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Domestic Rabbit Breeds – An Ideal List

Are you looking to get a rabbit but don’t know which breed to choose? Let’s take a look at the most common pet breeds (if you want to know more about their basic care, check out our article How to Take Care of a Rabbit – An Introduction).

Dwarf breeds

Hotot dwarf

domestic rabbit breeds - HototImage / Maja Dumat.


– Origin: Germany.

– Characteristics: Soft, fine and abundant hair, brown eyes with a black circle around the eyes, short ears covered with many hairs.

– Color: white.

– Weight: 1.2 kgs.

– Character: docile and sociable, affectionate and playful.

Polish small

Polish small breedImage / Gilberte.


– Origin: The exact origin is unknown, he can come from Belgium, England or Germany.

– Characteristics: long and straight legs, expressive eyes, compact body, short thick hair, oval head, very small and erect ears.

– Colors: Among the many variables we have: black, chocolate, blue-gray, and white with blue or ruby eyes.

– Weight: 800 grs. – 1.2 kgs.

– Character: Sociable, active, playful, freedom-lover; requires you to spend time playing with him and sharing funny moments.

Longevity: 6-8 years.

Netherland dwarf

domestic rabbit breeds - Netherland dwarfImage / Yuki Matsukura.


Netherland dwarf breed


– Origin: Netherlands.

– Characteristics: compact body, large eyes, short erect ears, short thick hair. Prone to dental problems, it´s recommended to take him to the vet regularly.

– Colors: comes in a variety of them: plain satin, white, black, chocolate, gray, orange, agouti (each hair with colored varieties resulting in brown-gold, as in the first image above), chinchilla (named after the characteristic color of chinchillas) and squirrel.

– Weight: 900 grs. – 1.2 kgs.

– Character: One of the most popular breeds as a pet. Docile, noble, gentle, curious and restless.

– Longevity: 7-9 years.

Dwarf rex

domestic rabbit breeds - Mini RexImage / Roberto Reyes.


– Origin: France.

– Characteristics: bulging eyes, short, dense and velvety hair, upright ears and long legs.

Colors: amber, white (with red or dark eyes), chinchilla, dark and light brown, black, lilac (gray-purple), red, orange, chocolate, blue, broken (white with brown, black or mixed spots as in the picture above).

– Weight: 1.5 kgs.

– Character: very active, good temperament, enjoys cuddles and the company of people.

– Longevity: 10 years with proper care.

Medium breeds

Lionhead

Lionhead breedImage“Fantasya72″.


– Origin: Belgium.

– Characteristics: erect ears, body covered by a wooly coat, longer hair around the legs, and head and tail like those of a lion (his long coat makes it necessary to comb him daily with metal combs designed for long hair) .

– Colors: There´s a variety of them: chinchilla, orange, gold, black, blue, lilac, chocolate and white with blue or ruby eyes.

 

 

– Weight: 1.5 – 1.9 kgs.

– Character: Sociable, friendly and peaceful, he´s smart and can get to understand simple commands such as “come”, “play” and “eat”.

– Longevity: 7-8 years.

Holland lop

domestic rabbit breeds - Holland lop


Holland lop breedImageAlexander Horn.


– Origin: Netherlands.

– Characteristics: big floppy ears that attract much attention and a fur that is fine, dense and moderately long. Solid body, rounded hips and short, strong legs.

– Colors: among the many varieties we have plain colors like white, gray, chocolate, black, shaded blue, agouti and broken.

– Weight: 1.5 kgs average.

– Character: Sociable, friendly, lively, restless, affectionate, very gentle and not aggressive.

– Longevity: 7-8 years.

Belier or German lop

Mini lop breedImage / “Loki db4″. 


– Origin: Germany.

– Characteristics: medium-length hair, brown eyes, round face, robust body and broad, thick, long and floppy ears.

– Colors: Among the great variety of colors there´s white (with blue or ruby eyes), black, blue, lilac, chocolate and broken.

– Weight: 2.5 – 2.7 kgs.

– Character: very docile, quiet and likes to feel accompanied by people.

– Longevity: 6-8 years.

Large breeds

Rex

Rex breedImage / “DB 11″.


– Origin: France.

– Characteristics: long body, large and strong hind legs, long and upright ears and a velvety, short, thick fur.

– Colors: Among the variety of them we have black, brown, chinchilla, chocolate, lilac, amber and white.

– Weight: 3.5 – 4.5 kgs.

– Character: very alert, likes to play and has a balanced temperament. Prefers to rest during the day and is more active at night.

– Longevity: 6 years.

English lop

domestic rabbit breeds - English LopImage / “Cliff Reppart”.


– Origin: UK.

– Characteristics: short and very soft hair to the touch, front legs larger than hind legs, very long ears that are dragged on the ground (it´s the breed with the largest ears) and that need special care; their nails also need attention to prevent them from doing damage to their ears.

– Colors: beige and lion (dark blonde).

– Longevity: 7-10 years.

– Weight: 4.0 – 4.5 kgs.

– Character: Very docile and quiet.

 

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