My Pet Mice

Question
 My pet mouse had babie yesterday and the mom is grey and the dad is white. Will there babies be both white and grey multi colored? If not how would I get multi colored babies?

Answer
Hi Shannon,

This is actually a pretty complex question.  When a mouse has more than one color it's usually (with one exception - tricolors) ONE color, spotted with white.  This white spotting is also called marked or piebald, and is caused by a recessive gene.  Recessive genes only show through if the babies get a copy from both parents.  Are both the parents solid colored?  If so, they would have to be carrying a recessive copy of the spotting gene that doesn't show through on them for some of the babies to be spotted.

That isn't quite right, though, because you say the dad is white, but is he albino?  If he's white with red eyes you can be mostly certain that he is an albino mouse, in which case he could be any sort of color at all behind that white coat.  Albino genes cover up any other color combination, so it's just impossible to know.  If he IS albino, the pups could be pretty much any color and any markings, and all of them would carry a gene for albino (so if you paired them together sibling to sibling, some of the offspring would be white with red eyes whereas some would look normal).

The best way to guarantee spotted babies is to pair a spotted mouse with another spotted mouse - every single pup will be spotted.  You will be able to see the coat coming in on your babies at about 4-7 days old, at which point you will be able to tell if any of your pups are spotted or not.  Lighter colors take longer to show, whereas dark pups may start to show their patterns as early as 3 days old, as the hairs start to darken and come up through the skin.

Hope I helped a little bit.  When your pups start to age a little you'll have a better idea.  :)
-Tam