Rabbit Breeds – a complete listing of the top breeds of rabbits around the World. Rabbit breed photos, facts and information are included for each unique breed.
There are two major classifications of a rabbit: domestic and wild. Domestic rabbits are those that can be kept at home, while wild rabbits are not fit for human handling. The breeds recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association are domestic breeds.
Moreover, domestic rabbits are classified according to their purpose, shapes and sizes. This manifests to the diversity of the rabbit family. In this article, we will focus on the main 47 rabbit breeds that are recognized by ARBA.
Rabbit Breeds List
1. American
American Rabbit is a large “mandolin-type”rabbit breed weighing between 9 to 12 pounds. It has a semi-arch body and a commercial flyback fur.
Despite being a very popular show rabbit before, the American Rabbit nowadays is already considered as one of the most rare breeds in the United States. The breed plays an important role in the history of American rabbitry.
2. American Chinchilla
American Chinchilla, also a large rabbit, weighs between 9 to 12 pounds. It is a standard commercial rabbit with a lengthy rollback type of fur.
It has only one standard color, which is to resemble the color of a real chinchilla. This refers to a rich, varied, and sparkling blend of black and white color. Despite being primarily raised for the trading of fur, the breed was later more useful for the production of meat and pelt. Now, the breed is already considered rare and serves as a family meat and show animal.
3. American Fuzzy Lop
The maximum weight of an American Fuzzy Lop is 4 pounds when it is already fully grown. Its small size is coupled with a compact body type and covered with wool.
This floppy and cute rabbit is a top choice for female rabbit fanciers because of its small size and short and white head and body. Aside from that, the rabbit’s inquisitive personality and easy-to-care coat make the breed a suitable choice for pet or shows.
While it is often compared to a Holland Lop except that it has a long hair, their resemblance traces back to how the breed was developed.
4. American Sable
If you’re looking for a rabbit that is a combination of aesthetics and usefulness, American Sable is definitely a top choice. American Sable is large enough to have a maximum size of 10 pounds. It has a commercial body type which makes it suitable for the 4-H meat pen project as an alternative for Californians and New Zealands.
The Sable’s back is rich sepia brown, which lightens in the sides and darkens in other areas of the breed’s body such as nose, ears, feet and tail. The breed has a rollback fur.
An interesting fact about the breed is the idea that it was almost dropped from the ARBA Standard during the 1980s. Efforts made by Al Roerdanz, an Ohio-based breeder, paved way for this to not happen.
5. Belgian Hare
Known for its unique body type and personality, Belgian Hare is a medium-sized rabbit breed that weighs between 6 to 9 pounds. It is a full-arch rabbit breed with a flyback fur. Belgian Hare has only one standard color.
Belgian Hare, while deemed to be uncommon as a part of the hares family, has contributed to the formation of the rabbitry community in the United States. Unlike other full-arched breeds such as the English Spot or Tan, the Belgian Hare is not trained to run on the show table. It’s also worth mentioning that the breed is not the best choice for a beginner as it is constrained by its delicate constitutions, flighty personalities and limited fertility.
6. Beveren
Beveren is considered as one of the oldest and largest breeds of fur rabbits, weighing between 8 to 12 pounds. It is a semi-arched rabbit with a pronounced mandolin shape and a rollback fur that can be colored blue, white, black, brown or lilac. The blue variety of the Beveren breed is the original.
In terms of personality, Beveren is well tempered, clean and smart. Despite these ideal characteristics, the breed has always been classified rare.
7. Blanc de Hotot
The Blanc de Hotot is a six-class breed with a weight range between 8 to 11 pounds at the age of maturity. It has a commercial body with a rollback fur that comes in one standard color and has extra long guard hairs providing the coat with a strange frosty sheen. Overall, the breed is white all over with a very dark brown eyes and narrow black “eyeglasses”, black eyelids and black eye lashes.
The breed is dubbed as the larger and commercial-typed version of the Dwarf Hotot, which is more popular. Its name means “White of Hotot”, referring to a French region where the breed was developed.
8. Britannia Petite
A Britannia Petite would weigh between 2.25 to 2.50 pounds, with the ideal weight being 2.2.5 pounds. Contrary to the popular claim, Britannia Petite is the smallest breed instead of the Netherland Dwarf. It is a fully arched rabbit with a flyback fur that can be colored black, black otter, chestnut agouti, sable marten and REW.
Often called the “Brit”, it is only dwarf rabbit breed in the community that is not intended to be round or blocky in type. It is also considered as the “daintiest of all rabbits” because it is very difficult to please with its high-strung temperament. Brit is the equivalent of what is known as “Polish” in the British Rabbit Council standards.
9. Californian
The Californian rabbit is one of the most widely raised, easily recognized, an all-around useful rabbit. Its versatility and unique characteristics make it a well-loved rabbit, consistently ranking as a finalist in shows.
A Californian breed’s weight range is between 8 to 10.25 pounds. It has a commercial body type. It has a flyback fur which appears in one standard color. Today, the breed is considered as one of the most popular commercial rabbits, only next to New Zealand White.
10. Champagne d’Argent
Bearing one of the most interesting names among all rabbits, Champagne d’Argent refers to “Silver of Champagne”. Champagne is the French region where the breed was developed. It is one of the two ARBA recognized Argente rabbits.
Weighing between 9 to 12 pounds, Champagne d’Argent is classified as a large rabbit. It has a commercial body type and a close-lying flyback fur. They are “silver-plated”that make them look like they are putting on a shining armor. The extent of this silver shading varies among the breeders in the different parts of the world.
11. Checkered Giant
As its name suggests, Checkered Giant is a giant breed with a minimum weight of 11 pounds. It’s a fully arched rabbit breed with a flyback fur that comes in two colors: black and blue. Raising a Checkered Giant ultimately requires a large space as it is both large and active.
Aside from the size of the breed, another issue that breeders may face with the Checkered Giant is the fact that majority of the offspring produced won’t be show-colored. Despite these challenges, Checkered Giant remains admirable especially when it strikes a pose in the show table.
12. Cinnamon
Cinnamon was developed as a result of the sale of Easter pets. It was the astonishing offspring of a series of crossbred matings. A Cinnamon rabbit weighs between 9 to 11 pounds. It has a commercial body type and a flyback fur that comes in only one standard color. Despite being docile-tempered and useful for meat purposes, the Cinnamon is ranked as one of the most rare breed in the United States.
Cinnamon competes for fame with the American Sable, Crème d’Argent, Champagne d’Argent and other breeds that have similar type and fur that have an emphasis on color. The reason for such is to retain its place in the ARBA Standard.
13. Crème d’Argent
“Orange silver “, quite a peculiar combination, right? But that is the best way to describe the color of the “Creme of the Crop”, Crème d’Argent. The ideal weight for this six-class breed is at 9 pounds for bucks and 10 pounds for does. A quality Creme is well-rounded, with a deep body and flyback fur.
Many breeders say that Crème is more beautiful than Champagne. And due to the breed’s increasing population, the breed was moved from “watch” status to “recovering” category.
14. Dutch
Often described as “sporty”, the friendly Dutch rabbit is one of the easiest breeds to identify precisely because of its wedge-shaped blaze found on the nose and its two-toned body colour. Dutch has a weight range of 4 to 5.25 pounds. It has a compact body and a flyback fur that can appear black, blue, chocolate, tortoise, steel and gray. Dutch is indeed from the Netherlands and remains as one of the most popular pet and show rabbits.
15. Dwarf Hotot
Belonging to the family of small rabbits, the Dwarf Hotot has a maximum weight of 3 pounds. It has a compact body type, short uppity-ears and a rollback pure white fur. The recognized colors for Dwarf Hotots are black banded and chocolate banded.
One of the most remarkable features of this friendly rabbit is its “eyeliner”, which provides a contrast to its white coat. This unique trait adds up to the strong following of the breed, which is one of the most recent breeds to be recognized by the ARBA after gaining official acceptance in the year 1984.
16. English Angora
A “round ball of fluff” – that’s how breeders describe the English Angora, tan adorable rabbit that closely resembles a Pekinese dog. With a weight range running between 5 to 7 pounds, the English Angora is the smallest Angora breed. And among all the wool rabbits recognized by the ARBA, it has the most wool on the ears, feet, legs and body.
When judging the breed in the show table, wool is the most important consideration. Its prime coat brings it the Best in Show award in many ARBA National Conventions. But extra effort must be paid for its grooming.
17. English Lop
The English Lop is the only one among the four lop breeds with a flyback coat and whose ears are pushed down without a crown. It is a large breed, weighing not less than 10.5 pounds, and with a mandolin body type. The English Lop come in many colors but are of two classifications: broken and solid pattern.
The English Lop is known for its broad ears with rounded tips, and soft, pliable, and untainted textures. Despite the delicateness of raising them, the English Lop’s population still does not qualify them to be in the list of rare breeds.
18. English Spot
English Spots, aka “Spotted Beauty”, are popular for their body type, flyback coat, and well-defined marking pattern which can come in one of seven colors. Its unique pattern is brought by broken gene, thus the symbol “En”. These rabbits weigh 5 to 8 pounds.
Compared to the Rhinelander and Checkered Giant, the English Spot is the only one with spots on the shoulder – round and increasing in size as it reaches the rabbit’s side. Its exact origin is unknown, but its first appearances were recorded in England and America.
19. Flemish Giant
The biggest rabbit of all is the Flemish Giant. Its minimum weight is 13 pounds for males and 14 pounds for females. Believed to have Belgium-Argentinian roots, the Flemish Giant comes in different colours. It is the only breed where the Standard has a specification on the minimum rabbit length, which is 21 inches. The breed’s bone should be heavy and the ears should be big. Nowadays, Flemish is primarily raised for show and pet purposes.
20. Florida White
The “all-purpose” Florida White is widely popular for breeders who value utility more than any other aspects. It is a solidly built meat animal with a dress out percentage that is difficult to surpass. Moreover, Florida is considered as a prime show animal, boasting its compact body and flyback coats. It’s also being used in laboratories.
21. French Angora
French Angora is a stand-out among the 5 Angora breeds found in the US precisely because of its coarse wool and the absence of furnishings on its ears and face. Many breeders claim that the breed is also the nearest to the original Angora. The ears, face and lower legs of the rabbit do not have wool. French Angora has a commercial body type and is the only Angora with recognised colours of broken pattern.
22. French Lop
The cuddly French Lop, weighing at a minimum of 11 pounds for bucks and 11.5 for does, is the only breed with lop ears that is classified among the Giant bunnies. The French Lop Rabbit has a commercial body type and closely resembles an oversized Mini Lop. It has a long and glossy rollback coat and has a tendency to develop a “skirt” around its lower headquarters. As its name suggests, the breed originated from France.
23. Giant Angora
Giant Angora, with a minimum weight ranging between 9.5 to 10 pounds, has a highly valuable wool compared to other rabbit breeds. Its wool is cited as seven times warmer than the wool of the sheep. Plus, most Giants do not molt, which prompts its breeders to enter into commercial wool production. The breed is the only Angora classified under the six-class category.
24. Giant Chinchilla
Despite not being the largest rabbit breed, Giant Chinchilla boasts the highest minimum senior weight at 13 pounds. And while it’s also called the “Million Dollar Rabbit”, raising Giant Chinchillas is not that profitable. Giant Chinchilla is a semi-arched rabbit with a medium-length body. It is the only chinchilla breed with a flyback coat. The breed’s meat-producing qualities are the main considerations during judging.
25. Harlequin
With an ideal weight of 7.5 pounds, Harlequin is a strange-looking medium-sized rabbit that wears one of the most captivating colour patters in the rabbit community. This justifies why colour and markings already take 75 out of 100 points in the breed’s Standard. 5 to 7 bands of alternating colours make up the ideal pattern of the rabbit’s body. While the breed captures interest, it faces challenge in having a loyal following from breeders.
26. Havana
Havana is lauded for consistency as its average show breed is a fine representation of the standard. The best Havanas are nearly perfect, which explains why the breed is often honoured the Best in Show award in many shows. It has a short and deep body that approaches a “half-basketball” shape in the side view. Havanas have a flyback fur that carries a strange high luster. The breed comes in 4 colors: black, blue, chocolate and broken.
27. Himalayan
Ideally weighing between 3 to 5 pounds, Himalayan is the smallest breed that is not a dwarf. Moreover, it’s also one of the oldest rabbit breeds in the US. It’s a unique breed that it has its own body type category for itself – cylindrical. And it has a flyback fur. Hymie also has coloured markings all over its body that varies with the surrounding temperature. The breed’s small size and docile temperament makes it a good choice for a child’s first pet rabbit.
28. Holland Lop
The world’s favourite rabbit, Holland Lop, is best known for its small flat face and floppy ears. It is one of the most popular show rabbits and pets ever since. This 3-pound bunny should have a massive appearance, with a short and muscular body and a large and bold head. It has a gentle rollback coat. There are many recognised colours for Hollands, and the most common of which is tortoise.
29. Jersey Wooly
Jersey Wooly, with an ideal weight of 3 pounds and a maximum senior weight of 3 1/2 pounds, was developed primarily for pet trade purposes. However, it has become more famous as a show animal. The breed has a very compact body shape, chunky head, and small and erect ears. It wears a coarse and short wool coat. Jersey Wooly comes in different colours that are grouped into categories.
30. Lilac
Lilac is a compact medium-sized rabbit that weighs between 6 to 8 pounds. Its current look is rounder and deeper than the “average” look that it has before. This gentle rabbit has a “pinkish dove-gray” colour that is widely spread all over the breed’s body. Many breeders argue that Lilac would never be developed today due to the breed’s lack of standout features.
31. Mini Lop
The huggable Mini Lop that looks like a big plush toy has an ideal weight of 6 pounds. It appears like the mini version of the French Lop. Its head has a “bulldog” shape and its body is very deep and round. Mini Lop recognises many different colors that are shown in broken and solid pattern groups. This breed’s personality complements its “teddy bear” look.
32. Mini Rex
Mini Rex rabbit, weighing between 3 to 4.5 pounds, is one of the most popular breeds and has a very huge following. While this sweet bunny carries the dwarfing gene, it doesn’t appear extremely dwarf. It has a compact body type and poses with the head low on the shoulders. Mini Rex recognizes many colors. And along with Himalayan and Dutch, the breed ranks well as an excellent choice for a child’s starting pet.
33. Mini Satin
The Mini Satin is a 4-pound rabbit that is a mini version of the popular Satin breed. It has a compact body type and a Satin fur that comes in 5 different colours: chinchilla, opal, red, siamese and white. The breed only gained acceptance in the year 2005. This shiny coated rabbit was well-supported by standard Satin’s breeders, which is why the American Satin Rabbit Breeders Association sponsored the breed.
34. Netherland Dwarf
With a weight ranging from 2 to 2.5 pounds only, the Netherland Dwarf is the smallest rabbit breed. It is often compared to Holland Lop, which also has a compact body type and poses in the show table with its head off high. It is a well-rounded rabbit, often dubbed as a “ball head set atop a ball body”. The breed is one of the most widely raised rabbit breeds in the US.
35. New Zealand
Described as the “big white meat rabbit”, New Zealand is used in the production of meat more than any other breed in the whole world. The breed also gains astounding success in rabbit shows. Balance is an important factor in the body of New Zealand. It has a flyback fur. New Zealand White is the most highly developed, most valuable and most competitive variety of the breed.
36. Palomino
Palomino is a golden colored rabbit that comes in two varieties: golden and lynx. It has a commercial body type and a flyback fur. Despite a good personality and commercial value, Palomino is not a popular breed, largely due to lack of sponsors. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy says that the breed is too recently developed and does not represent any genetic population. The strange name of the breed’s club is Palomino Co-breeders.
37. Polish
Polish was the first of all the small rabbit breeds recognized by the ARBA. With a weight range of 3 to 3.5 pounds, Polish has a compact body type that is short, deep and well-rounded. And while its fur is supposed to be flyback, some Polish rabbits who have longer furs tend to become rollback. The breed appears in six colors, and is a popular choice for show and pet stock.
38. Rex
Rex was initially called the ‘Beaver King’ by its developer. Nowadays, it is sometimes called the “Standard Rex”. Its living velvet makes the breed so special. It has a very soft and short coat that is almost as short as its under fur. With a weight ranging between 8 to 9 pounds, the breed is not large enough to be categorized under the six-class breed. While it’s not that popular now, the rabbit with a plush coating is dubbed as the “King of Rabbits”.
39. Rhinelander
Rhinelander, also called the ‘Calico of the Fancy’, is most distinguished for having two solid color markings in a white base coat. These spots are colored black or blue in conjunction with an orange color. It has a full-arched body type and a flyback fur. And its weight ranges from 6.5 to 10 pounds. Developed in Germany, Rhinelander breed’s acceptance to ARBA is largely attributed to the efforts of German breeders.
40. Satin
Satin rabbit, classified as a medium-sized breed weighing between 9 to 11 pounds, follows immediately to the popularity of New Zealand and Californian rabbits. The breed’s stunning shiny coat is undeniably its most impressive characteristic. The breed comes in many different colors including Copper and Siamese. Today, Satin is considered as an “excellent multi-purpose rabbit”.
41. Satin Angora
Wearing a “satinized wool” that provides its lustrous “sheen”, Satin Angora has its own remarkable features to distinguish itself from the rest of the Angora rabbits. It has a maximum weight of 9.5 pounds. The breed is often compared to the French Angora, both being large four-class, commercial rabbits. The breed appears in white and colored classes.
42. Silver
Many breeders say that Silver rabbit is the most strange-looking of all rabbit breeds, largely due to its Renaissance look at the dawn of rabbit’s domestication. Being one of the original breeds recognized by ARBA, this compact breed weighs at a maximum of 9.5 pounds. Its fur, deemed to be the shortest and densest among all flyback coats, is known for its fast rate of return.
43. Silver Fox
After the American Blue, the Silver Fox is the second breed that came from the US. Despite being the pioneers, both of these breeds are also two of the most rare in the country today.
With a maximum weight of 9.5 pounds, Silver Fox has a heavy commercial body type. Interestingly, Silver Fox is the only breed that has a normal fur called a “standing coat”. And as the “threatened” breed’s name suggests, Silver Fox exhibits silvering as it approaches maturity.
44. Silver Marten
Perhaps, the best way to introduce the Silver Marten is to point out that its name refers to both the breed and the color. With its color being introduced as a variety to other breeds, Silver Marten is one of the most captivating of all rabbit colors. It has some silvering at its lower sides.
With an ideal weight of only 8 pounds, the breed is considered as one of the smallest breeds classified under the “commercial” body type category. Wearing a glossy flyback coat, a high quality Silver Marten would often grab the Best in Show award.
45. Standard Chinchilla
With only one standard color, the Standard Chinchilla is considered as an attractive rabbit. But more than that, the breed is one of the most important breed in the American rabbit fancy’s development. Its most remarkable characteristic is its dense rollback coat that is colored with a black and white blend.
This 6-pound friendly rabbit is a suitable pet for both children and adults. It can also be an ideal meat rabbit for family servings.
46. Tan
A Tan rabbit weighs between 4 to 6 pounds. It is a fully arched rabbit with a flyback fur. The recognized colors for Tan are black, blue, chocolate and lilac. Tans have large and erect ears. Their backs are deep and arched smoothly.
Most especially, Tans are distinguished for having red-orange highlights on an otherwise dark rabbit. Some areas in its body have a very deep shade, deeper than those of other breeds. And the fiery-orange markings are found on other areas such as the belly and the chest. Tans are small and very energetic, making them a very good choice for pet lovers who want an active and playful company.
47. Thrianta
Thrianta is a new breed in United States. Its medium size brings its weight between 4.5 to 6 pounds. It has a compact body type and a rollback fur. Thriantas are described as stocky rabbits and are distinguished for their fiery red-orange color. Their medium-length fur is rollback in nature, which requires little grooming.
These 47 rabbit breeds have their own histories, characteristics and appearance, and personality and traits. But their diversity is what makes the entire rabbit community interesting and heart-warming.