Rex Rabbits

Learn more about the Rex Rabbit Breed. Discover cool facts, pictures, resources and find information about caring for Rex Rabbits.

This rabbit breed information page is part of our rabbit breeds article series.

Rex Rabbit Resource Links: Free Rabbit Breeders Newsletter | Rex Rabbit Breed Info | Rex Rabbit Information and History | Rex Rabbit Care | Rex Rabbit Resources

Rex Rabbit Breed Info

Rex Rabbit BreedRecognized colors: Amber, Black, Blue, Broken Group, Californian, Castor, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Lilac, Lynx, Opal, Otter, Red, Sable, Seal, White

Size: 8-9 pounds

National Specialty Club:
nationalrexrc.org

Rex Rabbit Breed Photo Credit:

nationalrexrc.org

Rex Rabbit Information and History

The first Rex rabbits appeared in the humble hutches of a French peasant.  His son worked for a man named M. Amadee Gillet, who was also a rabbit fancier.  As soon as Gillet saw these strange new bunnies, he set out to produce more of them.  By 1924 he had developed a breed he called the Castorrex, which quickly spread through Europe and America.  The name “Castorrex,”means “Beaver King” in Latin.  “Beaver” referred to the color, which was a rich red-brown like pelts of the North American mammal that furriers sought after.  But what makes the Rex so special to have earned the name King?

Velvet.  Living velvet.  The coat of a Rex is much shorter and softer than the coat of a normal furred rabbit.  Normal fur has longer, stronger guard hairs that extend out over the undercoat.  But the guard hairs on a Rex coat are very short, almost the same length as the under fur.  The fur sticks out straight from the body and has a wonderful plush texture.  Over the years, breeders have put a Rex coat on a number of other breeds, including the Mini Rex, Dwarf Rex, and Velveteen Lop.  But the Rex breed recognized by the ARBA is the original.

Sometimes referred to as “Standard Rex,” this breed has commercial body type, but is not quite large enough to be in the six-class breed category.  It weighs 8 to 9 pounds when full grown.  The breed standard gives general type is given slightly more importance than fur, but both are to be top considerations when picking a winner or keeper.  The Rex breed comes in a wide range of colors, but all are shown in individual classes.  The most recently recognized varieties are blue, lilac, and chocolate otter; and amber.  Amber is called “cinnamon” or “chocolate agouti,” in other breeds, being a chocolate-based castor.  Castor is essentially the same color as chestnut in most breeds, but heavy rufus factor and the short coat give it a rather different look than the usual chestnut.

The Rex is not a very common breed in America, having fallen under the shadow of the wildly popular Mini Rex.  Still, members of the National Rex Rabbit Club stay proud of their plush-coated breed, calling it the “King of Rabbits.”

Rex Rabbit Care

Here is a list of resources to help you care for your rex rabbits…

Rex Rabbit Resources

Here is a listing of rex rabbit resources to help you out with your rabbit project…

  • Rabbit Breeders Newsletter – be sure to claim your free subscription to our rabbit breeders newsletter in order to start receiving free rabbit information and resources via email
  • Rex Rabbits for Sale – use our rabbit classifieds to find rex rabbits for sale
  • Rex Rabbit Breeders – locate rex rabbit breeders using our huge rabbit breeders directory

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