Understanding Mouse Colors requires first that you understand the different mouse standards that are out there. First of all, it is important to understand that the color of a mouse is partly dependant on the standards you are following. For example, if you have a light dove gray mouse with hair all the same color, and pink eyes, under some standards you have a lilac mouse, and in other standards you have a dove colored mouse. So it is important to know which standards you plan to follow before you determine the color of your mouse.

Below is a table of mouse colors. Included are example pictures, where ever possible. When the standard is different, the standard for each of four rat and mouse clubs will be included so that you might know which standard you should follow. This might not be clear at the moment, but hopefully when you look at the table below you will come to understand the standards.

The four standards considered for this document are from the Rat & Mouse Fanciers for Excellence, American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association, London and Southern Counties Mouse and Rat Club, and Finnish Show and Pet Mice. The standards listed below are direct quotes from their web pages. Undoubtedly, there are other standards that I have left out. This is just an overview. If you don’t intend to participate in one of the above mentioned groups, please find the standards for your club and follow those.

Keep in mind that this is simply a comparison page. The pictures below are representations of at least one standard. To learn everything about the standards of your club you should visit their web pages.

* Provisional Standards. ** Unstandardized.

Self

Self mice have the same coat color throughout, from the belly, to the feet, ears, and tail. Each strand of hair is one color from base to tip.

Marked Mice

Marked mice have white and at least one other color in their coat.

Shaded Mice

Shaded mice have gradual color gradations from one color to the next.

Ticked Mice

Ticked mice have bars of different colors on each hair strand.

Silvered Mice

Silvered mice have silver or white hairs mixed hairs of another color.

Color

Clubs

Standard

Silver Black

AFRMA

The ground color should be as black as possible. Undercolor to be a rich blue-black. Silvering should be even throughout, carried well onto the feet. Eyes black.

RMFE

A deep black mouse with a deep blue undercoat and silvering even throughout including the feet.

Silver Blue

FSPM**

Eyes black. Ground color medium slate blue. Undercolour blue. The silvering should be even throughout, carried well onto the feet

Silver Brown

LSCMRC

To be a rich golden brown as in the Agouti. Eye Black. The silvering should be even throughout carried well onto the feet. Undercolour to be a blue-Black

FSPM

Ground colour should be rich golden brown as in the Agouti. Undercolour to be blue-black. Eye black. The silvering should be even throughout, carried well onto the feet.

Silver Chocolate

RMFE*

A rich chocolate, eyes black with silvering even throughout including the feet.

FSPM**

The ground and undercolours to be chocolate like with Self Chocolate. The silvering should be even throughout, carried well onto the feet

Silver Fawn

LSCMRC

To be a deep bright orange Eye Pink or black. Undercolour to be a bright orange. The silvering should be even throughout carried well onto the feet.

FSPM

The ground colour should deep bright orange. The undercolour bright orange. Eyes red or black. The silvering should be even throughout, carried well onto the feet."

Silver Gray

AFRMA

he ground color to be recognized in 2 shades of grey, namely medium and light. Undercolor to be a light grey in the Medium shade and a off-white in the Light shade. Silvering to be even throughout, carried well onto the feet. Eyes black.

LSCMRC

The ground colour should be as black as possible. Eye Black The silvering should be even throughout carried well onto the feet. Undercolour to be a rich blue Black

FSPM

The ground colour should be as black as possible. The undercolour to be rich blue-black. Eye black. The silvering should be even throughout, carried well onto the feet."

Tan & Fox Mice

Tan and fox mice have tan or white bellies, while their backs are the standard colors.