List of rabbit breeds

Rabbit breeds are notably different varieties of domestic rabbit created through selective breeding or natural selection. Breeds recognized by organizations such as the American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA) may be exhibited and judged in rabbit shows. Breeders attempt to emulate the breed standard by which each breed is judged.

This breed listing is compiled by using the American names provided in the ARBA guide book, Raising Better Rabbits & Cavies. Some non-ARBA accepted commercial or foreign breeds are also listed using their most common name.

American

• Weight: 9-12 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Blue, White

The American Blue was first standardized in the early 20th century in southern California and first exhibited in 1917. It quickly became one of the most popular blue-coated breeds of the era. From throwbacks of the Blue varieties, the American White variety was created and standardized at a later date.

American Fuzzy Lop

Main article: American fuzzy lop

• Weight: under 4 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Broken, Solid

American Fuzzy Lops were derived on the West Coast United States from the breeding between two Holland Lopseach carrying the recessive wool gene. These small lop-eared rabbits have thick wool on their bodies like that of an Angora. The breed is relatively new, having been recognized by the ARBA in 1988.

American Sable

A medium size rabbit that comes in different levels of "sable" shading.

Angora

Main article: Angora rabbit

The Angora is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, originating in Ankara, Turkey. They are bred largely for their long wool, which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently pulling loose wool).

There are many individual breeds of Angora rabbits, four of which are ARBA recognized. Such breeds include, French, German, Giant, English, Satin, Chinese, Swiss, Finnish, to name a few.

English Angora

• Weight: 5-7 1/2 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked, Wide Band

English Angoras were derived from commercially-used French Angoras as a show breed. Rabbits of this breed are adorned with "furnishings," growths of wool on the tips of the ears and front feet, along with their thick body wool. They are gentle in nature but not recommended for those who don't enjoy grooming their animals.

French Angora

• Weight: 7 1/2-10 1/2 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Agouti, Broken, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked, Wide Band

While French Angoras have long been used by the French to make woolen items, these rabbits are still widely used throughout Europe as commercial wool animals. This breed was the ancestor of all other recognized Angora breeds.

Giant

• Weight: 9 1/2 lb. or larger
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Ruby-Eyed White

The Giant Angora is larger than other varieties of Angora, having been created to be an efficient wool rabbit on economical feed and housing. It has three hair types in its wool: underwool, awn fluff, and awn hair.

Satin Angora

• Weight: 6 1/2 to 9 1/2 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked, Wide Band

Derived from a cross between a Satin and a French Angora, this breed is named for the extremely soft texture of its wool. It has no furnishings on face, ears, or feet, and it is also easy to groom compared to the English variety. Satin Angora's wool is said to be stronger for spinning than other varieties of Angora.

Argente

There are four types of Argente, two of which are ARBA-recognized. All Argente breeds originated in France.

Champagne d'Argente

• Weight: 9-12 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard

The Champagne d'Argente is one of the oldest known rabbit breeds, having existed in the Champagne province of France for over 400 years. At that time known as the French Silver for its silvery coat, it was once prized for its pelt in spite of the fact that it was a common breed. Kits are born pure black and begin turning silver grey at about 3 weeks. By 6 months old they are a lovley shade of silver grey. Champagnes are not common in America today, but are increasing in popularity each year.

Beveren

• Weight: 8-12 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue, White

The Beveren is one of the oldest and largest of the fur rabbits. It was first bred in Beveren, a small town near Antwerp in Belgium. Their coats can be blue, white, black, brown and lilac, though not all of these varieties are ARBA-recognized. There is a rare variety called the Pointed Beveren, which comes in the same colors but has white tipped hairs.

Blanc de Bouscat

This breed of rabbit originated in France and is quite rare in England. The breed is quite big; bucks are generally around 12 pounds and does about 14 pounds. The fur is quite silky and dense and is most commonly white.

Blanc de Hotot

The Hotot was developed in Hotot-en-Auge, France by Eugenie Bernhard, the second woman to be credited with creating a new breed of rabbit. The Blanc de Hotot is a large rabbit with a frosty white coat and black rings around dark eyes. The white coat was incorporated in the breeds development as an important meat and fur quality trait. Bucks weigh 8-10 pounds and the does weigh 9-11 pounds. The breed is endandered globally.

British Giant

• Weight: 12.5 lb. or larger

This giant breed is not ARBA-accepted, as it is uncommon in the United States and exists predominantly in England. It appears in a number of different varieties: dark steel grey, black, white, blue, brown, grey and opal.

Britannia Petite

• Weight: 2.5 lb. or less
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Black Otter, Chestnut, Sable Marten, Ruby-Eyed White

Known as "Polish" in Britain, this breed was renamed in the United States as there already existed an ARBA-recognized Polish rabbit in the U.S. at the time of the Britannia's import to the States. The Britannia Petite is thought to have been derived from small wild rabbits and is known for sometimes having a wild temperament. They are many times not very suatible for pets because of this. When handled properly these rabbits can be calm

Californian

• Weight: 8-10 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard (Pointed White)
• View Article: Californian rabbit

The Californian was first bred from crosses between Chinchilla, Himalayan, and New Zealand rabbits in the 1920s, with the intent of creating a better commercial meat rabbit. It was first brought to the UK from the United States in the 1950s. The colour of the points on the ears, feet, and tail can be black, chocolate, blue or lilac.

Checkered Giant

• Weight: 11 lb. or larger
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue

The Checkered Giant, a large, Very Active, Black or Blue spotted rabbit, were first recognized as a breed in Germany. Among its ancestors were the Flemish Giant and purportedly a breed known as the Checkered Lop, a spotted lop. Other spotted breeds or white breeds may have been used. The breed was imported to America in 1910 and has since been developed into a type distinct from European Checkered Giants.

Chinchilla

There are three breeds of Chinchilla rabbit recognized by the ARBA.

American Chinchilla

• Weight: 9-12 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard

The American Chinchilla or "Heavyweight Chinchilla" is larger than the Standard Chinchilla but otherwise identical. Standard Chinchillas bred for large size produced this breed.

Standard Chinchilla

• Weight: 5-7 1/2 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard

This breed originated in France and was first introduced after the First World War. The coat color is distinctive: the undercolour of the fur should be slate blue at the base, the middle portion pearl grey, merging into white and tipped with black--much like the chinchilla, the fur-producing rodent after which this breed is named.

Giant Chinchilla

• Weight: 12-16 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard

The Giant Chinchilla is a result of crosses between Chinchilla breeds and Flemish Giants; it originates in the United States. This breed is used primarily as a commercial meat rabbit.

The Giant Chinchilla Rabbit Association is the National Specialty Club chartered by ARBA sponsoring the American Giant Chinchilla Rabbit.

Cinnamon

• Weight: 8 1/2-11 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard

Originating in Montana in the 1960s, this breed was accepted by the ARBA in 1972. It is a meat rabbit noted for its rust or "cinnamon" color complimented by grey ticking on the tips of the fur.

Dutch

A black and white Dutch rabbit

• Weight: 3.5-5.5 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Steel, Gray, Tortoise

This old breed was first bred in the Netherlands and brought to England in 1864; it is still very popular today. The markings consist of a white stripe down the face (often referred to as a "blaze"), a white stripe around the front torso (including front legs), white on the ends of the hind feet, and some other color over the rest of the body. Dutch rabbits should be judged mainly on the body type, with the markings playing a small role. As the markings are a pure genetic trait, Dutch patterns can also appear in other breeds of rabbit.

Dwarf Hotot

• Weight: 3 lb. or less
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Chocolate

Dwarf Hotots are essentially dwarf-sized versions of the Hotot breed, a white rabbit whose only marking is a black circle around each eye. Dwarf Hotots are actually genetically black rabbits that carry a "bleaching" gene that turns most of the fur white except for the distinctive eye-lining. However if one is wounded, the fur will often come back black.

Two different German breeders created this breed almost simultaneously in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, the breed first entered the United States. These small rabbits are known for having somewhat fiery temperaments.

After the ARBA National Convention in FT. Worth Texas, 2006 The Chocolate Variety became a fully recognized variety.

English Spot

• Weight: 5-8 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Gold, Gray, Lilac, Tortoise

The English Spot is an old breed suspected to have origins similar to that of the Checkered Giant, including Flemish Giants and some kind of spotted wild rabbit. English Spots have been bred in England since the 1880s, and the first English Spots imported to America were from England. This breed is mostly white, with coloring on the nose, ears, and around the eyes, and chains of colored spots along its sides including a black stripe down its spine.

The English Spot is a very active breed because of its high arch and needs at least 2 hours of running time each day. On the show table they are supposed to run on the table to demonstrate their full-arch type (this is true for all full-arch breeds except the Britannia Petite). English Spots make good pets because they are generally quite docile, but like most rabbits, they do have a few ‘mad March hare moments’! They will happily tolerate other pets included Guinea Pigs and familiarize themselves with domestic cats.

More recently, breeders in the UK have been able to cross the English Spot with smaller rabbit breeds. It has been quite a slow process, although the latest families of offspring are showing muted-grey markings of the English Spot including the spine stripe, eye patches, and nose patch. Currently, this ‘scaled down’ version of the English Spot is not recognized by professional bodies, but is recognized amongst some breeders as the 'Mini English'. The Netherland Dwarf, however can be shown in the UK in any recognized colour for any breed so there are a few dedicated breeders who can be seen with English marked Netherland Dwarves.

Flemish Giant

• Weight: 13 lb. or more
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue, Fawn, Light Gray, Sandy, Steel Gray, White

Typically impressive in size, about 14 lb., and of a dirty iron grey color with sandy or white bars on the legs and long ears with bent tips. It is not uncommon to find 20 pound and more Flemish Giants.

Today Flemish Giants are a popular breed to show and own as pets.

Flemish Giant also have a unique laid back and very docile personality. They are often said to be more like dogs than rabbits.

Flemish Giants are also one of the oldest recognized domestic breeds in existence. Flemish Giant be found all over the United States.

Florida White

• Weight: 4-6 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Standard

This breed was originally created in Florida in the 1960s as a small meat rabbit and white laboratory rabbit. It is generally thought that Polish, Dutch, and New Zealand White rabbits were combined to create the Florida White.

Harlequin

• Weight: 6.5-9.5 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Japanese, Magpie

At one time, Harlequin rabbits were known as "Japanese"; this misleading name lives on in the most common style of marking in the breed. Originating in France, this fur and meat breed is uncommon in America. It is known for its docile temperament and distinctive markings. Japanese-marked Harlequins are commonly orange and black in a split pattern down the front of the body--half black and half orange, like a court jester, hence the name "Harlequin." Black and orange stripes appear on the animal's sides. The Magpie markings are similar but substitute the orange for white. Magpies can be gray-black and white. Harlequins are a larger rabbit breed, and once they come of age, many females develop a double chin. (Seldomly, a nickname in some households could be a doubloon). This is not a sign of obesity or ill-health. There are also Harlequin Dutch rabbits, which combine the speckles and split face of the harlequin with the bands and the more distinct split face of a dutch, which traditionally features white in the center, and the same color on either side. Being a larger rabbit, harlequins can bear more babies at a time than dwarfs can, and are wonderful breeders.

Havana

• Weight: 4.5-6.5 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue, Chocolate

In the Netherlands in 1898, the first Chocolate Havana appeared in a litter from a Dutch doe that was housed with other breeds. They gained recognition throughout Europe in the early 1900s, and they were accepted by the ARBA in 1916. In 1965, Blues were recognized, and the Black variety was recognized in 1980.

For any one who wants a very soft lovable house rabbit this is for you. It is great with kids because of its wonderful laid back attitude and is a great 4-H or FFA Fit and Show rabbit. The Chocolate variety is the most popular because of its deep chocolate colour.

Himalayan

• Weight: 2.5-4.5 lb.
• ARBA-accepted varieties: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac

The Himalayan is an old breed long-known in Asian countries in the region of the Himalayan Mountains. It is more widely distributed throughout the world than any other rabbit breed, and has been known by more names, such as the Chinese, Russian, Egyptian, and the Black Nose. They are known for their gentle temperament, and make great pets for children and are also a good choice for a first-time rabbit owner - or anyone who wants a rabbit that is content to sit in their lap sometimes. Like a Himalayan cat, the Himalayan rabbit is white with dark points on the nose, ears, and feet. The original variety had Black points, but later breeders created the Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac varieties. They are born all white, but their markings come in as they age. They are delicately built and always have pink eyes.

The Himalayan is the only breed classified as cylindrical - long bodied like a cylinder or tube. When shown, the judge judges this breed posed in a "stretched out" position.

link title===Jersey Wooly===

A Jersey Wooly

Jersey Woolys weigh about 3 pounds. They have a bold head and short, well furred ears. Ideal length of wool is 2 1/5" and generally is easier to care for then the Angora rabbits' fur. They have gentle temperaments and make excellent pets. They come in many varieties, just a few examples are black, lilac, pointed white, sable marten, REW (ruby-eyed white) and squirrel. They can also come in broken patterns. For more information contact the National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club, at NJWRC.net.

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, and of course lilac to lavender color. This is a very fading and slightly rare breed.

Lionhead

File:IMG 0842.JPG

A lionhead rabbit

Is one of the newest breed of domesticated rabbits. It has particularly long hair surrounding the face, which reminds one of the mane of a male lion, hence the name. Other characteristic traits of the lionhead include a rounded head and small size, usually between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds. It also tends to have slightly shorter ears than most breeds.

The Lionhead rabbit originated in Belgium. It is reported to have been produced by breeders trying to breed a long coated dwarf rabbit by crossing a miniature Swiss Fox and a Belgian dwarf. The Lionhead seemed to have been more popular than the long coated dwarf, and so breeders carried on this trend in breeding them intentionally, and so came what we know today as the Lionhead rabbit.

The breed has been recognised by the British Rabbit Council, however as of yet it is not a recognised breed in the US.

Lop

Among the oldest breeds of domesticated rabbits, lops are known for distinctive floppy ears. There are six types of lops: French Lop, Holland Lop, Dwarf Lop, English Lop,Velveteen Lop and Mini Lop.

• American Fuzzy Lop: Similar to a Holland Lop in structure and type, but with angora wool
• French Lop-is thought to have been produced by crossing the English Lop with an unknown breed.

  

  A French lop rabbit

• Holland Lop-the Holland Lop is to be heavily muscled, short coupled, compact and well balanced in length, width, and depth. The shoulders and chest should be broad and well filled, same as the hindquarters. The head being massive in appearance setting high on the shoulders and close to the shoulders showing no neck. With the depth almost equal at the top of the shoulder as over the hindquarters. The legs are to be short, thick, straight, and heavily boned for the size of the animal. Ears are to be bell-shaped and short, no longer than 1 inch below the chin.

File:Medusaloppy.jpg

A Holland lop rabbit

• English: Bred in a limited variety of colours, the most popular being sooty fawn. Others are black, fawn and marked varieties of these colours. Famous for their long ears, often growing over 20 inches in length!
• Velveteen- A New breed originating in the US. The Velveteen Has long ears like that of the english, but rex type fur!
• Dwarf-A newer breed that originated by crossing the French lop with a Dwarf.
• Mini Lop or German Lop

External link: Lop-eared rabbit club of america

In the United Kingdom there are many similar breeds of Lop but sometimes with different names.

The smallest of these is the Miniature Lop, similar to the Holland Lop weighing around 3 lb (1.4 kg) and being a close relative of the Netherland Dwarf The next smallest is the Dwarf Lop at a little over 5 lb (2.2 kg), followed by the English, German, Meissener and French Lop breeds. The Meissener is a very rare breed available in only a couple of colours and is hardly ever seen at shows.

Unfortunately, the rapid selective breeding in different types of lops over the past few decades does leave some strains of the breed susceptible to dental problems because the skull and jaws have been unable to evolve properly and have become un-aligned. The general structure of the skull is also different to other breeds as Charles Darwin observed many years ago :External link:

My vajj is messed up!!

[1] which can produce distorted skulls when crossing with normal eared rabbits.

Mini Rex

A Mini Rex

Main article: Mini Rex

Derived from the Standard Rex breed as a pet, this little rabbit has the fur of the Rex, but in a small size 3-4 1/2 pounds. The coat has a plush feel much like velvet. The rex mutation is recessive and causes the hair to protrude outwards from the body, instead of lying flat, and the gaurd hairs to be shortened to the length of the undercoat. They are very popular with exhibitors in the ARBA and are good for a child to start with due to their small size. They are also one of the easiest to breed of the dwarf rabbits, and are very good mothers.

Mini Satin

A smaller version of the Satin.

Netherland Dwarf

Main article: Netherland dwarf rabbit

Introduced into the UK in 1950, this breed is one of the smallest and is widely considered one of the cutest. It is bred in a wide range of colours and patterns usually derived from larger rabbits - everything from albino whites through to jet blacks and agoutis (native coloured). Does (females) have a more placid, parental nature than the bucks (males) which can be grumpy and somewhat aggressive - so much so that they can become dominant over much larger rabbits! But all Netherland Dwarf's can become very tame towards their owners and are now considered a very suitable pet which is relatively easy to handle. It is the breed of rabbit most commonly kept as a pet nowadays.

Although a very small rabbit, Netherland Dwarf's do benefit greatly from daily use of a good sized outdoor run or grazing ark. Some individuals exercise an incredible ‘vertical leap’ behavior when playing and would appreciate a run height the same as that of larger rabbit breeds and an equal ‘perimeter size’ to scamper round.

New Zealand

New Zealand rabbits are available in three ARBA-recognized colors: white, red, and black. Although there efforts with certificates of developement on a blue and broken variety. The Red has bright golden red fur with a slightly harsher fat. One of the larger breed of rabbit, it can weight anywhere from 9 lbs. to 12 lbs. New Zealands are a very calm natured breed that can be used for meat, pelts, show, and laboratory uses. All of these traits make the New Zealand a very wealthy rabbit in its products. Zealand

Palomino

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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 grey surface color blending to an orange beige intermediate color over a cream to white undercolor.

Polish

First bred in Holland. A small rabbit of about 3 pounds. The red-eyed white (known as REW) is the most common, but they are recognized in the black, blue, chocolate, and BEW (blue-eyed white) varieties. They can also be of the broken variety. The English Polish rabbit has only recently been introduced into the USA, it has a separate classification and is called the Britannia Petite. Varieties: Black, Blue, Broken, Chocolate, BEW, and REW Showroom Classification: 4 Class Breed, Senior Weights Ideal Bucks and Does 2-1 1/2 lbs

General Description:

The body is to be small, compact, and close coupled with well rounded hips that are wider than the shoulders. The body top line should rise gradually from the nape of neck to its highest point at the center of the hips and then fall in a smooth curve to the base of the tail. The fur is short, fine, and dense with a flyback coat. The head is medium full and short, with full cheeks. When viewed from the side, there should be a slight curve in the skull from the base of the ears toward the nose, with a slight roundness between the eyes.

Rex

The Rex breed is distinguished by its lovely velvet fur. A medium size rabbit, also a commercial, they can be 7-9 pounds. They come in 15 different colors. Rex fur is a recessive genetic mutation that results in shortened guard hairs, the length of the down coat, which stick out from the body creating a plush velvet coat. The resulting coat is short, plush and very dense as it is what would be called undercoat on a normal fured rabbit. They are full of personality and make lovely pets.

• Standard Rex - Prized for its fur and meat production. Although, most fur uses of the Rex stopped in 1985 after most people realized that there are larger animals that are just as soft. These are prolific rabbits having large litters with odd numbers of kits, often numbering nine or more. They are known as good mothers and are used as foster mother's for other rabbit breeds. These rabbits have beautiful fur that is often used to substitute for the use of other animals in fur coats.
• Mini Rex - weighing around 4 1/2 pounds. Short and rather close coupled, it is moderately well filled with flesh. The ideal length of fur is 5/8 inch, and is to have a lustrous appearance, good body, and a plush-like effect which offers a distinct springy resistance to the touch. This breed is also referred to as a "Velveteen" rabbit.is it

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.

Satin

Weighing 8-11 pounds, the Satin is reccognized in 11 varieties by the ARBA. A genetic mutation found first in a litter of Havanas, the Satin fur is distinguished by a glass clear sheath to their guard hairs giving them a very high sheen. They are a commercial type rabbit, with one of the best meat to bone ratios. Excellent mothers, easy breeders and good growth rate makes them a very good choice for backyard meat production. They have beautiful colors with fur that can be worked into many beautiful items. They are the most popular of the commercial type rabbits exhibited in America today, and good quality stock can be found almost everywhere.

• Satin Angora-weighing around 8.5 pounds. The Satin Angora is similar to the French Angora, but with silky, shiny wool.

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 Marten

Weighing 6-9 1/2 pounds, three color varieties are available in this breed: black, blue, and chocolate.

Longer white hairs should be ticked across each side of the body. There is also white in the form of a triange at the nape of the neck, white inside the nostrils and ears, white circles around the eyes, white on the belly and inside of the legs, and white under the tail.

This is the breed. There is also a variety (color) called Silver Marten that is found in a few different breeds. They are, however, a separate breed, and they should not be crossed together.

Silver Fox

Weighing 9-12 pounds, two color varieties are available in this breed: black and blue, black being the only one recognized by the ARBA's Standard of Perfection. The Silver Fox's fur is more coarse than the fur of other rabbits, one and half to two inched long, and when stroked from tail to head, the fur stands up. This is referred to as "no flyback" fur. The guard hairs are white. This combined with the length and coarseness of the fur resembles the fur of the Arctic Silver Fox for which the Silver Fox rabbit is named. The Silver Fox Rabbit is listed as "Critical" by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy, meaning there are less than 200 registered breeding adult Silver Fox rabbits in the United States and a global population of fewer than 2,000.

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 show animal. The undersides of this rabbit, which include the tail, stomach, chin, and ears, are colored in "tan" fur (almost more of a bright orange). The rest of the rabbit is colored in black, blue, brown, or lilac! They are a full-arched breed and are to run on the table during judging at shows. They are very energetic rabbits.

Thrianta

The Thrianta is a beautiful orange breed of rabbit. It originated in the Netherlands and was produced by Mr Andrea. Thrianta rabbits are sometimes cross bred with the Sachsengold (which was developed in Germany by a breeder called Mr Bennack). The Sachsengold was very similar to the Thrianta, but the colour is not nearly as intense, have a longer body type, and snipper heads. This cross breeding was intended to deepen the Sachsengold's colour. The Sachsengold was mistakenly thought to be renamed the Thrianta in 1979 how ever this is untrue. One of the Frist importers to the USA of these rabbits was Judith Oldenburg, of Iowa. She selected some of the finest stock that could be had at the time, which contained no Sachsengold blood. Almost all of the best stock in America can be traced back to her imported rabbits.

Thuringer

Weighing around 9 pounds, this thickset rabbit was first bred in Germany from Himalayans and Argentes. Its coat is yellow ochre or buff with bluish black guards hairs. it has darker hairs on its face and boots. this breed is usually only available from specialist breeders. they can come in a range of colours, although most commonly are yellow.

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.They also have very soft fur.

References

• The Official Guide Book Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies, from the American Rabbit Breeders' Association, Inc.
• Angora Rabbit information website
• French Angora Rabbit information website
• Giveusahome.co.uk Breed Listing
• Lionhead Rabbits information website
• Holland Lop Rabbits information website
• Snopes Urban Legends Reference Pages: Giant Rabbit