14 Popular Types of Rabbit Breeds

Types of Rabbit Breeds
Photo by Gary Bendig

Rabbits are adorable animals that come in various colors and sizes. They also serve as pets, food sources, and even companions.

There are over 50 different types of rabbit breeds, each with its unique characteristics.

Some breeds are docile and friendly, while others are considered aggressive and territorial.

They are great for children because they are inexpensive and require minimal maintenance.

Also, they are used in medical research because they are relatively easy to handle and observe.

Rabbits are very social creatures and require lots of attention from their owners. If you want to raise them properly, you should consider their breed, age, and size before buying them.

Different Types of Rabbit Breeds

1. English Angora Rabbit 

English Angora Rabbit
by airthru.takashi is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Angola rabbit originates from Ankara and is one of the oldest types of woolly rabbits. They’re very small and usually weigh between 5 and 6 lbs.

Also, they have a compact body, flat head, and short ears. They have fur on their ears, faces, and feet.

The English Angora‘s coat is thick, silky, and wooly. They have facial furnishings, and their entire body is covered in fur.

Their coats come in various colors, such as chocolate, tort, blue, chestnut, white, black, and black.

This domestic rabbit is good-tempered and makes a wonderful companion. They do not need much attention, so they’re perfect for individuals.

However, they don’t like to be picked up and can be aggressive when frightened.

2. Holland Lop

Holland Lop
by The.Rohit is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

The Holland Lop is a small rabbit weighing between 2 and 4 lbs. They have a stocky look and pose similar to a cat, resting primarily on their hind legs and slightly on their front feet.

Their most distinctive feature is their lop ears, though their ears don’t normally lop until they’re two months old or older.

These rabbits have a short, dense coat of medium length that does not require too much grooming.

Also, this breed comes in various colors, such as opal, blue, white, lilac, seal, orange, chocolate, black, cream, and frosty.

The Holland Lop is a gentle, friendly, and sociable rabbit. They love attention and always want to be around their owners. However, they will nip at you whenever they’re scared or nervous.

3. American Rabbit

American Rabbit
by annahesser is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

There are two varieties of American rabbits: Blue and white.

This medium-sized rabbit breed has a body shape like a mandolin, a semi-arch back, and erect ears.

The male weighs 8.8 – 12lbs, and the female weighs 10 – 12 lbs. The American rabbit is calm and easy-going, making it an ideal pet rabbit.

They’re friendly, laid-back, and not aggressive. However, they can be easily startled by sudden noises or unexpected movements.

4. Tan Rabbit

Tan Rabbit
by jpockele is licensed under CC BY 2.0

This small, beautiful rabbit is among the different types of rabbit breeds. It has a stunning appearance and grateful poise, with a well-balanced body.

This rabbit looks more like a hare than a rabbit with its full arch body shape and large erect ears. 

Male Tan rabbits weigh between 4.5 to 5lb, while females weigh around 6lb. They have a short, glossy fur coat in various colors, including lilac, black, chocolate, and blue.

Tan rabbits are intelligent and highly active. They’re also friendly and affectionate but can become aggressive in season. Also, they’re most active and alert at daybreak.

5. Polish Rabbit

Polish Rabbit
by vjmarisphotos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Polish rabbit is a dwarf breed with a cute appearance. They’re small and usually weigh between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs.

Also, they appear round with large eyes, short heads, and full cheeks. Their ears are pointed, staring erect on top of their head.

Polish rabbits have short, soft fur and do not require much grooming. These rabbits come in various colors: blue, black, chocolate, ruby-eyed white, and blue-eyed white.

They’re cute and cuddly and love to be around people. Also, they enjoy playing with toys and being active, especially when their owner is around.

They enjoy being held, but they may try to bite when afraid.

6. French Lop

French Lop
by Keithius is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The French Lop is a large bunny and weighs between 10 and 15lbs. They have a commercial body type and short, straight front and hind legs parallel to the body.

Their ears usually hang between 5 and 8 inches long below the jaw. This breed has a soft, dense, short to medium-length coat.

Their fur is not difficult to maintain, and you only need to brush them occasionally. Also, their coats come in different colors, such as black, brown, white, blue, and opal.

The French Lop is a friendly and docile rabbit who loves being around its family. They love attention and will always follow you around at home.

However, they may try to bite when afraid or frightened.

7. Jersey Wooly

Jersey Wooly
by BecauseUAreHere is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Jersey Wooly is a dwarf rabbit breed with a square-shaped head and small erect ears. They have a compact body shape and weigh about 3lb. Their short erect ears are usually 2 to 3 inches long.

This breed has a long, soft, woolly coat that comes in solid or broken patterns in various colors. They’re docile and friendly; you’ll never find them biting or kicking their handlers.

Also, they’re more active around daybreak and enjoy running around the house.

Even though the Jersey Wooly is a healthy breed with a life expectancy of 7 to 10 years, they’re prone to certain health issues like Flystrike, Spraying, Head tilt, Wool Block, and Overgrown teeth.

8. Beveren 

The Beveren is the oldest and largest among the different types of rabbit breeds. They have a semi-arched body shape that’s muscular with a broad, meaty back. 

This breed has a medium-length body, strong legs, large back feet, a wide head, large erect ears, and a cute cotton tail. They also have roll-back fur about 1 to 1.5 inches long.

The Beveren rabbit is intelligent, friendly, and active. They love to play outdoors; therefore, they’re not suited to an indoor lifestyle.

Also, they make good companions and are usually happy with other rabbits and humans.

9. Lionhead Rabbit

Lionhead Rabbit
by jcoterhals is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The lionhead rabbit is a small breed that doesn’t weigh more than 3.5 lbs. They are unique from other rabbit breeds because of their mane gene.

This mane can either be single or double depending on the gene they got from their parent. They have a soft wool coat that requires a lot of grooming.

In addition, this breed comes in various colors, such as black, blue, lilac, chocolate, chestnut agouti, sable point, and silver marten.

The Lionhead rabbits have a fantastic temperament. They are friendly, affectionate, and won’t be afraid to hop on your lap for a cuddle.

Also, they love running around, chasing things, and trying to get their owner’s attention.

10. Mini Rex Rabbit 

Mini Rex Rabbit
by Benimoto is licensed under CC BY 2.0

As their name implies, the mini rex is a small rabbit breed that weighs between 3 and 4.5 lbs.

They have a broad head, and their body is medium length compared to their size. Their ears are erect, while their legs are short and straight.

In addition, they have a wonderful dense coat with a velvety texture. Mini Rex coats do not require a lot of grooming.

This rabbit breed comes in various colors: red, chocolate, black, blue, opal, lynx, and lilac. The mini Rex rabbits are calm and playful and love their owners.

Also, they love attention and enjoy the company of people and other rabbits. They have an average life expectancy of between 8 and 10 years.

11. Dutch Rabbit

Dutch Rabbit
by Benimoto is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The Dutch rabbit is one of the smallest and oldest breeds in the world. They’re easily identifiable by their two-toned body color. Also, they have a compact body shape and weigh between 4 and 5 lbs.

In addition, this breed has short, soft, and glossy fur. They’re easy to maintain, and you’ll only need to brush them during their shedding season.

Their coats come in various colors: black, blue, chocolate, grey, and yellow.

The Dutch breed is very sociable and loves being around people for attention. These rabbits are not only friendly but also playful and enjoy getting into mischief.

However, they have a short life expectancy and live between 5 and 8 years.

12. Californian Rabbit

Californian Rabbit
by Dan Arndt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Californian rabbit is large and weighs between 8 and 11 lbs. They have a commercial body type with full shoulders and hindquarters. Their ears are broad, erect, and medium in length.

The Californian’s coat is dense and medium in length. Their coat feels quite coarse and does not shed much, meaning they do not have high grooming needs

In addition, these bunnies are quite friendly and docile, although they can be shy and quiet at first.

They’re an active breed as they love to play with toys, especially if their owner is around to play with them. This breed has an average lifespan of 5 to 10 years.

13. English Spot

The English Spot rabbit is a medium-sized breed that weighs between 5 and 8lbs.

They have a full arch body shape, with round hips and long hind legs that run parallel to their body. Their long ears stand vertically on top of their head.

In addition, they have a short, dense coat that does not shed very much. These rabbits come in different colors and have eye circles, nose, cheek spots, ears, and back markings.

The English Spot is extremely laid-back and easy-going, fitting well into any household and adapting with the flow.

They’re not overly active, yet not dull. Also, they have an average life expectancy of 5 to 9 years.

14. Silver Fox

Silver Fox
by ItsWolfeh is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Silver Fox rabbit is among the different types of rabbit breeds. It is a large rabbit with long and dense fur that resembles the silvery fur coat of a fox.

This rabbit breed has four main colors: blue, chocolate, black, and lilac.

The Silver Fox rabbit is docile and friendly and loves it when you carefully handle or stroke them. In addition, they have strong instincts and good eyesight and hearing.

They have acute senses and are easily startled by sudden noises or movements, which may cause them to run away.

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