Rabbit Breeds

Small Animal Science

Dwarf or Miniature

Britannia Petite

Netherland Dwarf

Origin: Old English breed known as“Polish”.Colors/Patterns: In U.S. white with redeyes, and many other colorsWeight: Less than 2 ½ poundsOther: Currently recognized assmallest of standard breeds.

Origin: Early 20th century from aDutch rabbit and a wild rabbit. Developedin Holland.Colors/Patterns: More different colors thanany other breed.Weight: 2 ½ poundsOther: Small, stocky, andcompact.

Himalayan

Polish

Origin: Himalayan Mountain areaColors/Patterns: Snow white, with thenose, ears, feet, & tail becoming blackWeight: 2 ½ to 4 ½ poundsOther: Ears stand erect

Origin: UnknownColors/Patterns: Five colors: Black w/brown eyes, Blue w/blue-gray eyes, Chocolate w/Brown eyes, White w/ruby-red eyes andWhite w/blue eyes.Weight: 2½ to 3½ poundsOther: Believed to have been Developed as an albino Dutch rabbit.

Dwarf Hotot Jersey Wooly

Origin: In 1970’2 in 2 different parts ofGermanyColors/Patterns: Entire body is white w/only markings being a very thin blackeye band around each eyeWeight: Maximum of 3¼ poundsOther: The breed came from 2different approaches of breeding whichbreeders merged together to improve sizeand vigor.

Origin: New Jersey in late 1970’sColors/Patterns: Selfs, Shaded, Agouti, Tan, and PointedWeight: Less than 3½ poundsOther: Cross between NetherlandDwarf and Angoras. Ears are 2-3inches long.

Holland Lop

American Fuzzy Lop

Origin: NetherlandsColors/Patterns: Solid or broken varieties.Weight: Less than 4 poundsOther: Apple-shaped head that isshort and broad. Developed bybreeding Netherland Dwarfs to FrenchLops and then by breeding offspring toEnglish Lops to enhance ear carriage.

Origin: Unknown in the 1980’sColors/Patterns: Broken patternsWeight: Less than 4 poundsOther: Cross between the FrenchAngora and Holland Lops. A small lop-eared breed.

Mini Rex

Origin: UnknownColors/Patterns: Blue, Californian,Castor, Chinchilla, Lynx, Opal, Red,Seal, Tortoise, White, and BrokenWeight: less than 4½ poundsOther: Developed by crossing standardRex rabbits w/ Netherland Dwarf to getsmaller animals.

Small

Dutch Tan

Origin: Developed in England, althoughoriginated in HollandColors/Patterns: Black, Blue, Chocolate,Tortoise, Steel Gray, and Gray.Weight: 3½ to 5½ poundsOther: Colored patches on eachside of the head that encircle the eyes andears. White blaze on forehead & down overthe front part of rabbit, including front legs.The rear half of the animal is coloredthe same as the head patches. White alsoappears halfway up on the rear paws.

Origin: England as a cross betweena Dutch rabbit and wild rabbit.Colors/Patterns: Blue, Chocolate, &Lilac w/ tan undersidesWeight: 4 to 5½ pounds for bucks &4 to 6 pounds for doesOther: Originally known as the Blackand Tan breed

Florida White

Silver

Origin: FloridaColors/Patterns: WhiteWeight: 2½ to 5 poundsOther: Developed for a small meat rabbit,and a small laboratory rabbit.

Origin: England, France, & GermanyColors/Patterns: Brown, Fawn, & GrayWeight: 4 to 7 poundsOther: Fur of this rabbit has large numbers of pigment-free, silvery-whitetips, giving it the silver color.

Havana Mini Lop

Origin: Result of a mutation that occurred in 1898.Colors/Patterns: Black, Blue, & Chocolate.Weight: 4½ to 6½ poundsOther: Small, compact, and meaty

Origin: Germany, where it is known as theKlein WidderColors/Patterns: Agouti and White; solidor brokenWeight: 4½ to 6½ poundsOther: Cross between German Big Lop &Little Chinchilla rabbit. Scaled down versionof the French Lop. Has massive, thick-set body

Medium

English SpotsStandard Chinchilla

Origin: Introduced to U.S. fromEnglandColors/Patterns: Background color is whiteAnd is accepted in 7 color varieties: Black,Blue, Chocolate, Gold, Gray, Lilac, &TortoiseWeight: 5 to 8 poundsOther: Butterfly nose pattern, eye circles, cheekspots, and colored ears, and other spots on body

Origin: Developed in 1913 by a FrenchEngineer, M.J. DybowskiColors/Patterns: Similar to that of theChinchilla w/undercolor of dark-slate Blue, intermediate portion is pearl, topportion narrow black band and a lightband above that.Weight: Bucks 5½ to 7½ pounds andDoes 6 to 8 pounds Other: Cross from a wild gray rabbit anda Himalayan. Rather compact and chubby body

English AngoraLilac

Origin: Ankara, Turkey approximatelyHundreds of years agoColors/Patterns: Ruby-eyed White,Pointed White, Self, & AgoutiWeight: 5 to 7½ poundsOther: Entire body covered in wool

Origin: UnknownColors/Patterns: Dove-gray w/ slightpink sheen (pinky-dove)Weight: 6 to 7 poundsOther: The Lilac is a diluted Havana Brown that sometimes appears in litters of Havana rabbits.

Silver MartinBelgian Hare

Origin: First appeared 50 years agoIn nest box of a Std. ChinchillaColors/Patterns: Black, Blue, Chocolate,and Sable varietiesWeight: Buck 6 to 8½ pounds & Does 7 to 9½ poundsOther: Fur is about 1 inch in length and isinterspersed with silver-tipped guard hairs.

Origin: Flanders in Belgium and Introduced into England in 1874 and U.S. in 1888Colors/Patterns: Varies from a fox toMahogany red, w/ chestnut shading onthe sides. Brilliant black tickling appearson the body and along edges of ears.Weight: 6 to 9 poundsOther: Known as the race horse or Greyhound of rabbit family. Fur is closelying and of rather harsh texture.

Rhinelander

Harlequin

Origin: Developed in GermanyColors/Patterns: All colors are acceptable,a Tricolored variety in white, black, and blueWeight: Bucks 6½ to 9½ pounds & Does7 to 10 poundsOther: Unique body type being rounded and almost cylindrical, avoiding heaviness in eithershoulders or hindquarters. Butterfly marking onnose, cheek spots, and eye rings.

Origin: Originated in Northern France &Belgium in the 1880’2Colors/Patterns: Markings are its distinctive

features. 2 basic body colors are orange or white with black, chocolate, lilac, or blue markings.Weight: Bucks 6½ to 9 pounds & does 7 to 9½ poundsOther: Orange patterns are referred to as“Japanese” and white patterns referred toas “Magpie”.

Sable

Satin Angora

Origin: Originated in 1919Colors/Patterns: Deep sepia brown &delicate shadingsWeight: Bucks 7 pounds or better & Does 8 pounds or betterOther: Head, ears, and feet have apurple or a shaded brown sheen

Origin: Created by L.P. Meyer ofCanadaColors/Patterns: Agouti, Pointed White,Self, Shaded, Solid, and TickedWeight: 8 poundsOther: Wool has good length anddensity and a brilliant satin sheen. Woolis finer than normal Angora wool and has a soft, silky texture.

French Angora Rex

Origin: Originated in the Frenchdepartments of Vosges, Savoy, Magence, Normandy, and JuraColors/Patterns: Weight: More than 7½ poundsOther: Not as heavily covered in wool compared to the English. Tail is coveredby wool but the feet and legs are furredonly to the first joint. Wool is coarse,and the ideal length is about 2½ inches.

Origin: Around 1919Colors/Patterns: Black, Blue, Californian,Castor, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Lilac, Lynx,Opal, Red, Sable, Seal, White, and BrokenWeight: Bucks 7 ½ pounds and does 8 to 10½ poundsOther: Short hair coat, with guard hairs being of the same length as the underfur.The fur also stands at right angles to theskin, is about 3/5 inch long and has avery soft, plush feel.

Large

Beveren

Californian

Origin: Originated in the 19th century inthe city of Beveren, BelgiumColors/Patterns: Blue, Blue-eyed White,& BlackWeight: Bucks weigh 8 to 10 pounds andDoes 9 to 11 poundsOther: A full head with an outward curvatureBetween the eyes and nose is characteristicOf this breed.

Origin: Produced in 1928 by George WestColors/Patterns: White w/ black coloredNose, ears, feet, and tail; eyes are redWeight: Bucks weigh 8 to 10 pounds &Does weigh 8½ to 10½ poundsOther: Produced to be a better commercial rabbit.

HototPalomino

Origin: France, is known as the Blanc de Hotot & around 1912Colors/Patterns: Shiny white w/ thinblack band surrounding the eyesWeight: Bucks 8 to 10 pounds &Does 9 to 11 poundsOther: Believed that native French-spottedrabbits and the Checkered Giant used indeveloping this breed.

Origin: Developed by Mark Youngs ofWashingtonColors/Patterns: Golden and LynxWeight: Bucks weigh 8 to 10 punds &Does weigh 9 to 11 poundsOther: Several breeds were used toproduce this breed with distinctivecolors

Satin Cinnamon

Origin: Mutation in 1930 of a Havana litterColors/Patterns: Black, Blue, Californian,Chichilla, Chocolate, Copper, Red, Siamese,White, and BrokenWeight: Bucks weigh 8½ to 10½ pounds &Does weigh 9 to 11 poundsOther: The new “Satin” breeds have more uniformed descriptions of type and fur

Origin: Developed by Ellis Houseman ofMontanaColors/Patterns: Rust or cinnamon ground; the fur is ticked w/smoke-gray across the back, sides show a smoke-gray shading and the underfur is orange and fur around head and earsare darker shadindWeight: Bucks weigh 8½ to 10½ pounds& does weigh 9 to 11 poundsOther:Well-filled and meaty body

Crème d’Argent Champagne d’Argent

Origin: Originated in FranceColors/Patterns: Crème color with a brightorange underfur; guard hairs are orangeWeight: Bucks weigh 8 to 10 pounds &Does weigh 8½ to 10 poundsOther: Appeared in U.S. in 1934 andAre becoming popular because of theirLuxurious and richly colored fur

Origin: Originated in FranceColors/Patterns: Bluish-white with theunderfur being a dark, slate blue withjet black guard hairs Weight: Bucks weigh 9 to 11 pounds& does weigh9 ½ to 12 poundsOther: Appeared in U.S. in 1934 andAre becoming popular because of theirLuxurious and richly colored fur

American American Chinchilla

Origin: United StatesColors/Patterns: Blue & White colorVarietiesWeight: Bucks weigh 9 to 11 pounds and Does weigh 10 to 12 poundsOther: Believed to have been developed fromthrowback, called “sports” of blue rabbits.ideal body type is described as “Mandolin” because the arch of the back resembling itfrom the hindquarters to the shoulders.

Origin: Unknown Colors/Patterns: Same as the Standard ChinchillaWeight: Bucks weigh 9 to 11 pounds& does weigh 10 to 12 poundsOther: A result of selective breedingfor size from the StandardChinchilla. Larger than the Standard &referred to the “Heavyweight” Chinchilla

English Lops

New Zealand

Origin: Not known, but first appearedin Algiers, North Africa and then spreadto EnglandColors/Patterns: Self & Broken varietiesWeight: Bucks weigh 9 pounds and over& does weigh 10 pounds and overOther: Breeders competed to increase theear length of 23 to 24 inches long. In 1885, the first lop appeared to have ears over 24 inches. The record for the longest ears is 28½”

Origin: Originated in California &Indiana almost simultaneously.Colors/Patterns: Red, White, & BlackWeight: Bucks weigh 9 to 11 pounds &Does weigh 10 to 12 poundsOther: The White New Zealand has Been the leading choice for commercialRabbit producers in the U.S. PrimarilyRaised for meat production.

Silver Fox

Origin: Originated & developed in the 1920’s by W.B. Garlandof North Canton, OhioColors/Patterns: Chocolate and BlueWeight: Bucks weigh 9 to 11 pounds & does weigh 10 to 12 poundsOther: Originally known as the American Silver Fox. Unique features are its evenly silvered fur resembling fox fur with a length of 1 to 1 ½ incheslong and the lack of fly-back fur when stroked.

Giant

Giant Angora French Lop

Origin: Originated by Louise Walsh ofTaunton, MaineColors/Patterns: Ruby-eyed White &Blue-eyed WhiteWeight: Bucks weigh more than 8½ pounds& does weigh more than 9 poundsOther: Main purpose of developing this breedwas to produce an animal to have a maximumamount of wool production. Wool types:Underwool-medium-fine, soft, & delicately waved.Awn Fluff-a soft, wavy wool with a guard hair tipfound between the underwool.Awn-Hair-which is strong, straight hair protrudingabove the awn fluff

Origin: First bred around 1850 in FranceColors/Patterns: Any solid color & any color in combination with white.Weight: Bucks weigh more than 9 pounds& does weigh more than 10 poundsOther: This rabbit’s ears are shorter thanthose of the English Lop. The ears hangdown in a horseshoe shape from the crown approx. 1 ½ inches or more below the muzzle. Body is very massive and heavily muscled.

Checkered Giant Giant Chinchilla

Origin: In Germany, 1904Colors/Patterns: White w/black orBlue markings.Weight: Bucks weigh 11 pounds & over& does weigh 12 pounds & overOther: Colored butterfly nose, eye circles,cheek spots, spine markings, tail, & side markings are well formed & distinct

Origin: Developed by Ed Stahl ofMissouriColors/Patterns: Maintains ChinchillaColor patternsWeight: Bucks weigh 12 to 15 pounds &Does weigh 13 to 16 poundsOther: Result of selective cross-breedingand addition of Flemish Giant blood

Flemish Giant

Origin: Early development not known, breed originatedin BelgiumColors/Patterns: Steel Gray, Light Gray, Sandy, Black, Blue,White, and FawnWeight: Bucks weigh more than 12 pounds & does weigh over13 poundsOther: 15 to 18 pound Flemish Giants are common. BreedersIn the U.S. are given credit for producing the different colors