This is a list of rabbit breeds

Alaska

6 1/2-8 pounds only current color available is black. Alaska rabbits were once only bred for their fur, originated from Germany from Argente and Himalayan rabbits.

Angora

Is one of the oldest breeds originated in Turkey hundreds of years ago. Initially bred for their wool. Four types of Angora: English Angora, French Angora, Satin Angora and Giant Angora.

• English-Adorned with what are called "furnishings". These are growths of wool on the tips of the ears and front feet. Gentle in nature, but not recommended for those who don't enjoy grooming their animals.
• French-Slightly larger than the English Angora and requires less grooming
• Satin-Has no furnishings on face, ears, or feet. They are also easy to groom compared to the English angora.
• Giant-Is only white with three hair types in its wool: underwool, awn fluff, and awn hair. They are gentle, loving rabbits.

Argente

Four types of Argente: Argente Creme, Argente Bleu, Argente de Champagne, Argente Brun.

• Creme-This is the smallest of the Angente breed. The under colour is orange and the top colour creamy white interspersed with long orange hairs
• Bleu-About 6 pounds. An under color of lavender and a top coat of bluish white.
• de Champagne-It is slightly larger than medium sized breeds, weighing around eight pounds. Silvery colour. The under colour is dark slate blue and the top coat is whitish blue shot through with black.
• Brun-Brought into England in the 1920's from France. The Argente Brun is very rarely seen now.

Beveren

Weighing about 8 pounds, the Beveren is one of the oldest and largest of the fur rabbits. It was first bred in Beveren, which is a small town near Antwerp in Belgium. They come in blue, white, black, brown and lilac. There is a rare variety called the Pointed Beveren, which comes in the same colours but has white tipped hairs.

British Giant

Weighs 12.5 pounds and over, the colours are dark steel grey, black, white, blue, brown, grey and opal.

Blanc de bouscat

Weighing around 12 pounds for the buck and up to 14 pounds for the doe. This rabbit is of French origin and is quite rare in England. It is white and the fur dense and silky.

Californian

First brought in the UK from the USA in the 1950's. The colour is all white with black, chocolate, blue or lilac nose, ears feet and tail.

Chinchilla

Originated in France and was first introduced after the First World War. The under colour of the fur should be slate blue at the base, the middle portion pearl grey, merging into white and tipped with black.

Dutch

Small rabbit with colorings consisting of a white stripe below the neck, a white nose and one other color (usually black, brown or grey) on the eyes, ears and below the stripe.

English

Has a white rabbit with colour on the ears and body with chains and spots of blue, black, tortoiseshell, grey or chocolate.

Flemish

Weighing around 11-12 pounds originating in Flanders.

Fox

Weighing between 5.5 and 7 pounds, exhibited in 1926 followed by blue, chocolate and lila. The fox is one of the most popular of the fur breeds.

Harlequin

Weighing up to 8 pounds was created in France from the Tortoiseshell Dutch, first shown in the UK in the 1880's as a Japanese. Evenly coloured black, golden orange on the head, ears legs and body.

Havana

Weighing up to 6.5 pounds, it is thought that the first Havana appeared in a litter bred from a Dutch doe that was stabled with other breeds. It has a rich chocolate brown pelt and rich, ruby-eyed glow of the eye.

Himalayan

Weighing around 4.5 pounds, The Himalayan has a long, snake-like body and a short, white coat with chocolate, black, blue or lilac point.

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.

Lop

Is one of the oldest breeds of domesticated rabbits. Four types of lops: French Lop, Holland Lop, Dwarf Lop, English Lop.

• French-is thought to have been produced by crossing the English Lop with an unknown breed.
• Holland-the Holland 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.
• English-(most popular Lop) Bred in a limited variety of colours, the most popular being sooty fawn. Others are black, fawn and marked varieties of these colours.
• Dwarf-A newer breed that originated by crossing the French lop with a Dwarf.

Netherland Dwarf

Introduced into the UK in 1950. It is bred in a wide variety of colours and patterns. See also dwarf rabbits.

New Zealand

Classified as New Zealand Red: bright golden red with a slightly harsher coat than the other colours. New Zealand White was first bred in the USA for commercial purposes. Nowadays it is bred for showing and is a consistent winner.

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

Polish

First bred in Holland. The red-eyed white is the most common. The English Polish rabbit has only recently been introduced into the USA, it has a separate classification and is called the Britannia Petite.

Rex

Weighing around 6-8 pounds, all the Rex varieties are of the same type, a graceful rabbit gently sloping up to well rounded hindquarters.

• 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.

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.

Sable

Weighing 5-7 pounds,Marten Sable (with a white underside) and Siamese Sable are the only colors available. Starting at the head with a dark shade of the color, it gradually becomes lighter over the rest of the body.

Satin

Weighing 6-8 pounds, the Satin comes in over 20 colors, all of which have a velvety coat.

• 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 Fox

Weighing 5-7 pounds, four color varieties are available in this breed: black, blue, lilac, and chocolate. Longer white hairs should be ticked across the body.

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 pet. The undersides of this rabbit, which include the tail, stomach, chin, and ears, are colored in tan fur. The rest of the rabbit is colored in black, blue, brown, or lilac.

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.

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.

References

• "The Official Guide Book Raising Better Rabbits & Cavies" By The American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc.
• http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/small/breeds/rabbit.htm
• http://dictionary.reference.com/
• http://www.yahoo.com/ -Rabbit Breeds