Varieties
In the UK, the standardised varieties of mice are split into five sections for exhibition purposes, namely self, tan, marked, satin and AOV.
• Self: Self mice are of one solid colour on the top, belly and sides.
• Tan: Tan mice are of a recognised colour on top with a rich tan belly.
• Marked: Marked mice are patched with a standard colour in combination with white, in various patterns.
• Satin: Satin mice have a high metallic sheen to the coat.
• AOV: The Any Other Variety section includes all mice that are not classified in the previous sections.
• Self: Self mice are of one solid colour on the top, belly and sides.
• Tan: Tan mice are of a recognised colour on top with a rich tan belly.
• Marked: Marked mice are patched with a standard colour in combination with white, in various patterns.
• Satin: Satin mice have a high metallic sheen to the coat.
• AOV: The Any Other Variety section includes all mice that are not classified in the previous sections.
Unstandardised varieties and other genes
Not all varieties of mice are standardised. Clubs differ in what they accept as a variety and not all genes are available worldwide. Below are some examples of mice that aren't showable at present in the UK (except in special unstandardised classes).
• Abyssinian: Also known as rosette in Europe.
• Angora: A long coated variety found in the US. There is some debate about whether this is made using the longhair gene or a separate angora gene.
• Hairless: There are several genes that can cause a mouse to be hairless.
• Manx: As the name suggests, these are mice with shortened tails.
• Merle and roan: Roan is characterised by an even mixture of coloured and white hairs; merle mice have both patches of undiluted base colour and roan.
• Recessive yellow: Common in US mice and since imported to Europe.
• Rex: A curly coated mouse.
• Texel: The combination of longhair and a curly coat.
• US brindle (Avy): Non-lethal gene that causes striped markings.
You might also be interested in the Exhibiting section
• Abyssinian: Also known as rosette in Europe.
• Angora: A long coated variety found in the US. There is some debate about whether this is made using the longhair gene or a separate angora gene.
• Hairless: There are several genes that can cause a mouse to be hairless.
• Manx: As the name suggests, these are mice with shortened tails.
• Merle and roan: Roan is characterised by an even mixture of coloured and white hairs; merle mice have both patches of undiluted base colour and roan.
• Recessive yellow: Common in US mice and since imported to Europe.
• Rex: A curly coated mouse.
• Texel: The combination of longhair and a curly coat.
• US brindle (Avy): Non-lethal gene that causes striped markings.
You might also be interested in the Exhibiting section
