Fur and Pattern Standards
Mottled
FUR
Coat color may be any standard color broken by small patches of white forming a pleasing pattern. While a collar is acceptable, patches of the base color within the spotting, forming a mottled pattern are desirable. A variegated appearance is desirable: large patches of white are less desirable. Up to 75% of the gerbil can be white and the patches do not need to have clear edges.
Eyes
Shall be black, dark, ruby, or pink to correspond with standard color, large and bright.
Ears
Shall be covered with short, soft fine fur of the standard coloring.
Whiskers
Should be of standard coloring and/or white.
Feet
Four white feet; toenails shall be neutral (i.e., clear and without pigment).
Tail
Shall be of the standard coloring and white, and may have mottling.
Faults
More than 75% white is a serious fault; off colored coat; toenails not of the correct color.
Patch
FUR
Coat color may be of any standard color. There may be white markings on the nose, forehead, neck or tail. There shall be at least one full color patch anywhere on the body. Multiple patches are preferable. The patched portions of the fur shall give the appearance of a tri-colored animal, with two different shades of the base color and the third color white.
Eyes
Shall be large and bright. The color shall be black, dark, ruby, or pink to correspond with standard color.
Ears
Shall be covered with short, soft fine fur of the standard coloring.
Whiskers
Should be of standard coloring and/or white.
Feet
Feet may be white or of standard coloring.
Tail
Shall have standard coloring and may have a white tuft.
Faults
Pied
FUR
Base coat color may be any standard color other than white. There must be a clear collar of white all the way round the neck. Up to 50% of the gerbil can be white. The face spotting may be a nose and top of head spot pattern or a blaze running from the nose to the top of the head or extending to the collar. Patches of white in the body that form a pleasing pattern are permissible; these do not need to have clear edges. The gerbil should not have a mottled appearance.
Eyes
Shall be black, dark, ruby, or pink to correspond with standard color, large and bright.
Ears
Shall be covered with short, soft fine fur of the standard coloring.
Whiskers
Should be of standard coloring and/ or white.
Feet
Four white feet; toenails shall be clear.
Tail
Shall have standard coloring with a white tuft. The minimum amount of white shall be no less than the one quarter of the length of the tail. The maximum amount of allowable white shall not be greater than one half the length of the tail. The colored portion of the tail shall be free from stray white hairs.
Faults
Partial (rather than complete) collar; colored fur in the spotting; faded, dull, or off colored coat; fur of any other color in the coat; white hairs in the colored portion of the tail; toenails not of the correct color.
Rex
FUR
The coat shall be short and dense with a distinct rippled or curled pattern. The fur shall be plush, springy, and resistant to being smoothed. The coat shall be evenly textured from the base of the ears to rump.
Eyes
Shall be black, dark, ruby, or pink to correspond with standard color, large and bright.
Ears
Shall be covered with short, soft fine fur to match coat.
Whiskers
Whiskers are a defining feature. Whiskers should be curled in all directions and shall spray out from the nose in a tight fashion. There should be as few straight whiskers as possible.
Feet
The feet and nails should match coat color and marking pattern. The bottoms of the hind feet should appear wooly.
Tail
Tail color should match the standard for that color. The tail should be bristled with hairs radiating out in all directions, giving the appearance of a pipe cleaner and having a feel like Velcro.
Faults
Bald spots, thin fur, straight, smooth or flat, straight whiskers, straight guard hairs. Special remarks: during live and virtual shows, gerbils must be presented with natural hair with no additional sprays, colorants, or gels. Sand baths are permitted.
Spot
FUR
Coat color may be any standard color broken by spots of white forming a pleasing pattern. The preferred spot pattern is as follows: a nose spot, forehead spot, spot on the nape of the neck, and tip-of-tail spot. All spots must be centrally spaced. Spots shall be large, as round as possible, even in size and separate. The spots should not contain furs of any other color. Feet, tail tuft, and all or some portion of the bib and belly are white.
Eyes
Shall be black, dark, ruby, or pink to correspond with standard color, large and bright.
Ears
Shall be covered with short, soft fine fur of the standard coloring.
Whiskers
Should be of standard coloring and/or white.
Feet
Four white feet; toenails shall be neutral (i.e., clear and without pigment).
Tail
Shall have standard coloring with white tuft. The minimum amount of white should be no less than the width of the eye from corner to corner. The maximum amount of allowable white should not be greater than one quarter the length of the tail. The colored portion of the tail shall be free from stray white hairs.
Faults
Missing spots; small or off-centered spotting; colored fur in the spots; faded, dull, or off colored coat; fur of any other color in the coat; white hairs in the colored portion of the tail; toenails not of the correct color.