ bs = 100 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ( fig . 1 , and figs . s1 and s2 ) ] . these results contrast with earlier molecular studies that either resolved acipenseriforms and holosteans as an “ancient - fish” clade ( 31 ) or acipenseriforms and polypteriforms as a weakly supported clade ( 32 ) .

actinopterygian time - calibrated phylogeny based on nine nuclear genes and 36 fossil age constraints . bars represent the posterior distribution of divergence - time estimates . gray bars identify nodes supported with bpp ≥ 0 . 95 , and white bars mark nodes with bpp < 0 . 95 . nodes with age priors taken from the fossil record are marked with a “c . ” for full details on calibration see materials and methods and fig . s2 . the time - calibrated tree is scaled to the geological time scale with absolute time given in millions of years .

our results provide resolution to three of the most compelling questions in teleost phylogenetics . the molecular phylogeny resulted in the strongly supported position ( bs = 97 % , bpp = 1 . 00 ) of elopomorphs as the sister lineage of all other teleosts ( fig . 1 , and figs . s1 and s2 ) . this result is also strongly supported in a species tree analysis , which accounts for potential discordance among individual gene histories , with a bootstrap proportion of 100 % ( fig . s3 ) . evidence for osteoglossomorpha as the sister lineage of all other teleosts was based on the presence of a single character state in the caudal fin skeleton ( 9 , 10 ) . on the other hand , the hypothesis that elopomorpha is the sister lineage of all other teleosts was based on eight derived character - state changes identified from optimization of a matrix containing 135 discretely coded morphological characters ( 11 ) . our results strongly support the latter hypothesis , illustrating agreement between phylogenetic inferences from a robust morphological data matrix and our densely sampled nuclear gene dna sequence dataset .

one of the most important problems in vertebrate phylogenetics is the resolution of the major lineages of percomorpha . the phylogeny confirms several results presented in previous molecular analyses , including the resolution of ophidiiforms ( cusk eels ) and batrachoidids ( toadfish ) as early diverging percomorphs (

posterior distribution of molecular age estimates and patterns of calibration sharing across studies of ray - finned fish phylogeny . ( a ) posterior distribution of molecular age estimates , in millions of years , for 14 actinopterygian lineages , resulting from analyses of whole mtdna genomes ( blue ) , the rag1 nuclear gene ( orange ) , the rag1 nuclear gene using the calibrations from this study ( yellow ) , and the nine nuclear gene dataset presented in this study ( green ) . the circle represents the mean of the posterior estimate and the whiskers mark the upper and lower 95 % highest posterior density of the age estimates . gray boxes mark the oldest fossils for a given lineage , those with dashed lines were used as calibration age priors ( see materials and methods ) and those with solid black lines were not used as age calibrations . line drawings of ray - finned fish species are based on photographs of specimens housed at the peabody museum of natural history , yale university , new haven , ct . ( b ) frequency of calibrations shared between this study and those using whole mtdna genomes ( blue ) and the rag1 nuclear gene ( orange ) binned by the age of the fossil calibration in millions of years ( ma ) .

despite the apparent gap in the fossil record for early crown–group teleosts , we find that most major teleost lineages originated in a period spanning the late mesozoic into the early cenozoic ( figs . 1 and 2 a ) , which corresponds to patterns apparent in the fossil record ( 39 ) . we identify this interval as the “second age of fishes . ” the devonian age of fishes is characterized by the presence of all major vertebrate lineages referred to as “fishes , ” both living and extinct [ e . g . , ostracoderms , placoderms , acanthodians , chondrichthyans , and so forth ( 40 ) ] . although this period in time appears to mark the origin of crown actinopterygii ( figs . 1 and 2 a ) , it does not correspond to the divergence of the major lineages that comprise the bulk of living actinopterygian biodiversity . instead , the second age of fishes represents the interval in geologic time where these species - rich lineages ( e . g . , otophysians and acanthomorphs ) originated and eventually flourished , becoming the dominant vertebrate component of marine and freshwater habitats .

ray - finned fishes include half of the entire species richness of vertebrates ( 2 , 3 ) , but had ranked last , by a wide margin , in the degree of phylogenetic resolution offered by available dna sequence and genomic resources ( 1 ) . our phylogeny , based on a multilocus dataset , provides robust resolution and strong support across all major lineages of ray - finned fishes and teleosts . additionally , our divergence time estimates reconcile inferences from paleontology with those obtained from other studies that used molecular methods , providing a molecular time scale that is more consistent with ages implied by the fossil record . this comprehensive molecular perspective on the evolutionary diversification of one - half of all vertebrate species provides dna sequence data and calibration information from which to integrate resolution of clades at lower taxonomic levels ( e . g . , families ) and estimate ages of actinopterygian lineages that lack a fossil record .

standard phenol - chloroform extraction protocol or qiagen dneasy blood and tissue kits were used to isolate dna from tissue biopsies sampled from 232 ray - finned fish species ( table s2 ) . previously published pcr primers were used to amplify and sequence an exon from each of nine nuclear genes [ glyt , myh6 , plagl2 , ptr , rag1 , sh3px3 , sreb2 , tbr1 , and zic1 ( 22 , 41 ) ] . the genes were aligned by eye using the inferred amino acid sequences . no frame mutations or dna substitutions that resulted in stop codons were observed in the aligned dna sequences . the combined nine - gene dataset contained 7 , 587 base pairs .

twenty - seven data partitions were designated that corresponded to the three separate codon positions for each of the nine genes . a gtr + g substitution model was used in a portioned maximum - likelihood analysis using the computer program raxml 7 . 2 . 6 ( 42 ) run with the –d option . support for nodes in the raxml tree was assessed with a thorough bootstrap analysis ( option –f i ) with 1 , 000 replicates .

a species tree was inferred using gene tree parsimony implemented in the computer program igtp ( 43 ) . individual gene trees estimated using raxml were used as input files . several rooting strategies were used . the individual gene trees were rooted using erpetoichthys calabaricus or polypterus ornatipinnis , except in three cases when these species were not sampled for a specific gene . in these cases the individual gene trees were rooted using scaphirhynchus platorynchus , amia calva , or atractosteus spatula . a heuristic search using randomized hill climbing was performed to find the species tree that minimized the reconciliation cost for deep coalescence . this search was bootstrapped by performing it 100 times and bootstrap proportions for the resulting species trees were calculated using sumtrees in the dendropy package ( 44 ) .

for each fossil calibration prior , we identify the calibrated node in the ray - fin fish phylogeny , list the taxa that represent the first occurrence of the lineage in the fossil record , describe the character states that justify the phylogenetic placement of the fossil taxon , provide information on the stratigraphy of the rock formations bearing the fossil , give the absolute age estimate for the fossil , outline the prior age setting in the beast relaxed - clock analysis , and provide any additional notes on the calibration ( si text ) . each calibration is numbered and the phylogenetic placement of the calibration is highlighted in fig . s2 .

we thank t . - y . cheng and k . - t . shao of the biodiversity research museum , academia sinica ; j . friel of the cornell university museum of vertebrates ; p . a . hastings and h . j . walker of the scripps institution of oceanography ; k . p . maslenikov and t . w . pietsch of the burke museum of natural history and culture , university of washington ; and a . c . bentley and e . o . wiley of the biodiversity institute of the university of kansas for generous gifts of tissue specimens . j . s . albert , j . w . armbruster , l . bernatchez , t . m . berra , c . p . burridge , c . d . hulsey , s . lavoué , j . g . lundberg , m . miya , n . merret , p . j . unmack , k . watanabe , j . m . waters provided additional specimens ; c . m . bossu , r . c . harrington , p . r . hollingsworth , c . d . hulsey , b . p . keck , and the staff of the carribean research management of biodiversity biological research station in curaçao provided assistance in sampling expeditions ; gregory watkins - colwell assisted with museum collections . k . l . ilves provided insight on taxon sampling . this research was supported by the peabody museum of natural history and national science foundation grants deb - 0444842 , deb - 0716155 , deb - 0717009 , deb - 0732642 , ant - 0839007 , deb - 1060869 , deb - 1061806 , and deb - 1061981 ( to w . l . s . , p . c . w . , and t . j . n . ) ; and natural environment research council grant nerc ne / i005536 / 1 ( to m . f . ) .

author contributions : t . j . n . , r . i . e . , a . d . , j . a . m . , m . p . d . , p . c . w . , m . f . , and w . l . s . designed research ; t . j . n . , r . i . e . , a . d . , k . l . k . , p . c . w . , m . f . , and w . l . s . performed research ; t . j . n . , r . i . e . , a . d . , m . f . , and w . l . s . analyzed data ; and t . j . n . , r . i . e . , a . d . , j . a . m . , p . c . w . , m . f . , and w . l . s . wrote the paper .

data deposition : the sequence reported in this paper has been deposited in the genbank database ( accession no . jx190073 – jx191369 ) .

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researchers used field data from 2012 to 2015 to study mortality and allele frequency changes in the sea star pisaster ochraceus during a mass mortality event in northcentral california , and found that surviving adult and juvenile sea stars experienced 81 % mortality and allele shifts , according to the authors .

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a study of cognitive ability in norwegian males born from 1962 to 1991 suggests that environmental factors rather than changing genetic composition of families likely account for most of the change in norwegian population iq .

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betancur - r . r , broughton re , wiley eo , carpenter k , lópez ja , li c , holcroft ni , arcila d , sanciangco m , cureton ii jc , zhang f , buser t , campbell ma , ballesteros ja , roa - varon a , willis s , borden wc , rowley t , reneau pc , hough dj , lu g , grande t , arratia g , ortí g . the tree of life and a new classification of bony fishes . plos currents tree of life . 2013 apr 18 . edition 1 . doi : 10 . 1371 / currents . tol . 53ba26640df0ccaee75bb165c8c26288 .

department of biological sciences , the george washington university , washington , dc , usa .

oklahoma biological survey and department of biology , university of oklahoma , norman , ok , usa .

biodiversity institute and department of ecology & evolutionary biology , university of kansas , lawrence , ks , usa , biologist at the university of kansas .

department of biological sciences , old dominion university , norfolk , virginia , u . s . a . , international union for conservation of nature .

fishes , university of alaska fairbanks , fairbanks , alaska , united states of america , university of alaska museum .

key laboratory of exploration and utilization of aquatic genetic resources , shanghai ocean university , ministry of education , shanghai 201306 , china .

science division , johnson county community college , overland park , kansas , usa .

department of biological sciences , old dominion university , norfolk , virginia , usa .

department of biology and oklahoma biological survey , university of oklahoma , norman , oklahoma , usa .

department of biology and oklahoma biologcial survey , university of oklahoma , norman , ok , usa , ph . d . student .

department of biology and wildlife , university of alaska fairbanks , fairbanks , ak , usa .

department of biological sciences , the george washington university , washington , dc , united states .

department of biological sciences , george washington university , washington , dc , usa , research assistant .

school of biological sciences , university of nebraska - lincoln , lincoln , ne , usa .

biology , university of nebraska - omaha , omaha , nebraska , united states .

department of biological sciences , florida a & m university , tallahassee , fl , usa .

systematics and ecology and biodiversity institute , university of kansas , lawrence , kansas , usa , courtesy research professor and associated researcher .

this work was supported by nsf awards deb - 0732988 ( to reb ) , deb - 0732838 , deb - 1019308 ( to go and cl ) , deb - 0732819 ( eow ) , deb 0732589 ( tg ) , deb - 0732894 ( kc ) , deb 0963767 ( jal ) , and deb - 0732969 ( gl ) ; gwu selective excellence in diversity of life program ( to rbr ) ; leading academic discipline project of shanghai municipal education commission , project number s30701 ( cl ) . the biodiversity institute , university of kansas , provided financial support for the collection used in this study .

our view of the phylogeny and classification of bony fishes is rapidly changing under the influence of molecular phylogenetic studies based on larger and more taxonomically comprehensive datasets . classification schemes displayed in widely used text books on fish biodiversity ( e . g . , 2 , 3 ) have been based on loosely formulated syntheses ( supertrees ) and community consensus views of largely disconnected studies . the phylogenetic structure underpinning such classifications has many areas that are notably unresolved and poorly known , providing weak or no justification for many groups that , although formally recognized , are implicitly known to be polyphyletic ( e . g . percoids , perciforms , scorpaeniforms ) . a comprehensive phylogenetic tree for all major groups of fishes has been elusive because explicit analyses including representatives across their diversity have never been accomplished . detailed morphological cladistic investigations of fish relationships have typically focused on lower taxonomic scales and few attempts to synthesize morphology at higher taxonomic levels proved to be challenging and met limited success ( e . g . , 4 ) . a recent effort to systematically collect morphological synapomorphies from published records for all currently recognized groups resulted in the first teleost classification based on monophyletic groups 5 . this effort , however , did not produce a global phylogenetic hypothesis . similarly , molecular analyses have been limited and many times conflicting in terms of genetic coverage and taxonomic sampling .

this study is the main product of the euteleost tree of life project ( etol ) . a total of 21 molecular markers with a genome - wide distribution were examined , the majority of which were developed by etol using a genomic screen pipeline 25 . this pipeline compared the danio rerio and takifugu rubripes genomes to identify single - copy genes with long exons ( > 800 bp ) and divergence levels suggesting they evolve at rates appropriate for phylogenetic resolution among distantly related taxa . exons markers were sequenced from 11 nuclear genes previously published by our group ( kiaa1239 , ficd , myh6 , panx2 , plagl2 , ptchd4 ( = ptr ) , ripk4 , sidkey , snx33 ( = sh3px3 ) , tbr1b ( = tbr1 ) , and zic1 ) and three additional markers , including one intron ( hoxc6a ) and two exons ( svep1 , and vcpip ) , were newly developed for this study using the same approach . sequence data from seven additional markers , including etol markers ( enc1 , gtdc2 ( = glyt ) , and gpr85 ( = sreb2 ) ) or markers developed by others ( 16s mtdna , rag1 , rag2 , and rh ) , were generated for our previous studies ( e . g . , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 66 , 96 ) or obtained from ncbi , ensembl , or other genomic databases .

fish diversity is represented in the phylogenetic data matrix by a sample of 1410 bony fish species ( of ca . 31000 51 ) plus four tetrapod species and two chondrichthyan outgroups ( total 1416 terminals ) . the taxonomic sampling of bony fishes consists of 1093 genera ( of ca . 4300 ) , 369 families ( of 502 ; see below ) , and all traditionally recognized orders ( e . g . , 5 ) . our taxonomic sampling emphasizes representation of percomorph groups , with 1037 ( of > 15000 ) species in 201 families . all scientific names were checked against the catalog of fishes 51 . a complete list of material examined is given in table s1 .

* 1st and 2nd are primers for the first and nested / seminested ( optional ) rounds of pcr , respectively .

contigs were assembled from forward and reverse sequences using codoncode aligner v3 . 5 . 4 ( codoncode corporation ) , sequencher v4 ( gene codes corporation ) , or geneious pro v4 . 5 ( biomatters ltd . ) . exon markers were aligned individually based on their underlying reading frame in translatorx 52 using the mafft aligner 53 . the hoxc6a and 16s sequences were aligned with mafft v6 . 9 53 using 1000 iterations and the genafpair algorithm . because nested pcr is highly prone to cross - contamination , we vetted the data by visually inspecting individual gene trees estimated with the geneious tree builder algorithm in geneious . to qualitatively assess gene - tree congruence , the final gene alignments were analyzed under maximum likelihood ( ml ) in raxml using ten independent runs for each ; exon alignments were partitioned by codon position . alternative approaches to analyze combined data based on species - tree methods that account for gene - tree heterogeneity due to lineage sorting ( e . g . , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ) could not be applied to this dataset due to high proportion of missing data ( see results ) .

individual genes were concatenated using sequencematrix v1 . 7 . 8 58 or geneious . two datasets were assembled and analyzed separately , one including all 1416 taxa with sequence data from three genes or more ( 3 + dataset ) and a subset including 1020 taxa with sequence data from seven genes or more ( 7 + dataset ) . analyses of the 3 + dataset were performed under maximum likelihood ( ml ) using two partitioning schemes , a simple one determined arbitrarily with 5 data partitions ( 3 codon positions across all exons plus 16s and hoxc6a ) , and a more complex scheme with 24 partitions ( a combination of codon positions and individual genes plus 16s and hoxc6a ) indicated by partitionfinder 59 . to make the partitionfinder analysis scalable , a representative subset of 201 taxa was run under the bayesian information criterion 59 . the 7 + dataset was analyzed with the 24 - partition scheme only . analyses for both datasets and partition schemes were conducted in raxml using 30 independent replicates under the gtrgamma model . nodal support was assessed using the rapid bootstrapping algorithm of raxml with 1000 replicates estimated under the gtrcat model 60 , and the collection of sample trees was used to draw the bibartition frequencies on the optimal tree . all raxml analyses were conducted in the cipres portal v3 . 1 .

for comparison purposes , the 3 + dataset was also analyzed under implied - weighted parsimony 61 . the optimal tree search and bootstrap trees were set to run independently . gaps were treated as missing characters and all parsimony uninformative characters were ignored . a relatively mild value of k ( 20 ) was chosen arbitrarily due to computational limitations to explore sensitivity of the nodes to other weighting functions . tree searches were performed in tnt 1 . 1 63 using a driven - search strategy combining the following tree - search algorithms : ratchet , drift , sectorial searches and tree fusion . the exhaustiveness of the search parameters was self - adjusted every 2 hits of the current best score . to maximize tree - space exploration , the final searches implemented tree - bisection - reconnection ( tbr ) . a strict consensus of nine equally optimal trees ( length 407187 steps ; fit 7309 . 19 ) was computed . bootstrap search strategies were relaxed to ten random addition sequences and tbr , saving only one tree per replicate ( 1000 replicates ) ; bootstrap bipartition frequencies were drawn on the consensus tree .

the complete tree with 1416 taxa was time - calibrated under penalized likelihood ( pl 67 ) with treepl 69 . the pl model , which assumes rate autocorrelation , has been shown to perform poorly in simulation studies resulting in high stochastic error of divergence time estimates 70 . to ameliorate this problem , mean highest posterior density estimates of clade ages obtained with the subset in beast were imposed as fixed secondary calibrations for the pl analysis , rather than using primary calibrations with minimum and maximum age constrains . a total of 126 secondary calibrations were used for this analysis , including the ages obtained for all major groups in the tree as well as the nodes near which primary calibrations were defined . the rate smoothing parameter was set to 10 based on the cross - validation procedure and the χ 2 test in treepl ( four smoothing values between 1 and 1000 were compared ) .

based on the topology obtained ( figs . 1 - 10 , s1 ) we propose a new classification for ordinal and subordinal groups of bony fishes and subsequently discuss some of the most significant findings .

fig . 1 : main phylogenetic hypothesis of bony fish groups collapsed to depict higher - level clades .

the phylogenetic tree was estimated in raxml using the 3 + dataset ( 1416 taxa ) and 24 partitions with divergence times estimated under pl using 126 fixed secondary calibrations from the beast analysis ( see fig . 11 ) . terminal clades are either orders or supraordinal taxa with multiple orders included . values in parentheses indicate number of families examined . see also figs . 3 - 10 for relationship details on selected percomorph clades . the complete phylogeny with bootstrap support values and names for supraordinal taxa is in fig . s1 ) .

fish illustrations were obtained from fishes of the world ( nelson [ 2 ] ) and are reproduced with permission of john wiley & sons , inc . .

fig . 2 : sensitivity analyses for selected clades obtained in this study ( shown in figs . 1 , 3 - 10 ) and for selected alternative hypotheses .

for each case , we assess support from individual gene trees ( indicating whether the group was obtained ) or from the concatenated data sets ( indicating whether the group was obtained and showing boostrap support ) . for some gene trees , monophyletic groups ignore a few rogue taxa falling outside . n / a : insufficient taxonomic sampling to test hypothesis . 1 excluding gymnotiformes ( e . g . , saitoh et al . 77 ) ; 2 stomiatii ; 3 stiassny and moore 75 ; 4 nelson 2 and wiley and johnson 5 ; 5 shan and gras 47 ; 6 patterson and rosen 78 ; 7 arratia 79 ; 8 fink and fink 80 ; 9 nelson 81 ; 10 olney et al . 82 ; 11 johnson and patterson 4 ; 12 miya et al . 8 ; 13 johnson 83 ; 14 kaufman and liem 84 ; 15 gill 85 ; 16 acanthuriformes sensu tyler et al . 86 ( i . e . , acanthuriformes sensu stricto 87 plus scatophagidae and siganidae ) ; 17 jordan 88

the nomenclatural arrangement presented in appendix 2 builds on the existing classification by wiley and johnson 5 and intends to preserve names and taxonomic composition of groups whenever possible . however , adjustments are made to recognize new well - supported molecular clades , many of which also have been obtained by previous molecular studies ( several examples discussed below ) . order - level or supraordinal taxa are erected ( new ) or resurrected on the basis of well - supported clades only ( > 90 % bootstrap values ) . current taxon names supported by previous molecular or morphological studies are retained if congruent with our results , even if bootstrap support is low ( e . g . , osteoglossocephalai sensu arratia 79 with only 38 % bootstrap ) . in some cases , ordinal or subordinal taxa that were not monophyletic in our analysis are also validated , as long as the incongruence is not supported by strong bootstrap values . examples include the suborder blennioidei ( not monophyletic here but monophyletic in wainwright et al . 31 ) and the order pleuronectiformes ( not monophyletic here but monophyletic in betancur - r . et al . 28 ) .

our results ( appendix 2 ) invite comparison to the recent classification of wiley and johnson 5 based on morphological evidence gleamed from many investigators . of 123 clades recognized by them , 70 ( 56 . 9 % ) are congruent with bootstrap values > 95 % obtained in this study . five of these 70 clades are included in our sample by only one family and thus their monophyly is not critically tested . another six clades ( 4 . 9 % ) are congruent but are supported by lower bootstrap values ; seven additional clades ( 5 . 7 % ) are monotypic . forty clades ( 32 . 5 % ) are incongruent , with some being grossly polyphyletic in our tree . notable examples are protacanthopterygii , smegmamorpharia , and labriformes . others are incongruent based on exclusion of subclades and are rendered monophyletic in our classification by the addition or removal of smaller clades . examples include stomiatii ( inclusion of osmeriformes sensu stricto ) , otomorpha ( inclusion of alepocephaliformes ) , neoteleostei ( removal of stomiatiformes ) , and lampridiformes ( removal of stylephorus ) .

there is considerable consensus between morphology and the interrelationships of major clades . for example , the major cohorts of living teleosts and their interrelationships are congruent with the listing convention employed by wiley and johnson 5 ; this is also true within many of the major clades ( e . g . relationships within elopomorpha ) . but there is also incongruence . for example , relationships among early - branching acanthomorph groups differ considerably from previous morphological hypotheses ( e . g . , johnson and patterson 4 ) with lampridiforms , percopsiforms , zeiforms and gadiforms branching off basally relative to polymixiiforms . more explicit tests of new and alternative phylogenetic hypotheses based on multiple analyses of our dataset are presented in fig . 2 .

the following sections highlight some of the salient features of this global phylogeny and classification of bony fishes , especially in reference to well - established relationships and newly found clades among the euteleosts . we do not attempt to provide a complete account of all taxonomic issues , but to give some perspective and contrast to discuss the evidence supporting novel and established taxa .

our analyses support several recent hypotheses based on molecular data that contradict the consensus based on morphology 2 , 5 relative to the composition of “protacanthopterygians . ” although our results fall short of resolving with confidence circumscription and relationships among taxa in this group ( hence protacathopterygii is a sedis mutabilis taxon in our proposed classification ) , some relationships are well supported and consistent with previous studies ( fig . 1 ) . first , is the hypothesis that alepocephalid fishes ( slickheads ) have affinities within otomorpha , instead of argentiformes , as proposed by johnson and patterson 4 . this result was first proposed on the basis of mitogenomic data 10 , 41 , 100 , 101 and recently corroborated with a subset of the nuclear markers used in this study 29 . second , is the sister group relationship of osmeriformes and stomiatiformes ( = stomiiformes ) , first proposed by lópez et al . 21 based on mtdna and rag1 sequence data . finally , the position of lepidogalaxias at the base of the euteleosts rendering galaxiidae non - monophyletic also was proposed previously 102 , 29 and supported by our data ( see also fig . 2 ) .

a corollary of the increased resolution of percomorph relationships is the demise of the smegmamorpharia sensu johnson and patterson 4 ( see also wiley and johnson 5 ; fig . 2 ) . elements included in this supraordinal taxon are now scattered throughout the molecular phylogeny , placed within many of the newly found clades with high bootstrap support . for example , the pygmy sunfishes ( elassoma ) are back with the other sunfishes ( centrarchids ) , as suggested by earlier classifications and recently confirmed by molecules 30 . centrarchids plus elassomatids are placed here in the resurrected order centrarchiformes ( within percomorpharia , fig . 9 ) . mugiliforms ( mullets ) and atherinomorphs ( silversides , needlefishes , halfbeaks , guppies and allies ) are placed within ovalentariae ( fig . 8 ) . the swamp eels and spiny eels ( order synbranchiformes , suborders synbranchoidei and mastacembeloidei ) are placed with confidence in anabantomorphariae ( fig . 5 ) , together with armored sticklebacks ( indostomidae ) , one of the 11 families previously included in the order gasterosteiformes . the polyphyly of gasterosteiformes ( another large clade assigned to smegmamorpha ) was first pointed out by mitogenomic evidence 12 . our results place the sticklebacks , tubesnouts and sand eels ( previously assigned to gasterosteoidei ) in our newly defined perciformes ( suborder cottioidei ; fig . 10 ) and the rest of the families previously assigned to the suborder syngnathoidei were relocated to our newly defined order syngnathiformes within the scombrimorpharia ( fig . 4 , see below ) .

phylogenetic resolution within five newly discovered clades , however , will require additional study . relationships within syngnathiformes , scombriformes , carangimorphariae , ovalentariae , and percomorpharia may be challenging to recover given the rapid radiation and diversification of these clades .

based on a phylogeny estimated with four mitochondrial markers , thacker 33 resurrected the order gobiiformes , to accommodate three suborders : gobioidei ( gobies and sleepers ) , kurtidoidei ( nurseryfish ) , and apogonoidei ( including apogonids and pempherids ) . previous molecular studies have shown affinities between gobioids , apogonids , kurtids and , to some extent , pempherids and dactylopterids 8 , 11 , 16 . there is also morphological evidence supporting a close relationship between gobids and apogonids 108 , 109 as well as between kurtids and apogonids 110 . our results provide partial support for the gobiiformes sensu thacker 33 but we treat it here as a supraordinal group ( gobiomorpharia ) . a major difference is that our hypothesis segregates the family pempheridae ( sweepers ) to its own order ( pempheriformes , together with glaucosomatidae ) , within percomorpharia ( figs . 1 , 3 , 9 ) .

fig . 3 : detailed relationships among orders and families of gobiomorpharia ( see also fig . 1 ) .

fish illustrations were obtained from fishes of the world ( nelson [ 2 ] ) and are reproduced with permission of john wiley & sons , inc .

scombrimorpharia : sea horses and tunas are close relatives ( figs . 1 , 4 and 5 )

one of the most unanticipated new percomorph clades is the scombrimorpharia , grouping such disparate fishes as seahorses and tunas . this clade includes the newly circumscribed orders syngnathiformes ( fig . 4 ) and scombriformes ( fig . 5 ) . not surprisingly , a close relationship among taxa contained within this group , including syngnathids , mullids , callionymids , dactylopterids , scombrids , stromateids , an others , has never been proposed on morphological grounds . the syngnathiformes , as defined here ( fig . 4 ) , comprises mostly tropical marine reef - dwellers , traditionally placed in three distinct percomorph orders , including gasterosteiformes ( syngnathids ) , “perciformes” ( mullids and callionymids ) and “scorpaeniformes” ( dactylopterids ) . recent molecular studies have emphasized the non - monophyly of scorpaeniformes 74 . we have noted above the dissolution of gasterosteiformes 12 and , as discussed below , we provide a restricted definition for perciformes that includes many scorpaeniform taxa ( fig . 10 ) .

fig . 4 : detailed relationships among families of syngnathiformes ( see also fig . 1 ) .

our new order scombriformes ( fig . 5 ) includes most of the families previously grouped in the perciform suborder scombroidei 2 or the order scombriformes 5 , except for the barracudas ( sphyraenidae ) and the billfishes and swordfishes ( here placed in their own order , istiophoriformes ) . sphyraenidae and istiophoriformes are now firmly placed within carangimorphariae ( fig . 7 ) together with disparate taxa such as remoras ( echeneidae ) , archer fishes ( toxotidae ) , jacks ( carangidae ) , flatfishes ( pleuronectiformes ) , and others ( see below ) . because billfishes and tunas are not closely related as previously suggested by anatomical studies 83 ( fig . 2 ) , the new hypothesis implies that endothermy has evolved at least twice independently in teleosts 111 , 112 . this new circumscription of scombriformes also comprises families belonging to multiple orders in previous classifications , such as stromateiformes ( centrolophidae , nomeidae , ariommatidae , stromateidae ) , trachiniformes ( chiasmodontidae ) , icosteiformes ( icosteidae ) , and perciformes ( bramidae , pomatomidae , and caristiidae ) . despite the disparate morphology among members of scombriformes , most are offshore fishes that inhabit pelagic and / or deep - sea waters .

fig . 5 : detailed relationships among families of scombriformes ( see also fig . 1 ) .

another major percomorph group proposed here is the series carangimorpharia , including three subseries : anabantomorphariae , carangimorphariae , and ovalentariae ( fig . 1 ) . species in anabantomorphariae include representatives placed in three separate orders by wiley and johnson 5 : synbranchiformes ( swamp eels ) , gasterosteiformes ( indostomus , the armored stickleback ) , and anabantiformes ( gouramis ) ( fig . 6 ) . while the first two orders belonged to the smegmamorpharia 4 , 5 , the anabantiformes were placed as incertae sedis in percomorphacea 5 . the monophyly of anabantomorphariae has also been supported on the basis of mitogenomics 8 , 11 , 12 and nuclear markers 28 . a remarkable condition shared by members of this novel grouping is their mostly freshwater origin and restriction to africa and south east asia ( although some members in the family synbranchidae occur in mexico , and central and south america ) . most are able to occupy marginal , stagnant waters due to their capacity to tolerate anoxia and to obtain oxygen directly from the air . anabantiforms have a suprabranchial organ and synbranchids have suprabranchial pouches with respiratory function .

fig . 6 : detailed relationships among orders and families of anabantomorphariae ( see also fig . 1 ) .

a close affinity between other seemingly disparate groups , including barracudas , swordfishes , jacks , flatfishes , and others , has been well established by recent molecular studies 10 , 16 , 19 , 24 , 27 , 28 , 112 ( fig . 7 ) . this higher - level group has been referred to as ‘‘clade l’’ sensu chen et al . 19 or carangimorpha by li et al . 24 ( see also 27 , 28 ) . in looking for possible anatomical synapomorphies uniting flatfishes , billfishes , and carangids , little et al . 112 found that most taxa share a relatively low number of vertebrae , have multiple dorsal pterygiophores inserting before the second neural spine , and lack supraneurals , among others . however , according to friedman 113 , some of these characters are symplesiomorphies while others are absent in the remaining carangimorph groups . it thus seems paradoxical that despite the apparent lack of morphological synapomorphies for carangimorphs there is a strong molecular signal supporting their monophyly , whereas the opposite is true for pleuronectiforms 28 . for additional insights and discussion on carangimorphariae we refer the reader to recent studies 24 , 27 , 28 , 112 , 113 .

fig . 7 : detailed relationships among orders and families of carangimorphariae ( see also fig . 1 ) .

values in parentheses indicate number of genera examined ( see also betancur - r . et al . 28 ) .

ovalentariae is one of the most spectacular percomorph radiations , including more than 5000 species in some 44 families , grouping seemingly distinct groups such as cichlids , mullets , blennies , and atherinomorphs ( atheriniforms , beloniforms , and cyprinodontiforms ) . this clade was first found on the basis of mitogenomic evidence 8 , 12 and later confirmed with nuclear sequence data 23 , 24 , 26 , 31 . our results suggest that this group can be divided into four subgroups ( superorders ) , two of which already existed ( atherninomorphae and mugilomorphae ) and two that are new : ( i ) cichlomorphae ( cichlidae plus pholidichthyidae ) and ( ii ) blennimorphae ( blennioids plus clingfishes , jawfishes and basslets ) . many families in ovalentariae , however , remain incertae sedis ( e . g . , embiotocidae and pseudochromidae ) . two different studies have coined a name for this group ; first stiassnyiformes by li et al . 24 and , more recently , ovalentaria by wainwright et al . 31 for their characteristic demersal , adhesive eggs with chorionic filaments ( lost secondarily in some groups ) . an interesting implication of this phylogenetic hypothesis is that the pharyngeal jaw apparatus ( pharyngognathy ) , present in many members of this clade ( e . g . , cichlidae , pomacentridae , hemiramphidae ) , has evolved multiple times in percomorphs 31 . we refer the reader to wainwright et al . 31 for additional discussion on ovalentariae .

fig . 8 : detailed relationships among orders and families of ovalentariae ( see also fig . 1 ) .

values in parentheses indicate number of genera examined ( see also wainwright et al . 31 ) . many clades lacking taxonomic annotations on nodes are incertae sedis taxa ( for details , see classification ) .

percomorpharia is by far the largest percomorph clade , including 11 orders with some of the most prominent ones such as perciformes , labriformes , lophiiformes , and tetraodontiformes . at least 151 families ( 105 examined ) belong in percomorpharia , including three of the top ten most diverse families of fishes ( i . e . , labridae , serranidae , and scorpaenidae ) 2 . more than one third ( 514 ) of the species in our bony fish phylogeny are placed in this clade . previous molecular studies obtained monophyletic groups with a combination of taxa here assigned to percomorpharia , but with far more limited sampling ( e . g . , 8 , 11 , 16 , 74 ) . although most family - level and ordinal groups within percomorpharia receive high bootstrap support , interrelationships among them are largely unresolved ( hence , the new bush at the top ; fig . 9 ) . several of these groups are newly proposed or resurrected orders under new circumscription ( e . g . , uranoscopiformes , ephippiformes , pempheriformes ) . our new arrangement removes anglerfishes ( lophiiformes ) from paracanthomorphacea , as was suggested by previous classifications 78 , and places them close to tetraodontiforms , caproids , acanthuriforms , chaetodontids , pomacanthids , ephippids and others ( see also 87 , 114 , 115 ) . the largest group within percomorpharia is the order perciformes .

fig . 9 : detailed relationships among orders and families of percomorpharia ( the new bush at the top ; see also fig . 1 ) .

values in parentheses indicate number of genera examined in each terminal family or number of families and genera , respectively , in each terminal order . see also fig . 10 for expanded relationships on perciform groups . many clades lacking taxonomic annotations on nodes are incertae sedis taxa ( for details , see classification ) .

for the first time , a monophyletic definition of perciformes can be recovered from phylogenetic analysis of a comprehensive taxon sampling . the new circumscription of perciformes reduces significantly the number of included taxa , while retaining remarkable diversity that can be organized into several suborders and infraorders . nelson’s classification 2 included 160 families in perciformes , making it the largest order of all vertebrates . our definition indicates unambiguous membership for 38 families and uncertain membership for an additional 42 that were not examined in our study but that have been assigned to either “perciformes” ( 10 ) , “scorpaeniformes” ( 14 ) , cottiformes ( 8 ) , or trachiniformes ( 1 ) in previous classifications 2 , 5 . hence , the maximum possible number of families in the newly defined perciformes is reduced to 71 . this number is closer to the 90 families proposed by wiley and johnson 5 for their perciformes , but with a very different composition .

for a long time , perciformes has been regarded as a “taxonomic waste basket” 2 , 5 with ‘‘percoids’’ scattered throughout percomorpha and no clear phylogenetic distinction among percoidei , perciformes , and percomorpha 74 . earlier molecular studies lacked sufficient sampling to resolve phylogenetic questions among “percoids , ” but close relationships among groupers ( serranidae ) , perches ( percidae ) , sticklebacks ( gasterosteidae ) , searobins ( triglidae ) , icefishes ( notothenioidei ) , sculpins ( cottoidei ) , eelpouts ( zoarcoidei ) and scorpionfishes ( scorpaenoidei ) have been obtained in one form or another , and in different combinations , by several authors 16 , 19 , 20 , 23 , 24 , 29 , 74 , 116 . all of these taxa are included in our definition of perciformes ( fig . 10 ) .

within perciformes , we tentatively propose suborders ( notothenioidei , scorpaenoidei , trigloidei , cottoidei ) for clades with high support that also represent some well - established groups , but two incertae sedis ( percophidae and platycephalidae ) , and several unexamined families remain unclassified . additional taxon sampling and more data are needed to resolve interrelationships among these taxa . four suborders / infraorders were recognized as separate orders by wiley and johnson 5 : percoidei , scorpaenoidei , cottioidei , and gasterosteales ( an infraorder of cottioidei ) .


the fancy rat is a domesticated rat ( rattus norvegicus ) , which is the most common breed among pet rats .

the name fancy rat derives from the idea of animal fancy ( promotion of domesticated animals ) or the phrase " to fancy " ( to like , or appreciate ) .

fancy rats have their origins as the targets for blood sport in 18th - and 19th-century europe .

specially bred as pets since then , fancy rats now come in a wide variety of colors and coat types and are bred and raised by several rat enthusiast groups around the world .

fancy rats are commonly sold as pets in stores and by breeders .

domesticated rats are physiologically and psychologically different from their wild relatives , and — when acquired from reputable breeders and shops — pose no more of a health risk than other common pets .

for example , domesticated brown rats are not considered a disease threat , while exposure to wild rat populations could introduce pathogens like salmonella into the home .

fancy rats experience different health risks from their wild counterparts , and thus are less likely to succumb to many of the same illnesses as wild rats .

fancy rats care for themselves , and are thus very affordable compared to even other small pets .

this is one of the biggest draws to them .

additionally , fancy rats are quite independent , loyal and easily trained , earning them comparison to both cats and dogs .

this comparison is merited given fancy rats are considered more intelligent than any other domesticated rodent .

wild-caught specimens that become docile and bred in many generations still fall under fancy type .

fancy rat

fancy rat <EOT> national fancy rat society . articles and information on the health of fancy rats .

the following is a brief description of the rat markings as recognized by the american fancy rat and mouse association . see fancy rat genes : marked for genetics .

fancy rat faq - 13 . can two males co - exist in one cage ?

oscar the fancy rat ( petsitters club s . ) : tessa krailing : 9780590195256 : urltoken books

the proper usage of fancy is the keeping of pet rats the name fancy rat derives from the idea of animal fancy or the phrase , " to fancy " ( to like , or appreciate ) " fancy " , regular , feeder and breeder rats are really all the same . dumbos are just ear placement , and they only grow bigger if they are genetically bigger or if they are fed well .

the fancy rat population today descended from the " brown rat " latin name rattus norvegicus , that colonized europe in the 18th century .

lissenberg , j . ( 2006 ) fancy rats . rebo publishers , the netherlands .

the american fancy rat and mouse association , a california - based non - profit club of rodent enthusiasts that sets breed standards , organizes shows , and helps to promote both the fancy rat and the fancy mouse as appealing pets , was formed in 1983 . the afrma claim their main objective is to “promote and encourage the breeding and exhibition of fancy rats and mice for show and pets . ” being held annually on november 12th of every year , fancy rat & mouse day is sponsored by afrma , with the aim of popularizing raising and breeding fancy mice and rats as pets and companions .

the following is a brief description of the rat varieties ( coat , body , ear types ; rats do not come in breeds ) as recognized by the american fancy rat and mouse association . see fancy rat genes : coats & misc . for genetics .

but what is a fancy rat ? a fancy rat is a rat who has been bred to conform to a written standard . its coat , color , conformation , size , and personality all were taken into account by its breeder in an attempt to create an ideal show animal . in other words , the term “fancy rat” is the equivalent of saying “pure - bred dog . ” today’s fancy rats are as far distanced from wild rats as poodles are from wolves .

interactions within groups of fancy rats : how to introduce new animals to an existing group etc . .

kelly , jasey . " hairless vs . fancy rats for pets " accessed july 09 , 2018 . urltoken

environment : the fancy rat can be found on every continent aside from antarctica . it is the most successful mammal only second to humans .

at london & southern counties mouse & rat club shows the rats are judged to the standards published by the national fancy rat society , apart from the lscmrc unstandardised class .

as the fancy rat’s popularity has grown , so has its availability . most colors and coat types are available anywhere in the u . s .

the rat and mouse club of america identifies four main varieties of rats : standard , rex , hairless and tailless . in addition , the american fancy rat and mouse association recognizes satin and dumbo rats . the national fancy rat society recognizes many varieties , but it has banned tailless and hairless rats from exhibition in the united kingdom .

if the ville rat takes your fancy , why not broaden your reading tastes further , starting with pulpcurry’s article five great crime novels set in asia ? ville rat is out 6 october .

senses fancy rats have limited vision , and rely on their keen senses of smell and hearing to perceive their world .

kelly , jasey . " hairless vs . fancy rats for pets . " animals - urltoken , http : / / animals . urltoken / hairless - vs - fancy - rats - pets - 2436 . html . accessed 09 july 2018 .

kelly , jasey . ( n . d . ) . hairless vs . fancy rats for pets . animals - urltoken . retrieved from http : / / animals . urltoken / hairless - vs - fancy - rats - pets - 2436 . html

" any other varieties " of fancy rats include topaz , lilac agouti , cinnamon pearl and silver fawn . these names point to each rat ' s coloration .

lifespan of the fancy rat ; some common medical problems and what to do about them ; things your vet may not know about rats ; safety - precautions if taking on an orphaned wild rat .

hello ! i actually breed fancy rats ( pet rats ) and i ' m here to tell you that , where there are some definitive differences , fancy rats really aren ' t all that biologically different from their wild cousins . both fancy rats and wild rats are descendants of the norway rat , and thus have a lot of similatities , however , due to years of domestication , also have many differences . one of the biggest differences is that fancy rats have a lot fewer adrenal glands than wild rats do . this causes them to be calmer , and less aggressive than their wild relatives . as well , fancy rats are a fair bit smaller than most wild rats and come in a much wider array of colorations . wild rats are generally grey , brow or black as they need too bland in with their surroundings , whereas fancy rats come in all sorts of variations from spotted , striped , siamese , hooded , and so many more . there are a number of mutations of the standard fancy rat including the rex ( similar to a rex rabbit ) hairless , and dumbo ! fancy rats are highly intelligent and very social animals who make amazing companion animals . i own 3 adult rats ( all of which are rescues ) and currently have a litter of 7 babies . now , with all of these differences aside , fancy rats and wild rats are still quite similar . if you raise a wild rat in captivity , then it can turn out to be just as amazing a pet as a fancy rat . and , if you release a fancy rat into the wild , it will learn to survive as a wild rat . two of my adult rats are fancy rats , however my 3rd ( meeko ) is actually a wild rat . meeko was raised in captivity just like a fancy rat would be , and where i can see some differences between her and my other two ( she is larger and more active ) she is still just as much of a treasured family member as the others are . ultimately , the main difference between fancy rats and wild rats is how they are raised .

fancy rats were first bred since the 18th century and have evolved to be very different in disposition , temperament and even coloration than ordinary wild rats . for example , while a wild rat may be either black or brown a fancy rat can sport a multitude of colors , such as white , cinnamon or even having a blue hue .

a rat graps another rat ' s skin in its teeth and attempts to pull the rat in a particular direction .

introduction : the fancy rat is the typical rat that is sold in pet stores and seen in homes . it is the most common species of pet rat . i decided i would study the rat because it was accessible and also carries a rich history . the rat that i studied was located in the glen apartments . the rat is female and is named “rossi” .

the hairless rat is simply a rat with mutated genes resulting in a bald rat with smooth , soft skin . they may have some hair around the genitals in some cases . fancy rats and hairless rats have much of the same care requirements and temperament .

nom - ology a study in rat nutrition . urltoken confessions of a rat breeder urltoken

the tailless rat is sometimes called the manx rat , a nod to the tailless manx cat . in fact , a tailless rat sometimes has a hint of a tail or a short , furry stub where the tail would be . the national fancy rat society has banned exhibition of the tailless rat because a rat ' s tail helps him regulate his body heat and is considered necessary for robust health .

special needs fancy rats have front teeth that never stop growing - - so they need lots of healthy things to chew on like treat sticks .

fancy rat & mouse day gives us the opportunity to celebrate these beautiful creatures . not to be confused with wild ( black ) rats , the fancy rat is the domesticated brown rat ; while the fancy mouse is the domesticated form of the house mouse . both can be very smart and affectionate and make ideal pets , particularly for children ( especially since there is much less looking after than with a dog , cat or rabbit ! ) . but don’t let that make you think the members of the fancy rat and mouse association take their fancy rats and mice less seriously than they would take any other pets ! fancy rat and mouse breeders and enthusiasts head to california several times a year , where professionally bred varieties are judged on a range of categories . it is , in reality , a serious business . karen robbins , afrma’s spokeswoman , makes a convincing argument for the pets , saying , “rats are very intelligent and can be trained like dogs . they are clean like cats—always washing themselves—and are very personable . they know their owners and want to be out with them . ”

a little background about rossi… i have spent the past few weeks observing the behavior and mannerisms of a certain female fancy rat named “rossi” ( short for rossi roo ) . rossi is known as a hooded fancy rat because of the breed’s coat . the rat as white except for its “hood” which is dark brown and covers all of her head and some of her back . her tail and her paws are light pink .

over the next 45 years interest in fancy rats was very sporadic . several times there were people interested in starting rat clubs ; however , there was never enough support to really have a go at it . 1976 was the turning point . in january of that year the national fancy rat society was founded . this was the first ever “rats only” organization . it set standards , published a newsletter , and held shows . since 1976 interest in fancy rats has grown enormously , and many new varieties have been found and standardized .

fancy rats enjoy living together in pairs . it is best to house two females together , as two males may become territorial . they are the smartest of all small pets , and can learn their names and simple tricks . they have tons of energy and are really fun to watch . fancy rats enjoy running on wheels and in exercise balls . calm , curious and fun - loving , fancy rats love to play and interact with their pet parents .

one rat runs away from the other , the second rat may or may not pursue .

more photos of each rat shown can be seen by clicking the rat ' s name .

domestication : domestic mice originated from stocks captured in china , japan and europe and developed into fancy mice . these fancy mice were found in pet shops in the 20th century , and were developed into laboratory mouse strains . fancy mice are primarily descended from m . musculus domesticus , with a little admixture of the other three subspecies . as such , domestic mice do not represent one of the single subspecies , but are a mixture of all four . ( silver , 1995 ) .

the domestic or fancy rat is descended from the brown rat ( also known as the norwegian rat ) and is thought to have originated from asia moving into europe in 1553 and then onto the us in 1775 . it lives in burrows and is a good swimmer and can often be found inhabiting sewers .

in 1901 miss mary douglas , the “mother of the rat fancy , ” wrote to the n . m . c . and asked whether they would consider opening their doors to rats . the n . m . c . agreed , and the first classes for fancy rats were staged in the fall of 1901 . by 1912 there was enough interest in rats that the club’s name was officially changed to the national mouse and rat club .

fancy rats are social . a pet rat left in the wild for an extended period of time may learn fear and appear nervous , but if they were handled by their previous owners , they are quite likely to come

kuramoto t , yokoe m , yagasaki k , kawaguchi t , kumafuji k , serikawa t . genetic analyses of fancy rat - derived mutations . exp anim . 2010 ; 59 ( 2 ) : 147 - 55 .

meet mouse , the agouti hooded rat ! photo courtesy of laurel l . of pet rat lovers !

hairless rat babies ; males help raise babies ; pedigreed rat ; babies savagely killed / tailless mice .

a rat will rarely bother the incision of another rat unless she is an obsessive groomer or barber .

ou breed what ? i’m used to that response now , and i can’t really blame people . most have never even heard of fancy rats . when you say rat most people picture either wild rats or the pink - eyed domestic rats sold for years as snake food in pet shops . i’ll admit this vision of rats is not particularly appealing and i can almost understand their dislike of such creatures . they have never met a fancy rat .

dumbo rats are rumored to be the sweetest & most gentle of the fancy varieties . can this be true ? amazingly , the answer is a resounding " yes ! "

if you find that your rat has a unique or odd marking , see if you can match it up with other known markings ! every year , new mutations occur within the pet fancy rat trade . whether or not the breeder or owner has knowledge of it , it could start a new trend in rat markings ; much in the way that the popular down under rat has !

go to afrma official rat standard go to rat type issues - judging 101 for examples of type problems .

to read more about bruxing and to hear rat sound samples , go to the norway rat vocalizations page .

to read more about chattering and to hear rat sound samples , go to the norway rat vocalizations page .

meet sativa , the fawn hooded red rat ! photo courtesy of laurel l . of pet rat lovers !

occasionally , the furry rat will scratch the hairless rat when in close proximity—though not necessarily due to fighting .

dry the rat with a towel , and move the rat to a clean cage to let him dry .

the hairless rat is bald with pink , thin skin that is nearly translucent . if he has whiskers , they are short and curly . his hairlessness is caused by a genetic mutation , and people with fur allergies might appreciate his baldness . the national fancy rat society says the lack of fur makes this rat susceptible to cold and injury .

copyright © 1995–2018 american fancy rat and mouse association all text , artwork , and photos are copyright to afrma , and / or the author , artist , or photographer . unauthorized copying of any part constitutes a breach of copyright law .

in addition to the more well known varieties , the national fancy rat society recognizes at least 21 new varieties . these have poetic or exotic names such as powder blue , quick silver , cinnamon chinchilla , russian pearl and sable burmese .

the term " fancy " refers to the fact that they are completely domesticated , and come in a wide variety of colours , patterns and coat types not found in wild rats .

some people may fancy rats as pets , but for the most part , a rat in the house is not considered a good thing . rats have been plaguing humans - - and giving them the plague - - for thousands of years .

this article is from the rat health care booklet . order one today ! check out the info at rat books

today , both phil and perry abramenko are the government of alberta’s rat and pest specialists overseeing the rat control program .

the rex fancy rat has a curly coat and whiskers . his dense , soft coat comes in many colors , and it lacks the guard hairs that make rat fur coarse . this unusual coat makes him a good pet for people who are allergic to other rats , according to the book " pet rats . "

the rat fancy is relatively young in the united states . the first u . s . club , the mouse and rat breeders association , appeared in 1978 . in 1983 the american fancy rat and mouse association originated . since that time rats have been imported from england so that the u . s . now has all the varieties available overseas . fanciers in the u . s . have also been responsible for originating a number of their own varieties . there are now several clubs in the united states , and many more worldwide catering to rats ( and mice ) .

may occur when a sidling rat makes physical contact with another rat . using the broadside of its body , the sidling rat presses against the second rat . the sidling rat may tuck his head town , sometimes as far down as between his front paws ( possibly to protect it ) , or under the second rat ( possibly to gain leverage ) . the second rat may reciprocate , such that both rats push against each other . alternatively , the second rat may be pushed back . if the encounter happens on a ledge , the pushing rat may maneuver the second rat off the ledge .

wild rats can be found all over europe , although they originated in asia . the population spread across the world when the rats were sneaky stowaways on merchant ships . the domestic or fancy rat is descended from the brown rat ( also known as the norwegian rat ) and is thought to have originated from asia moving into europe in 1553 and then onto the us in 1775 .

over the last 100 years interest in the fancy rat has waxed and waned ; however , in the last 15 years the popularity of fancy rats has skyrocketed . people have discovered that they are bright , intelligent , affectionate , gentle , and make wonderful pets . they don’t bite , don’t bark , never leave fur all over the house , and are easy and inexpensive to care for . many people today don’t have the time , energy , or money to own a dog . a rat is the next best thing .

belly up roll by henry ( black and white rat ) under harvey ( black rat ) . photo courtesy of jon lyman

rat forum > rat related forums > caring for accidental litters > ethical breeding . . . what you should know before breeding

staples and clips resist casual exploration by the rat , but can be removed with minimal skin damage by a persistent rat .

bucsis and somerville : training your pet rat , barron ' s books , 2000 . basic rat care and training information .

there are many " types " of fancy rats - different colours , different coat types , even rats with different ears , no hair , or tailless rats . because our laws do not allow rats to be brought into australia , some of these types are found only overseas . australia has developed a unique type of fancy rat , known as the " downunder " rat . although we cannot import rats , we can export them , so downunder rats are now found throughout the world , including the usa , uk and parts of europe .

rat molars are similar to the molar depicted in figure 2 . rat incisors , however , have a single , open , root that continues to grow throughout the rat ' s life .

henry ( black and white rat in foreground ) bounds after willy ( brown rat in background ) . photo courtesy of jon lyman

rat babies - 1 day old - picture guide of a litter of 1 - day - old rat babies by karen robbins .

you can submit your rat for rat of the week by sending a photo and a little story about your rat by email or snail mail to the addresses at the bottom of the page .

i think " fancy " rats is a term gave mainly by pet shops . in their thoughts it means a different color other than agouti , blacks , albino , and hooded rats . . most of the time their fancy are also dumbo - eared . , but not always . around here fancy rats can be american blue ( any markings ) , dumbo or top eared . the feeder rats around here ( in the past ) were blacks and albino . . . now there is a feeder breeder , breeding dumbos for food purpose though . i don ' t believe breeders use the words fancy . . . because most view rats as equals . i also have heard from pet owners that they think the dumbo rats get bigger . both dumbo and top ears can get the same size . i hope i understood the question . . . . - hilary

coat : fancy rats can be found in a wide and varying array of colors ; m ost commonly seen in solid colors or with hooded markings . some fancy rats will retain the wild brown agouti color , 3 tones on a single hair ; others have black based hair , one color on one hair . some common agouti shades include agouti , cinnamon , and fawn . black based shades include black , beige , and chocolate .

one male rat " srr - do your best " was introduced from american fancy rat colony ( spoiled ratten rattery : srr , in kansas city , missouri ) to kyoto university on july 13 , 2005 . inbreeding started from f1 progeny of male " srr - do your best " and a female pvg / seac . ( sep 25 , 2009 )

when introducing a new rat to a group of rats , usually only the dominant resident rat will be aggressive toward the newcomer at first . this is the dominant rat’s “job . ” once the new rat is accepted by the dominant rat , the others may show some aggression in turn , but it usually won’t be as severe .

while we will never be able to have a model that fully replicates the extent of the our own complex physical and behavioural state , the fancy rat has greatly progressed our understanding of many different diseases and disorders , and they will likely continue to provide a very valuable contribution to research .

try to prevent your rat from eating anything in excess and he should be fine . some foods to avoid giving your rat include :

habitat your fancy rat needs a well - ventilated wire home with a solid floor . it should be large enough for a food dish and water bottle , a hiding house and climbing toys . there should be plenty of room for all cage accessories , and for her to move around freely .

a very striking blazed husky rat . this husky rat is young so it has not yet lost its blaze , but the next picture in this hubt is probably the same rat at a later age !

juvenile - type defense tactic in which one rat rolls onto his back before another , sometimes after receiving a nip or bite on the rump . the top rat may then step on the supine rat , sometimes orienting himself perpendicular to the long axis of the supine rat ( thus avoiding the whiskers ) , and pinning him down . the top rat may groom the supine rat ' s belly ( see also

may occur when a sidling rat approaches another very closely . the hind foot closest to the second rat kicks out , and may contact the second rat on the flank or higher on the the back .

each of the foods on this list are great for supplementing a healthy rat diet based off of one of the best rat foods available .

unfortunately , the popularity of fancy rats began to decline after the death of miss douglas in 1921 . less and less interest in rats was shown over the next few years and in 1929 the club was reorganized dropping the word rat from its name . the national mouse club is still in existence today .

rats and mice have a bad rap with large parts of society , as they are often associated with dangerous germs and dirt . what’s more , rats and mice are often feared by people , especially children . most of all , if you are not already a fancy rat or mouse enthusiast , it is important to remember that these animals are not the same ones that you’re probably thinking of , the ones associated with the spread of various diseases such as the bubonic plague or other such widespread disasters to humanity . fancy rats and mice have been kept as pets for years and are both clean and gentle , and definitely nothing to be afraid of . the fancy rat and mouse show out on every year on fancy rat and mouse day by the afrma is not only open to rats and mice and their owners , but also to people who have no experience with these animals and are just curious , to the point that there is no entrance fee . this could be a great opportunity to become acquainted with the creatures and get more comfortable around them . you might also want to watch some of the competitions organized that rats and mice take part in , and watch them win medals and trophies . it’s truly an unforgettable experience ! and if you find yourself becoming particularly interested in fancy rats and mice and all of the things they are capable of , why not attend the display event that exhibits the rats and mice that afrma members have been breeding specificaly for the purpose of showing people just how adorable a purebred fancy rat or mouse can be . this event can also be a great opportunity for all sorts of pet lovers to meet and bond over their experiences , exchange advice , etc .

like it was previously stated , rat species differ in their life expectancies . and there is a difference between wild rats encountered in the wild than those typically sold in your local pet store . wild rats are usually of the two following species : the norway rat ( rattus norvegicus ) and the roof rat ( rattus rattus ) . pet store sold rats are called “laboratory rats” or , alternatively , fancy rats . they are usually domesticated norway rats .

. boxing is a defensive strategy : as long as the subordinate rat maintains whisker - to - whisker contact , the dominant rat cannot bite his rump . the dominant rat may respond to the boxing tactic with a

from the subordinate rat . nose - offs are a defensive strategy : as long as the subordinate rat maintains whisker - to - whisker contact , the dominant rat cannot bite him . nose - offs may escalate into

rat , which is the standard lab rat , has an abnormally high incidence of mammary tumors . however , the incidence of mammary tumors in my

deep intake of breath through wide open mouth . frequently associated with stretching . for some wonderful photos of rat yawns , check out the dapper rat

in the early 1800s colored mice began to find their way into europe and became popular , particularly in the u . k . in 1895 the national mouse club was founded in england . they set standards for the different varieties and held shows . it was because of this organization that the rat fancy was born .

one male rat " srr - rocket science " was introduced from american fancy rat colony ( spoiled ratten rattery : srr , in kansas city , missouri ) to kyoto university on july 13 , 2005 . inbreeding started from f1 progeny of male " srr - rocket science " and a female pvg / seac . homozygous rats for mink were selected for inbreeding . ( sep 25 , 2009 )

the rat actually has a rather long history as a domestic animal . the first documented domesticated rats were bred in england in 1800 , but it is most likely that they had been around for hundreds of years before that . whatever the date , by 1901 enough unusual colors and patterns had turned up that there was interest in them as desirable exhibition animals , and thus the rat fancy was born .

fancy rats come in a variety of common , uncommon , and straight up rare markings . there are so many beautiful ratties out there that it is mind boggling ! unfortunately , none of us can have them all . however , we can dream right ?

as the sport of rat - baiting began to die down because of the inaction of animal cruelty laws , rats became regarded in high society as a pet of status . jack black , the rat catcher to her majesty queen victoria , was the man to talk to if someone wanted a pet rat . ( he is responsible for most of the breeds we see today . ) the fancy rat became a popular pet for high society women to carry around in squirrel cages or to keep on small leashes . queen victoria and beatrix potter were two of his customers .

the brown or norway rat , rattus norvegicus , is the species which was domesticated into what we recognize as fancy or pet rats . this animal began steadily colonizing europe , and particularly england , in the early 18th century . upon its arrival the brown rat was quick to drive out the indigenous black rats . because it was larger and more adaptable , the brown rat was able to thrive in environments that were not suitable for the black rats . thus england was somewhat overrun with rats .

can you just treat the rat for the bacteria rather than having the rat tested ? this seems that it would be far cheaper than doing the test .

we have all seen hooded rats , especially in dreadful stores such as petsmart . the hooded rat is super common , and can be found in many rat households . nearly every rat owner has owned a hooded rat at some point . hooded rats can come in a variety of colors , with many different patterns .

, ten speed press , 1997 . the editor capitalizes on the mystery surrounding the rat to present a sensationalized history of the rat : packed with rat facts , fiction , lore , maps , and even a glossary . she also examines the rat ' s role in science , literature , and of course film .

adult mice are much smaller than adult rats ( fig . 1 ) . adult mice weigh about 30 grams , and fancy mice tip the scales at about 50 grams . adult mice have bodies that are 3 - 4 inches long with 3 - 4 inch tails .

as you can see , the rat has significant hair loss and even sores .

a rat of either breed that grows up in the wild will be wild , and a rat of either breed that grows up with people will be tame .

dominant trait — a standard eared rat has just the normal , wild - type rat ears . they are normal sized and set on top of the head .

one rat grooms a recumbent rat ' s belly . may be an attempt to reach the nape , which is the goal of play fighting . see also "

here is a brief list of rat behaviors that are relevant to health issues .

standard or normal ( my pet rat sickle r . i . p . )

mismarked : refers to a rat with imperfect markings compared to a show standard .

chinchilla blaze berkshire rat , owned by julie klaz . photo ©1999 craig robbins .

black variegated rat owned and bred by karen robbins . photo ©1996 craig robbins .

thank you ! we will notify you when this item is in stock . rat

history of the siamese rat in the u . k . - by geoff izzard

i need a rat for pet . kindly help me with that . thank you

q : i think my rat is in pain . how can i tell ?

so what is the risk of this disease if you or your children have a pet rat ? fancy rats are very popular as easy to maintain , social and gentle pets . they are common children’s pets but also have an avid following among adults who can’t afford or don’t have the lifestyle suitable for a dog or cat . fancy rats are widely available from both pet stores and private breeders in different colors , sizes and conformations . however , few , if any of the pet rats sold are tested for the bacteria that cause rat - bite fever . the prevalence of the bacteria in rats can vary , from as few as 10 % to as many as 100 % of rats in a breeding colony or laboratory that are infected . any pet rat can carry these organisms , but the risk of actually contracting the disease from the rat is very low .

the nfrs was formed in 1976 by a group of enthusiasts intent on promoting the rat both as a pet and an exhibition animal . over the years this philosophy has been upheld so that now , as then , we are equally open to breeders , pet owners or people who are a mixture of the two . the nfrs is the club for everyone who appreciates the rat for what it is - a superior pet and fancy animal .

there can be much prejudice against the rat due to the spread of plague , but it was the black rat that played a part in this epidemic and it was not the rat itself that carried the plague but the fleas that it carried .

though your first choice of rat should be based on health and temperament , maybe you would like to get a certain type or color of rat , or maybe you already chose your rat and are interested to know what his unique coloring is .

. cinderella ' s fairy godmother turns the rat into a coachman . " i was born a rat . i expected to be a rat all my days . but life is full of surprises . " reading level : ages 4 - 8 .

as part of a health monitoring program , rat owners and breeders may wish to test to know a rat’s infection status prior to admitting new animals into existing colonies .

use your other hand and a toothbrush to lather a tiny bit of standard human shampoo on the rat’s skin . avoid getting soap in the rat’s eyes or mouth .

both hairless rats and fancy rats make ideal companion pets and entertain their owners with their inquisitive nature , playful attitudes and willingness to hitch a ride on a shoulder . even though they are more susceptible to illness and other problems , a hairless rat can make an ideal , friendly pet for someone willing to take the time to keep their environment clean and healthy .

threatening posture in which one rat ( usually but not always the dominant one ) approaches another rat sideways or broadside ( " crab walks " ) , with his back strongly arched , and crowds the second rat . sidling may a successful strategy to counter

size . your rat will need to have room to run around and play in his cage . make sure that you get a cage that is large enough for your rat to run around in . the general rule is 2 square feet per rat .

this article is from the winter 1998 afrma rat & mouse tales news - magazine .

see separate articles , are rat - mouse hybrids possible ? and the hybridization page .

this rat looks to be cinnamon - - an agouti rat with the recessive mink gene . the eyes appear to be black , so it cannot be fawn or amber .

agouti aoc rex rat owned and bred by geri hauser . photo ©1992 larry ferris .

black self tailless rat owned and bred by jazmyn concolor . photo ©1996 craig robbins .

12 - day - old dumbo kitten rat showing how the ears are set away from the head . rat owned and bred by jozzette hagemann . photo ©2016 karen robbins .

self - the solid colored rat , no markings . the color goes to the toes

show rat is larger and has a smoother coat . both owned by nichole royer .

this patchwork hairless rat will continue to molt and regrow its hair during its lifetime .

take extra care in helping your hairless rat avoid extreme temperatures , sharp objects , and rough handling as the lack of fur makes the rat more susceptible to skin injuries .

sugarbaby . . . my heart rat the sweetest love i ' ve ever known .

i need a rat for pet . kindly help me with that . thank you ramprasad

neutering a male rat is a little more complicated than neutering a dog or cat .

a body wrap works by preventing the rat from bending over to reach the incision .

the following is a brief description of the rat varieties as recognized by the american fancy rat and mouse association . this information is taken from the afrma brochure . for complete details of the standards including points , faults , eliminations , and disqualifications , please refer to the afrma show regulations & standards book . rats do not come in breeds ( different shapes and sizes ) like in other species but in varieties ( different coat types , ear type , no tail )

the success of the rat in research today has been linked to the wistar institute in america and their development of the wistar albino strain . there are currently 117 albino strains of the laboratory rat , all of which can be traced genetically back to the one rat , likely to have arisen as a mutation from a hooded ( piebald ) rat strain .

this is a guinea pig , but it is exactly the same as rat bumble foot . very gross , very painful , and very difficult for a rat to go through .

kuramoto t , yokoe m , yagasaki k , kawaguchi t , kumafuji k , serikawa t . genetic analyses of fancy rat - derived mutations . exp anim . 2010 ; 59 ( 2 ) : 147 - 55 . takashi kuramoto , satoshi nakanishi , ken - ichi yamasaki , kenta kumafuji , yuichi sakakibara , yuki neoda , akiko takizawa , takehito kaneko , mito otsuki , ryoko hashimoto , birger voigt , tomoji mashimo and tadao serikawa genetic quality control of the rat strains at the national bio resource project - rat . ibc . 2010 volume 2 article no . 0012

a few white rats have been brought in by pet stores , biology teachers and well meaning individuals who did not know it was unlawful to have rats in alberta . the white rat or laboratory rat is a domesticated norway rat . if white rats escaped captivity or were turned loose , they could multiply and spread throughout alberta just like the wild norway rat .

this woodrat has the closest resemblance to the house rat and is often confused with it .

sign differences : due to their larger body size , rat feces are larger than mouse feces ( also see differences in rat and mouse sign from a pest management perspective ) .

i have a new dog and he is a rat killer . i am soooooo happy !

, in which the hindquarters follow the forequarters and the rat ends up on its back .

one rat retreats to a safe area , preferably far away from the aggressive rat . he may stay there , sitting quietly for a long time , sometimes up to an hour .

bristle coat rat owned and bred by jozzette & mike hagemann . photo ©2013 karen robbins .

a berkshire rat has a perfectly solid colored body , with some white on the belly . unlike the veriberk , the white does not extend up the sides of the rat’s belly . any white will be solely on the underside of the rat . berkshires are extremely common .

. rosie ' s rat - phobic mom surprises her on her birthday with a black and white baby rat , who she names midnight . reading level : ages 4 - 8 .

marked varieties of rats generally sport two colors of fur that form patterns . for example , the capped variety has a body that ' s solid white and a head with a cap of color that stops at the ears . the irish variety sports a white triangle on the chest , plus white feet and a body fur of a different shade . the national fancy rat society lists 11 marked varieties .

the hooded rat is a descendant of the brown rat . after years of domestication , different colors and patterns were bred from uniquely marked rats , making the available colors , patterns , and coat types appear more within the pet rat population . almost every pet rat can trace its origination to rattus norvegicus , a species common in europe where they were first heavily domesticated .

jack black also supplied the live rats for rat - baiting alongside his partner jimmy shaw ( also known as jemmy ) . jemmy shaw’s dog “jacko” held the world record for rat killing .

a submissive rat will often roll over onto it’s back displaying it’s belly to the air ( or the dominant rat ) in response to even very minor dominance behaviour . the more submissive the rat generally the faster they will be to roll over . this behaviour generally placates the dominant rat before any more serious dominating behaviour can occur . it is also more common in kittens and young rats who roll over to more senior rats as a matter of course . problems can occur when a rat rolls over submissively when the dominating rat really wants grooming . this can lead to some confusion as the dominating rat attempts to communicate it’s wants to the submissive rat and it’s only response is to become more pliant and submissive , letting out ‘peeps’ in protest and confusion .

the domestic brown rat is most often called a " fancy rat " . the rats raised for pets today descend from the " brown rat " , rattus norvegicus , that only colonized europe in the 16th century . being that the brown rats are larger and bolder they have pretty much taken over the position held for centuries by their cousins the black rats . the latter are the " black rat " of legend that carried the fleas that in turn carried the black plague all over europe , these were not the brown rats kept as pets today . there are a very few fanciers now trying to domesticate the more timid black rat , rattus rattus but they are not readily available to adopt any where in any number . the brown rat was used first for blood sport and latter in laboratories for experiments so they have been bred down thousands of generations to be docile and friendly towards humans .

all other written and visual materials used by permission of specific authors for the sole use of the rat guide . brought to you by kuddlykorner4u see logos page for linking to the rat guide .

sara b . conrow , “further observations on taillessness in the rat , ” 1917 p . 155

wow this link will really help me when i ' m getting a pet rat for christmas .

video of niles eye boggling ( 3 second video , 850 mb , quicktime ) . video courtesy of r . arthur of the dapper rat , niles the rat belongs to l . dux .

i want a female hairless rat can someone get me one please . 909 - 917 - 2480

i love my hairless rat kojack . he is such a stud . and my best friend .

a rat learns to press a lever for water , but only when the light comes on .

gould’s goanna is commonly eaten in indigenous communities , but can contain high levels of rat poison .

hello i am looking to buy a rat . how much would the shipping and everything be ?

q : my rat sways back and forth while standing still . i something wrong with him ?

in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in europe , norway rats were captured and used for food during times of famine . rat - catchers were hired to exterminate rats and capture live ones for rat fights , rat coursing , and rat pits . rat - catchers captured and housed wild rats in cages as well ( matthews 1898 ) . during this time , naturally occurring albino , black , and hooded norway rats may have preferentially captured or chosen from litters of captive rats for their distinctive appearance

rat odor is stressful to mice and has an effect on their behavior and reproduction . in fact , rat odor is sometimes used as a predator odor to study anxiety and antipredator behavior in mice .

rust colored rat with white on belly found outside trying to figure out if it was someones pet and got away or a bad outdoors rat how can i tell . gave him some water and millet

one rat grooms the other , frequently around the neck or head ( especially the eyes , mouth , chin and ears ) . somewhat less frequently , one rat may groom the flanks of another .

( " poofing " ) : the rat ' s body hair stands on end . may occur when the rat is cold , or when stressed , such as during or after an intense altercation .

people who could call any rat ugly . . . no matter what it looks like . . . and say that a pet rat ' s only value is the cuteness factor - - - -

when taking your rat to the hospital for surgery , make sure your rat has eaten something that morning , and the cage has food and water ; it may be a while before the surgery .

when introducing rats , you should have two cages so the new rat can have his own cage at first . ( the second cage can be the resident rat ' s travel cage . ) never just plop a new rat in the resident rats’ cage because the residents will always defend their territory .

most rats do a good job of grooming themselves , so it is not necessary to bathe your rat often . however , you may decide to give your rat a bath if he develops a bad smell . at most , you should only need to bathe your rat once or twice per year .

in an article on tailless rats in the “national fancy rat society handbook” ( pp . 51 - 53 ) nick mays reports that in september of 1985 a tailless rat appeared in one of his litters . at about the same time another english fancier , jean judd , discovered a tailless in one of her litters . since that time a number of tailless have been produced all over the world . interestingly , many ( possibly all ? ) of these tailless trace their ancestry back to a strain of siamese bred by another english fancier .