Breeds Of Bunny: A World of Choice
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With 45 breeds of bunnies recognized today, it can be overwhelming to choose which breed of bunny is perfect for you. Bunnies are normally categorized based on their size, color, shape and ear carriage. There are also a lot of mixed breed bunnies, making it even more difficult to recognize and categorize the bunny’s breed.
If you are getting your rabbit from a breeder, the breed will certainly be known. If you are getting a bunny from a pet store or adopting a bunny, it may be harder to know the exact breed.
One of the most popular breeds of bunny to own as a pet is lop-eared bunnies. These bunnies have the long ears that hang down beside their faces, as opposed to all other breeds with upright ears.
Lop-eared bunny breeds include the American Fuzzy Lop, Mini Lop, English Lop, Holland Lop and French Lop. Lop-eared bunnies range in size, depending on their breed. For example, an American Fuzzy Lop will only weigh about 4 lbs., whereas an English Lop will weigh 9 lbs. and upwards.
Other popular breeds of bunny to keep as pets are determined by their size. If you are looking for a very small breed, the most popular choices are the Holland Lop and the Netherland Dwarf. Other popular very small breeds include the Jersey Wooly, Polish, Britannia Petite and Dwarf Hotot. Popular small breed bunnies include the Mini Rex, Mini Lop and Dutch, all weighing in around 4-7 lbs.
Moving up in size, the medium-large breeds weigh in at 5-12 lbs. These breeds and normally not found in pet stores, but can often be adopted from shelters and purchased from breeders. The most popular medium-large breeds are the New Zealand White, Rex and Californian. Bunnies often end up in the medium-large category if they are mixed too, as many mixes result from a large and a medium bunny breeding.
Giant bunnies make great pets, and more and more people are seeking out these breeds because of their look and personalities. The most popular giant breeds of bunnies include the English Lop, French Lop and Flemish Giant. Other giant breeds include the Giant Angora, Checkered Giant and Giant Chinchilla. Other popular giant breed bunnies include the Cinnamon, Palomino, Rex American Sable and Silver Fox.
Some popular breeds are chosen because of their unique type of wool or fur. Breeds of bunny with unique fur include the American Fuzzy Lop, the English Angora, the Giant Angora, the Jersey Wooly, the French Angora and the Satin Angora breeds. Breeds of bunny with unique fur include the Mini Rex, the Rex the Satin and the Silver Fox breeds. Another way that people tend to pick out bunnies is based on the coloring and markings.
While some breeds have very distinct coloring and markings, others simply have patterns that sometimes appear. Popular breeds with distinct markings are the English Spot, the Harlequin, the Rhinelander and the Californian breeds. Another popular breed because of commercial reasons is the New Zealand white bunny. Body shape might also be important, with the most distinct breeds with different body shapes being the Himalayan, the hare group, and the compact group.
