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List of rabbit breeds

Rabbit Breeds See also Rabbit any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food.

Breed; To produce offspring, give birth to or hatch.

Table of contents
1 Alaska
2 Angora
3 Argente
4 Belgian Hare
5 Beveren
6 British Giant
7 Blanc de bouscat
8 Californian
9 Chinchilla
10 Dutch
11 English
12 Flemish
13 Fox
14 Harlequin
15 Havana
16 Himalayan
17 Lilac
18 Lop
19 Netherland Dwarf
20 New Zealand
21 Palomino
22 Polish
23 Rex
24 Rhinelander
25 Sable
26 Satin
27 Siberian
28 Silver
29 Silver Fox
30 Smoke Pearl
31 Sussex
32 Swiss Fox
33 Tan
34 Thuringer
35 Vienna
36 References

Alaska

6 1/2-8 pounds only current color available is black. Alaska rabbits were once only bred for their fur, originated from Germany from Argente and Himalayan rabbits.

Angora

Is one of the oldest breeds originated in Turkey hundreds of years ago. Initially bred for their wool. Four types of Angora: English Angora, French Angora, Satin Angora and Giant Angora.

Argente

Four types of Argente: Argente Creme, Argente Bleu, Argente de Champagne, Argente Brun.

Belgian Hare

Originated in Flanders but imported to England where it is bred till present day form. The Belgian hare has a deep chestnut colour bordered by black ticking along the length of the body and around the ears.

Beveren

Weighing about 8 pounds, the Beveren is one of the oldest and largest of the fur rabbits. It was first bred in Beveren, which is a small town near Antwerp in Belgium. They come in blue, white, black, brown and lilac. There is a rare variety called the Pointed Beveren, which comes in the same colours but has white tipped hairs.

British Giant

Weighs 12.5 pounds and over, the colours are dark steel grey, black, white, blue, brown, grey and opal.

Blanc de bouscat

Weighing around 12 pounds for the buck and up to 14 pounds for the doe. This rabbit is of French origin and is quite rare in England. It is white and the fur dense and silky.

Californian

First brought in the UK from the USA in the 1950's. The colour is all white with black, chocolate, blue or lilac nose, ears feet and tail.

Chinchilla

Originated in France and was first introduced after the First World War. The under colour of the fur should be slate blue at the base, the middle portion pearl grey, merging into white and tipped with black.

Dutch

Weighing up to 5 pounds. They come in various colours, black, blue, chocolate, yellow, tortoiseshell, steel grey, brown grey and pale grey.

English

Has a white rabbit with colour on the ears and body with chains and spots of blue, black, tortoiseshell, grey or chocolate.

Flemish

Weighing around 11-12 pounds originating in Flanders.

Fox

Weighing between 5.5 and 7 pounds, exhibited in 1926 followed by blue, chocolate and lila. The fox is one of the most popular of the fur breeds.

Harlequin

Weighing up to 8 pounds was created in France from the Tortoiseshell Dutch, first shown in the UK in the 1880's as a Japanese. Evenly coloured black, golden orange on the head, ears legs and body.

Havana

Weighing up to 6.5 pounds, it is thought that the first Havana appeared in a litter bred from a Dutch doe that was stabled with other breeds. It has a rich chocolate brown pelt and rich, ruby-eyed glow of the eye.

Himalayan

Weighing around 4.5 pounds, The Himalayan has a long, snake-like body and a short, white coat with chocolate, black, blue or lilac point.

Lilac

Weighing up to 7 pounds, first bred in the UK around 1913. It has a dense silky fur evenly coloured throughout in a pinkish dove shade.

Lop

Is one of the oldest breeds of domesticated rabbits. Four types of lops: French Lop, Holland Lop, Dwarf Lop, English Lop.

Netherland Dwarf

Introduced into the UK in 1950. It is bred in a wide variety of colours and patterns.

New Zealand

Classified as New Zealand Red: bright golden red with a slightly harsher coat than the other colours. New Zealand White was first bred in the USA for commercial purposes. Nowadays it is bred for showing and is a consistent winner.

Palomino

Weighing 9-10 pounds. The body is to be of medium length with firm flesh, well developed shoulders, and well filled and rounded hindquarters. The top line should have a gradual arc smoothly rising upward from the neck reaching it’s high point at the loin hip and sloping downward towards the tail. The surface color is to have as little variation as possible. The Golden variety is to be a bright golden shade over a cream to white undercolor. The Lynx variety has a medium pearl gray surface color blending to an orange beige intermediate color over a cream to white undercolor.

Polish

First bred in Holland. The red-eyed white is the most common. The English Polish rabbit has only recently been introduced into the USA, it has a separate classification and is called the Britannia Petite.

Rex

Weighing around 6-8 pounds, all the Rex varieties are of the same type, a graceful rabbit gently sloping up to well rounded hindquarters.

Rhinelander

Weighing 6-8 pounds, the body is to be well arched carried off the table, avoiding any tendency toward heaviness in the shoulder or hindquarters. Rhinelanders should exhibit length that gives a graceful appearance, width of a well rounded body, and a smooth top line blending into a rounded hindquarter. They should also display an appearance of alertness and springiness. The unique quality of the Rhinelander is based on three things: Type being first, Coloration and Markings being next with equal values.

Sable

Weighing 5-7 pounds,Marten Sable (with a white underside) and Siamese Sable are the only colors available. Starting at the head with a dark shade of the color, it gradually becomes lighter over the rest of the body.

Satin

Weighing 6-8 pounds, the Satin comes in over 20 colors, all of which have a velvety coat.

Siberian

Weighing between 5-7 pounds, the Siberian Rabbit was first bred in the UK around 1930 although its ancestry is unclear. It is a very graceful rabbit with an attractive coat, coloured black, blue, brown or lilac.

Silver

Weighing around 4-5 pounds, with silver specks of fur spot this rabbit's body. The colors of this rabbit are black (Silver Gray), blue (Silver Blue), fawn (Silver Fawn), and brown (Silver Brown.) All of which include silver hairs.

Silver Fox

Weighing 5-7 pounds, four color varieties are available in this breed: black, blue, lilac, and chocolate. Longer white hairs should be ticked across the body.

Smoke Pearl

The Smoke pearl was created in Scotland in 1926, it was originally known as Smoke Beige, the name was changed in 1932.The colour is light pearl grey and beige. The Siamese version has smoke on the saddle shading to pearl grey beige on the flank, chest and belly. The Marten version has white ticking, eye circles and belly.

Sussex

The Sussex, a recent introduction is becoming increasingly popular. It is named after the county of origin, It comes in two colours, gold and cream.

Swiss Fox

Weiging about 5.5-7 pounds. The Swiss Fox rabbits have 2 inch fur and come in many colors.

Tan

Weighing about 4.5 pounds, tan rabbits make a good pet. The undersides of this rabbit, which include the tail, stomach, chin, and ears, are colored in tan fur. The rest of the rabbit is colored in black, blue, brown, or lilac.

Thuringer

Weighing around 9 pounds,this thickset rabbit was first bred in Germany from Himalayans and Argentes. It's coat is yellow ochre or buff with bluish black guards hairs.

Vienna

Weighing 8-12 pounds, the Vienna is an old Austrian breed which has recently been introduced into the UK. They come in two colours the Vienna Blue which has a dark, slate blue top colour with a lighter under colour and the Vienna White which has a silky white coat.

References