breeding or natural selection. In this article, I will list a few
common breeds of rabbits that are recognized by the American Rabbit
Breeders Association along with a brief description.
Rabbit Breeds
American: This breed was standardized early in the 20th century. The
two categories available are the blue and white. The sub-varieties
available under this breed are:
American Fuzzy Lop: This breed was derived by breeding two Holland
Lops each carrying a recessive wool gene. The rabbits belonging to
this breed have lopped ears and their body is covered with thick wool.
American Sable: The rabbits belonging to this breed have different
levels of sandy (sable) coloring.
Angora: This breed consists of the oldest types of domestic rabbits
that originated in Ankara, Turkey. The rabbits belonging to this breed
are used for their long wool which is removed by shearing or plucking.
The sub-varieties available under this breed are:
English Angora: This breed has been derived from French Angoras
and are gentle in nature but require a lot of grooming.
French Angora: This breed has guard hair on the surface and wool
as an undercoat.
Satin Angora: This breed is so named because of its extremely soft
texture of its wool. These are very easy to groom and the wool they
produce is very strong.
Beveran: This breed consists of the oldest and largest of the fur
rabbits. The color of their coats can vary from blue, white, black,
lilac or brown. A rare variety in this breed is the Pointed Beveren
which has the same color but have white-tipped hair.
Blue of Ham: This breed of rabbit was very popular during the first
few decades of the 20th century but became extinct during the sixties.
However, a Belgian breeder was able to recreate the rabbit by using
off-springs.
Britannia Petite: This breed of rabbits weigh about 2.5 lb and are
thought to have been derived from small wild rabbits. They have a wild
temperament and are not suitable for pets. However, if handled
properly these rabbits can be calm.
American Chinchilla: This breed of rabbits are bred for their meat.
They are a hardy pet and do not require regular grooming. They have a
medium length body which is slightly curved. Their ears are straight
and erect. These rabbits are also good breeders and on an average
their litter consists of 7 - 10 babies.
Dutch: This breed of rabbits were originally bred in Netherlands. The
markings present on their body includes a white wedge down the face,
round colored circles around the eyes, white markings on the hind feet
and a line extending under the belly. Dutch rabbits make excellent
pets, show rabbits and do rather well in the sport of rabbit hopping.
Himalayan: This is a very old breed of rabbits that are very common in
the Asian countries in the Himalayan Mountains. It is the most widely
distributed rabbit in the world and is also known as by many other
names like Chinese, Russian, Egyptian and the Black Nose. They are
delicately built and have a long body resembling a tube and are famous
for their general temperament. They make excellent pets especially for
the children and an ideal choice for a first time rabbit owner.
Lionhead: This is one of the newest breed of domesticated rabbits and
it was originated in Belgium. It is reported to be a cross between a
miniature Swiss Fox and a Belgian Dwarf. It has been so named because
it has particularly long hair surrounding the face that resembles the
mane of a male lion. The other characteristics include a round head
and ears shorter than most breeds of rabbits.
English Spot: This breed of rabbits is mostly white and they have a
butterfly mark on their nose, colored ears and chains of colored spots
along its sides including a herringbone stripe down its back. English
Spots are a very active breed of rabbits and require a minimum of two
hours of running time everyday. They are generally docile and make
good pets and also tolerate other pets like guinea pigs, cats and
dogs.
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