Rabbits come in various breeds and have the difference in size, color, coat types, and shapes. According to FAO, US, there are more than 300 domestic rabbit breeds around the globe. The different breeds are due to the effects of natural selection and, more commonly, due to selective breeding to achieve desired characteristics in the offspring generation. The selected characters may be climate acclimatizing ability, feed conversion ratio, temperament, size, thickness, pattern, color and quality of fur, etc. In this way, multiple unrecognized breeds can be produced. However, American Rabbit Breeders Association and British Rabbit Council have standardized by coordinating with each other the qualities of their recognized species. They promote their rabbit breeds in multiple exhibitions at different times of the year.
The diversity of the breeds is the true reflection of the unique qualities of rabbit and their behaviors. For example, if you aim to have a rabbit as a pet, you may be interested in small or medium-sized breeds as they need less shelter area and feed.
However, there can also be the personal/individual breed standards by which a breeder emulates the breed’s purpose and benefit. Buyers judge the breed of rabbits by these individualized breed standards and bid on them according to their interests. In this article, we are going to talk about all the rabbit breeds recognized by American Rabbit Breeders Association, why you need to consider a rabbit breed, and categorize them alphabetically and according to their size. So, read the article entirely before making a final decision about a rabbit breed you are going to have.
Table of Contents
Why Do You Need To Consider A Rabbit Breed?
A typical pet owner may not notice the slight difference between multiple breeds. Moreover, the pet bunny you are going to have from a pet store does not need to be of pure breed or that of a mixed one. The breed of the rabbit does not affect its qualities as a pet much. However, it does affect its diet charts, feeding schedules, immunity against diseases, life expectancy, and so on. Moreover, if you aim to breed your bunny or want to have it for a particular purpose, you need to be careful about the breed of rabbit. For example, if you’re going to have a rabbit farm for meat production, the preferred option is going for more giant breeds rabbits than the smaller ones who cannot grow much.
Breed Variation In Rabbits:
The rabbits in different breeds may vary depending on:
Size:
Rabbits can vary in sizer from dwarf breeds weighing less than 2.5 pounds to giant rabbits that can easily exceed 17pounds of weight.
Color:
The color variation is massive; from snow white to tan, greys, chocolate, reds, and browns, there is a wide range. Moreover, the markings on the fur of some rabbit breeds give them a unique shade. Furthermore, the sheen on the skin and patterned color patches is also a unique feature of a few rabbit breeds.
Fur:
Not only the color of fur varies in multiple breeds but also the thickness, texture, growth, and pattern of hair distribution along the body vary. Note that, long haired breeds of rabbits need a lot more grooming and care than short haired ones,
Shape:
The body shape of the rabbit also varies in multiple breeds and is discussed in other sections.
All Rabbit Breeds:
In this section, we will elaborate on all the rabbit breeds recognized by American Rabbit Breeders Association, along with their specifications and characters.
All Rabbit Breeds: A
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
American |
9 - 12 Pounds |
Semi-Arch (Mandolin) |
Blue
White
|
Meat Breed of Old America
Critically Endangered |
|
American Fuzzy Lop |
3.5 - 3 3/4 Pounds |
Short and Compact |
Agouti, Pointed, White, Broken, Wideband Shaded, and Self |
Lop-Eared Rabbit. Resembles the Mini Lop
However, it is Smaller and has Wool that is up to or Greater than 2 Inches Long.
|
|
American Sable |
7 - 10 Pounds |
Commercial |
Shaded Sepia Brown, Comparatively Dark on the Face and Random Points, and Whereas it is Lighter Across the Body.
|
Distinctive: Color |
|
Angora - French |
7.5 – 10.5 Pounds. |
Commercial |
Variable Depending on Wool Color. However, the Colors are usually Pale. |
They are used for Acquiring Meat and Wool. Wool is Approximately 3.5 - 4.5 Inches Long. Head and Ears are Uncovered (Without Wool) |
|
Angora - English |
5 – 7.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Variable Depending on Wool Color. However, the Colors are usually Pale |
Wool is more than 5 Inches Long. Moreover, all the Body Parts are Completely Covered in Wool Except that of the Face. |
|
Angora - Satin |
6.5 – 9.5 Pounds |
Commercial |
Variable Depending on Wool Color. However, the Colors are usually Pale |
Wool is Soft, Delicate and Silky, having the Sheen and Luxury of a Sanitized Wool Shaft. Sheen is Present on the Whole Body, Including Ears and Head, Which are not Entirely Covered with Wool |
|
Angora - Giant |
9.5 Pounds and over (can be a lot heavier than this) |
Commercial |
Ruby-Eyed-White (Albino) |
They are Covered with Wool, Ears Tasseled with Wool, Giant Size. |
|
Argente Brun |
7 - 10 Pounds |
Commercial |
Silvered Chocolate (Brown) |
Wooled Rabbits. |
All Rabbit Breeds: B
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Belgian Hare |
6 – 9.5 Pounds |
Fully Arched |
Brilliant Deep Red, Rich Chestnut, or Tan Shade. |
Arched and Racy, Hare-Like Appearance is the most Significant Distinction of this Breed. |
|
Blanc De Hotot |
8 - 11 Pounds |
Commercial |
Frosty White.
However, there is an Exception of 1/8 Inch Wide Eye Band Black in Color around Brown Eyes.
|
Eye Bands. |
|
Beveren |
8 - 12 Pounds |
Mandolin |
Black, White and Blue |
Breed Best for Meat Production |
|
Britannia Petite |
2.6 Pounds |
Arched |
Black, Chestnut Agouti, Sable Marten, Black Otter, REW. |
Small Arched Body |
All Rabbit Breeds: C
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Champagne D'Argent |
9 - 12 Pounds |
Commercial |
Bluish White, Mostly giving an old Silver Effect. It also has Interspersed Jet Black Hairs |
It Got its Distinction from its Colors. |
|
Californian |
8 - 10 ½ Pounds |
Commercial |
White, With Red Eyes. It is Black at Some Points (Nose, Ears, Feet and Tail). |
Himalayan Markings in a Commercial Rabbit |
|
Checkered Giant |
11 - 12 Pounds. Weight can be a lot more than that |
Arched |
1. White with Black Spots and Spine stripe
2. White with Blue Dots and Spine Stripe
|
Large Size, Spots and Body Type. |
|
Chinchilla - Giant |
12 - 16 Pounds |
Commercial |
Resembling the Chinchilla with White and Black Banded Hair Shafts |
Size and Color |
|
Chinchilla - Standard |
5 – 7.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Resembling the Chinchilla with White and Black Banded Hair Shafts |
Small Size and Color |
|
Chinchilla - American |
9 - 12 Pounds |
Commercial |
Resembling the Chinchilla with White and Black Banded Hair Shafts |
It is Distinguished by its Size and Color and is Highly Endangered |
|
Cinnamon |
8.5 - 11 Pounds |
Commercial |
Rusty or Cinnamon, And has Uniform Smoke Gray Clicking Across the Back Base |
Its Distinctive Color |
|
Crème D’Argent |
8 - 11 Pounds |
Commercial |
Creamy White with a Bright Orange Lines and Shades |
Its Distinctive Color |
All Rabbit Breeds: D
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dutch |
3.5 – 5.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Black, Blue, Gray, Chocolate, Chinchilla, Steel, Tortoiseshell with Particular White Markings |
Distinctive Patterns |
|
Dwarf Hotot |
3 Pounds |
Compact |
White. Brown Eyes have a Two Pennies Thickness of the Black Uniform Band
|
Small Size Eye Bands |
All Rabbit Breeds: E
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
English Spot |
5 - 8 Pounds |
Arched |
White. These Rabbits have Nose Butterflies, Ears, Eye Circles, Spine, Cheek Spots, and Side Spots in Multiple Colors, Including Blue Chocolate, Black, Gold, Lilac, Gray, Tortoise. |
Carriage and Markings |
All Rabbit Breeds: F
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Florida White |
4 - 6 Pounds |
Compact |
Pink Eyes |
Small Size Commercial Rabbits |
|
Flemish Giant |
Greater Than13 Pounds |
Semi-Arched |
Black, Blue, Light Gray, Fawn, Steel Gray, Sandy, White |
Giant But Moderately Balanced Size. |
All Rabbit Breeds: H
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Harlequin |
6.5- 9.5 Pounds |
Commercial |
Black, Lilac, Chocolate, And Blue. It has Two Groups: Magpie(Dark/White) and Japanese (Dark/Orange). The Color of the Two Ears is Different. One Black, and the Other Orange. |
Sides of Face, Chest, And Legs Alternate Colors, And Back should have 5 or 6 Alternating Bands or Bars |
|
Himalayan |
2.5 – 4.5 Pounds |
Cylindrical |
Pointed - Pure White.However, The Ears, Nose, Tail, And Feet are Black, Lilac, Chocolate or Blue. |
The Cylindrical Shape of the Body |
|
Havana |
4.5 – 6.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Black, Chocolate, Blue, Broken |
Medium-Small, Vibrant Colored Rabbits |
|
Holland Lop |
Not More Than 4 Pounds |
Compact, With High Head |
Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Tan, Shaded, Wideband, Broken, Ticked |
Small Size and Lopped Ears. |
All Rabbit Breeds: J
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jersey Wooly |
Not More Than 3.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Agouti, AOV, Broken, Shaded, Self, Tan |
Petite Size and 3-Inch Wool |
All Rabbit Breeds: L
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lilac |
5.5 – 7.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Lilac ('Dove Gray' with a Soft Pink Tint on the Surface) |
Distinctive Color |
|
Lionhead |
3 3/4 Pounds |
Compact |
Red-Eyed-White, And Tortoise Shell Color (For Now) |
The Pattern of Long and Thick Wool Around the Neck |
|
Lop - French |
10.5 Pounds and Greater |
Commercial and Big |
Agouti, Self, Broken, Ticked, Shaded, Wideband |
Big Lopped Ears,
Massive Size
|
|
Lop - English |
9 Pounds and Greater |
Semi-Arched |
Agouti, Self, Broken, Ticked, Shaded, Wideband |
Big Lopped Ears |
All Rabbit Breeds: M
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mini Lop |
4.5 – 6.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Agouti, Self, Broken, Ticked, Shaded, Wideband |
Lopped Ears,
Massive in Effect yet are Compact |
|
Mini Satin |
3 1/4 - 4 3/4 Pounds |
Commercial in a Petite Package |
Ruby-Eyed White, Otter, Chocolate, Chinchilla, Black, Opal, Red, Siamese |
Satin Fur |
|
Mini Rex |
3 – 4.5 Pounds |
Commercial Type in a Small Body |
Black, Seal, Blue-Eyed White, Blue, Chocolate, Opal Red, Castor, Lilac, Red-Eyed White, Chinchilla, Himalayan, lynx, Tortoise, Broken. |
Rex Fur on a Petite Body |
All Rabbit Breeds: N
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New Zealand |
9 - 12 Pounds |
Commercial |
White, Broken, Black, Red. |
Commercial Meat Rabbit |
|
Netherland Dwarf |
Not Greater Than 2.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Agouti, Shaded, Self, Tan Pattern, Any Other Varieties |
Tiny Round Size
Short Ears
Many Color Varieties |
All Rabbit Breeds: P
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Palomino |
8 - 11 Pounds |
Commercial |
Golden, lynx |
Its Distinctive Color |
|
Polish |
Not Over 3.5 Pounds |
Compact |
Black, Blue, Chocolate, Broken, Ruby-Eyed White, Blue-Eyed White. |
Petite Size |
All Rabbit Breeds: R
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rex |
7.5 – 10.5 Pounds |
Commercial |
Amber, Blue, Black, Californian, Broken, Chinchilla, Castor, Chocolate, lynx, Lilac, Opal, Red, Otter, Seal, Sable, White (REW) |
Rex Fur |
|
Rhinelander |
6.5- 10 Pounds |
Arched |
White With Evenly Distributed Black
Orange Markings on Nose, Cheek Spots, Eye Circles, Spine, Ears, Tail, and Side Spot.
|
Tri Coloration, Markings |
All Rabbit Breeds: S
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Satin |
8.5 - 11 Pounds |
Commercial |
Black, Chocolate, Blue Broken, Chinchilla, Californian, Copper, Red, Otter, Siamese, White. |
Satinized Hair Shafts - More Acceptable Diameter and A More Transparent Hair Shell-Result in Brilliant Colors and Enhanced Sheen. |
|
Silver |
4 - 7 Pounds |
Slight Mandolin |
Black, Fawn, Brown |
Even Silvering Over Entire Rabbit Due to Silver-White Hairs and Hair-Tips; Considered a 'Rare' Breed |
|
Silver Fox |
9 - 12 Pounds |
Commercial |
Black, Which is 'Silvered.' |
Long, Evenly Silvered Fur. It is a Meat Breed. The Silver Fox Breed is Marked as Critically Endangered. |
|
Silver Marten |
6 – 9.5 Pounds |
Lighter Commercial |
Black, Blue, Chocolate, Sable, In a Tan Pattern (In This Breed, 'Tan' Areas Are White) |
Black and Silver Coloration, Long Silvery Guard Hairs Evenly Distributed Upper Sides of the Rabbit |
All Rabbit Breeds: T
| Name | Weight | Type | Color | Characters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tan |
4 - 6 Pounds |
Arched |
Black, Chocolate, Blue, and Lilac, With Fiery Tan Triangle, Chest And Belly |
Rich Fiery Tan and Lustrous Top Colors |
|
Thrianta
(Pronounced "Tree-AHNta")
|
4 - 6 Pounds |
Compact |
A Fiery, Brilliant Red with Dark Brown Eyes.The Belly is in a slightly Lighter Shade of Red. |
It's Unique, Brilliant, Fiery Red Color. |
Ps: The missing alphabets do not have any recognized rabbit breed in the category.
Pet Rabbit Breed Based On Sizes
Breeds of pet have a significant effect on its behavior as a pet. Moreover, the size of the rabbit massively affects the purpose for which you have taken the rabbit as a pet. Giant sized rabbits produce more meat and are suitable for commercial purposes. Moreover, if you aim to go in massive bunny competitions, you need to focus on investing in breeds that have the capacity to grow a lot.
However, for home pets, small sized rabbits are the best option. They need less shelter space, are more active and immune to diseases. Moreover, small rabbits are relatively low maintenance than larger ones. We have enlisted the most popular breeds of rabbits as recognized by American Rabbit Breeders Association based on their size for your ease.
Giant-Sized Rabbit Breeds From 11 Pounds And More
- Checkered Giant
- Continental Giant (Conti)
- Flemish Giant (Patagonian)
- French Lop
- Giant Chinchilla
Large Sized Rabbit Breeds From 9 To 11 Pounds
- American Chinchilla
- American
- Beveren
- Champagne d’Argent
- Creme d’Argent
- Californian
- Cinnamon
- English Lop
- Giant Angora
- Hotot
- New Zealand
- Palomino
- Silver Fox
- Satin
Medium Sized Rabbit Breeds From 6 To 9 Pounds
- American Sable
- Belgian Hare
- English Spot
- English angora
- French angora
- Harlequin
- Lilac
- Rhinelander
- Rex
- Silver Marten
- Satin Angora
- Standard Chinchilla
Small Sized Rabbit Breeds From 2 To 6 Pounds
- American Fuzzy Lop
- Britannia Petite
- Dwarf Hotot
- Dutch
- Florida White
- Himalayan
- Havana
- Holland Lop
- Jersey Wolly
- Mini Rex
- Mini Lop
- Netherland Dwarf
- Polish
- Silver
- Tan
Conclusion:
Rabbits have many breeds, and many of the pet rabbits you find in pet stores are mixed breeds. Depending on the purpose of you having a rabbit, you can look into the details of the rabbit you are going to bid on. Moreover, if you are a regular pet owner and want to have a bunny pet friend, the rabbit breed does not affect many pet characters. So, have an adorable bunny you like the most in the pet lot you saw in the pet store.
I am a graduate of a veterinary university. Dealing with all the kinds of pets from the dawn to dusk, it’s like understanding their language. That is the best time ever, I must say!
Writing has always been my orphenadrine. I love to share my experience and talk about the most common issues people have been facing with their pets. My writing career began in 2015. I aimed to work for pets to share my experience and make pet humans relation a lot better. I usually talk about the most significant or recurrent cases of the day. During my practice at pet centre, I face a lot of questions by pet owners. Moreover, I also own a variety of pets myself including different species of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Therefore, I have decided to educate all the pet owners about their little friends who can’t talk the way we do. Understanding what they are telling us is all we need to do. And most of us fail to perceive.
So, I am here to serve the purpose. Let’s help each other in better understanding the needs, behaviours, and problems of our best friends with the best possible solutions!
