D, E, F

Welcome to the second post of the series, covering an A-Z of rabbit breeds. This post will cover breeds from D-F; including some basic titbits about the breed, and some interesting facts. As per my two previous A-Z series, for Dog breeds and Cat breeds, between 1-3 breeds will be covered per letter – accompanied by photo’s of the breed.
In the follow up posts, continuing down the alphabet, I will be writing posts covering breeds from, G-I, J-L, M-O, P-R, S-V, and W-Z. If you missed the first post covering A-C, click here.

D

Dutch (a.k.a. Hollander; a.k.a. Brabander)

Origin: Despite the name, the Dutch rabbit does not actually originate in the Netherlands, but in England!
Size: Small
Weight: 1.5-2.5 kg
Lifespan: 6-9 years
Colours: All Dutch rabbits have that distinct white blaze on the face, the ‘collar’ (neck), ‘saddle’ (front section of the body) and ‘stops’ (front section of the back feet). The rest of the animal can be the following seven colours: black, blue, steel, chinchilla, grey, chocolate or tortoise.

This breed came from imported rabbits, sent over to England for the meat market, during the 1830’s – the Dutch breed is said to have been developed in the 1860’s. Dutch rabbits are easy-going, intelligent and friendly; making lovely pets. However, they are quite energetic, and therefore can be unsuitable for younger children, but more suited to families with older children, or adult-only homes.

Dwarf Hotot

Origin: Germany
Size: Dwarf
Weight: 1-1.5 kg
Lifespan: 7-10 years
Colours: White with black rings or ‘spectacles’ around the eyes, only.

The Dwarf Hotot is not specifically a dwarf version of the Blanc De Hotot, but rather a breed that came about by crossing the Blanc De Hotot with other rabbit breeds (such as the Netherland Dwarf), which resulted in the Dwarf Hotot. This breed was developed in the 1970’s in Germany – by two independent breeders, on in East Germany and one in West Germany, who came together and bred their Dwarf Hotot rabbits to give us the Dwarf Hotot we have today.

E

Enderby (Island) Rabbit

Origin: Enderby Island, New Zealand
Size: Small
Weight: 1.3-1.8 kg
Lifespan: 5-8 years
Colours: Mainly slate (under-coat; dark blue, with silvering on body), Champagne (under-coat; light blue, with silvering on body) and Crème (under-coat; orange, with creamy-white body hairs tipped with silver).

The Enderby comes from stock introduced in 1865, to Enderby Island from Australia, as food for castaways. After 130 years of being left to their own devices, natural selection had produced a distinct variety – the Enderby Rabbit. In the 1990’s they were exterminated by wildlife management aside from just under 50 individuals who were rescued by New Zealand’s Rare Breeds Conservation Society – through breeders, this breed has been preserved through to today.

English Spot

Origin: England
Size: Medium
Weight: 2.5-3.5 kg
Lifespan: 5-9 years
Colours: White body with spots, ears, eye circles, cheek spots and nose ‘butterfly’ in the following colours – Black, Blue, Grey and Chocolate.

One of the very first breeds to be established for show purposes, the English Spot tends to be friendly, docile, and comfortable with handling. It is clear by their markings where this breed got its name, and why they’ve been a popular show rabbit since the 1850’s! The English Spot is also a popular pet rabbit, due to their friendliness and active/ playful natures – however their active nature can make them unsuitable for you children.

F

Flemish Giant

Origin: Belgium
Size: Giant
Weight: 6-7 kg
Lifespan: 8-10 years
Colours: Black, blue, light grey, steel grey, sandy, white, and fawn.

Originally bred for their meat and fur, the Flemish Giant rabbits have been around since the 16th century. On 2010, a Flemish Giant rabbit named Darius became the Guinness World Record holder as the longest rabbit ever, at 4ft 3 inches. However, in 2017, Darius’ son Jeff reached 3ft 8 inches and is thought to beat his dad’s record some day!


All images are either open source, Google images, or my own – or photos donated for use by the pet owners.


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