The following is a brief description of the mouse varieties as recognized by the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association. This information is taken from the AFRMA brochure. For complete details of the Standards including points, faults, eliminations, and disqualifications, please refer to the AFRMA Show Regulations & Standards book.

Mice do not come in breeds (different shapes and sizes) like in other species but in Varieties (different coat types)

Go to AFRMA Official Mouse Standard

At present, mice are shown in eight Varieties, according to their coat type, namely:
STANDARD - Short, sleek coat.
SATIN - Short, sleek coat, with a lustrous sheen.
LONG HAIR - Long, fine, thick, silky hair.
LONG HAIR SATIN - Long, fine, thick, silky hair with a Satin sheen.
FRIZZIE - Very dense, tightly waved or frizzed hair over entire body. Curly whiskers.
FRIZZIE SATIN - Tightly waved or frizzed hair with a Satin sheen. Curly whiskers.
HAIRLESS - Pink, thin, bright, translucent skin, free of scars or pimples. No hair.
FRIZZLED - short, dense, tightly curled coat resembling the soft side of velcro.

Within each Variety, mice are grouped into five Sections by color and body markings.
SELF - Entire body consists of the same uniform color. They are: Beige, Black, Blue, Champagne, Chocolate, Coffee, Cream, Dove, Fawn, Gold, Ivory, Lilac, Orange, Red, Silver, White.

TAN and FOX - Both have the top color in any recognized color, with a contrasting underside: a rich golden-red tan in the TAN, a near white in the FOX. There is a clear and distinct line between the top and bottom color, running in a straight line along sides, chest and jaws.

MARKED - There are nine groups within this Section, named according to the pattern of their markings, in any of the recognized colors:

• Banded have a white band circling their body at their middle
• Broken Marked have as many colored spots or patches as possible, irregularly placed on a white background
• Broken Merle are Merle mice with white patches added
• Dutch have markings like the Dutch rabbit
• Even Marked have a uniform pattern, with clear cut and balanced spots or patches on a white background
• Hereford has a white face
• Rump White has a white rump marking
• Spotted Tans can be any of the Marked group, but those spots running into the belly area to be a rich, golden-red tan.
• Variegated have small and numerous color splashes on a white background, distributed over the entire body, free from any solid, clear-cut markings.
• Ideal Markings of Mice - a graphic of Ideal Mice Markings

AOC (Any Other Color) - The entire body is of the same color but the coat consists of individual hairs banded with two or more colors and evenly interspersed with colored guard hairs, or individual hairs are banded in two colors. The colors in this Section are: Agouti, Argente, Blue Agouti, Chinchilla, Cinnamon, Pearl, Silver Black, Silver Blue, Silver Chocolate, Silver Grey.

AOCP (Any Other Color Pattern) - To have a combination of two or more colors other than white arranged in a recognized pattern. The colors in this Section are: Blue Point Himalayan, Blue Point Siamese, Blue Siamese Sable, Brindle, Himalayan, Merle, Reverse Siamese, Roan, Seal Point Siamese, Siamese Sable, Splashed.

UNSTANDARDIZED - Accepted proposed animals. Any coat type, color, or markings not described, or any other unique physical feature.

NON-RECOGNIZED COLORS - Some miscellaneous colors of mice that have been produced by breeders but never standardized.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION - Mice should have a long, slim, racy body, large bold eyes, long clean head showing breadth and length, large expressive ears, long tapering tail, and an average length from nose to tail tip of 8–9 inches. See the AFRMA Official Mouse Standard for a complete description.

AT THE SHOW - All rats and mice must be tractable and easy to handle. Any evidence of physical defects or unsteady temperament is penalized. Besides color and markings, individual rats and mice are also judged on type, condition, coat, head, eyes, ears, tail, and size.

For complete details of the Standards including points, faults, eliminations, and disqualifications, please refer to the AFRMA Show Regulations & Standards book.
Purchase the AFRMA Official Color Standards Mouse book.