PEW - with coloured patches - She's done it again!!! Updated

[betty]

All opinions welcome.

I had a skewed genetic litter and thought I was good at my PEW/REW ID but maybe not? But I thought this one was a PEW?

It is the same gerbil in all 3 images (apart from the Sapphire for comparison obviously).





But no flash with Sapphire:



Thanks

[ashtree93]

Put them on a piece of white paper and see if she looks creamy. I would say pew though

[betty]

I like that idea - hadn't thought of that for this one as was sure she was PEW. I have another who is definitely REW and you are right about the 'touch of creamyness'.

[betty]

Her brother is still completely white, but this female has started moulting in pale creamy ginger colour patches on one side? The rest of her is still white - see above pictures, but on her left side she has pale blotches?

Does this mean she could have the 'ee' genes - as they have their colour-changing moult at this late date - she's just over 8 weeks now? Her dad was 'ee' and one of her maternal grandparents had a known single 'e'.

I know the 'e' gene can be a weird one... as her father is a Light Nutmeg, but is way darker than his just Nutmeg father.

However, none of this gerbils siblings looked 'ee' - there were 10 non-ee and 6 other PEW's (2 of which are still to moult out). That's why I am checking her colour as she could possibly be a Red-Eyed Silver Nutmeg?

Is that likely looking at her pictures? I haven't bred too many of these colours myself - are they bright white until their 8-week moult? I didn't think so....

[betty]

Here is her left side..... The first image is the original; the second is darkened to show the patches better.

[Shooting Star]

You're sure it's not staining?

[betty]

No, I'm not sure. I had considered it was a possibility, but the Sapphire in with her isn't showing any staining and I don't have any coloured materials in with them other than their house, corn-tubing and some cardboard - but I haven't written it off completely for her, seeing as it is all on one side.

Basically, as she was moulting currently, I went with trying to determine what colour she actually was - which I thought was PEW - and going from there. If she IS a PEW then I will assume it is staining and wait for it to dissappear. Do you think she is PEW - and if so, I will just have to wait til her next moult for it to go.

But if anyone thought she could be a late-developing RESN then I would expect her to moult out at some point and for her to just be a bit colour-quirky - like her ginger-moutling Burmese uncle. It also means I would have to add an 'e' to her mothers gene code....

[Shooting Star]

She looks like a stained PEW to me; they stain very easily, sometimes just from woodchip dust. Try rubbing that big patch on her shoulder with a damp cloth to see if it comes off.

[betty]

I will try the damp cloth when I get home. Thanks.

[MoonstoneGerbils]

Okay, its not a REW. Rew are cream.


You have a PEW. Most likely that color is staining. If its still there in 6 months i'll be curious.

[betty]

Thanks for confirming her colour.

It must be a deep staining as I tried the old damp cloth yesterday and it didn't look like it shifted; and after washing and drying it herself overnight it is still there.

I took some pictures of the 'parting' for you took look at as it looks like it soaked in not just on the surface, but what do I know, I haven't had a staining before - apart from in the 'downstairs' department.  I can see hairs that are white down to the skin but others look creamy (or just shadowey?).

But anyway, I think I will just have to wait until her next moult to see if it goes away - unless you have any other ideas or suggestions?



If you contrast it - it looks like this?

[Crystal]

Very interesting... I have never seen such a thing either.

I agree with the rest though, try waiting it out. I think REW is a solid cream, I doubt it comes in patches, as if it were spotted.

I say it's a PEW as well, just has an odd marking, but I doubt it is permanent/passable to offspring if bred.

edit- I can't help but notice, her rear bottom hind leg (the 'knee', on our right) has a creamy patch as well, and her nose has a cream spot as well.
It almost looks like a schimmel coat that's matured, but it's not. She would have a cream tail if she was one.
Couldn't be an Apricot or Ivory... they're born a light cream coat as well.

Kind of weird for a pure white gerbil to gain markings as it ages, but maybe she does have some sort of ee gene in there, Ee or Eef? I once had Colorpoint G. Agouti that had reddish tints each time they molted but never knew why.

[betty]

Thanks for that Crystal; and I was wondering if it was something that just appeared at moulting as it has already stared to fade and she is nearly finished her moult. I would really like to hear about your CPAg moults - do you have any pictures?

I also have a Burmese who used to moult through ginger in patches - especially on the feet; but this moult (14 months) he is moulting through in dark patches?



He is also this little one's maternal Uncle...

[Crystal]

Now I definitely haven't a clue, sorry no one knows for certain what it is :c

My three boys from 2003... They were born from a Spotted Nutmeg (Father) and a Colorpoint Grey Agouti(Mother).
Father was ee/Cc(b)(h) for he produced honey cream pups before. With the CP Grey Agouti, he had one nutmeg, one siamese, two burmese, and three CP. Golden Agouti. (I'm still baffled as to how Siamese and Burmese got in the same litter)

Unfortunately I have no photos of said gerbils, it was long ago and they were adopted out.
However, all I can say is by word and memory. By the time they reached their first molt, their molt line was a red tint, like a dark crimson. I thought nothing of it, since I never had CP. golden Agouti and they were my first. But later in 2009 I produced more Cp. Golden Agouti and neither of them had said reddish tint when molting. At this point, I strongly believe it is a stain, or something to do with the bedding that's rubbing off on their coats. From my experience, my three red-molted boys kept that stained appearance, except not in patches. It was like a Nutmeg, the reddish tint spread throughout their coat and by the time they were old in adulthood, red-hues were scattered entirely across their fur, instead of just one or few spots. It never came off (I used to visit them after they were adopted from me). Again, not very certain on this subject, but good luck! I know it can be very confusing. I hope you find a solution or cause.

[betty]

Oh well - worth an ask. It certainly sounds interesting what you had. I suppose there are just some things you never find out.