Welcome to the fourth post of the series, covering an A-Z of rabbit breeds. This post will cover breeds from J-L; 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 M-O, P-R, S-V, and W-Z. If you missed the any of the previous posts, follow the below links:
J
Jersey Wooly
Origin: USA
Size: Dwarf
Weight: 0.4-1.4 kg
Lifespan: 7-10 years
Colours: Brown, white, grey, black
Originating in New Jersey, the Jersey Wooly rabbit has a few nicknames, such as Mug Head rabbit, Fluff of Fancy and “No Kick” rabbit. They are said to have a lovley temperament – not prone to biting or kicking.
The Jersey Wooly was recognised as a breed by ARBA (American Rabbit Breed Association) in 1988, after being presented in 1984 as a new breed, having been developed by cross breeding the Netherland Dwarf with the French Angora.
Japanese White
Origin: Japan
Size: Small
Weight: 2.5-3 kg
Lifespan: 8-9 years
Colours: White (often Albino)
This is not a recognised breed by either ARBA or BRC (British Rabbit Council). Sometimes kept as pets, this breed is known for being used as a lab rabbit for animal testing – often in relation to developing medical procedures and health care. The lifespan provided above is in relation to non-lab animals.
K
Kabyle
Origin: Algeria
Size: Small
Weight: 2-3 kg
Lifespan: 8-12 years
Colours: Brown, white, tan, black
This is not a recognised breed by either BRC or ARBA, but I wantes to cover it as there are no other breeds/types for this letter. This rabbit seems to be kept as a food source and sold at local markets as such, as opposed to being kept as a pet. The original Kabyle rabbit seems to have been lost in the 1970’s with the introduction of other rabbit breeds, which the Kabyle cross bred with. The current Kabyle type has been bred by mixing a few known breeds (including the Cakifornian and New Zealand White) to try and get back to the Kayble that was lost. It is said to do well in hot climates.
L
Lionhead
Origin: Belgium and France
Size: Small
Weight: 1.1-1.7 kg
Lifespan: 7-9 years
Colours: Beige, Black, Blue, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Fawn, Lilac, Silver, White – as well as whole host of patterns, including (not limited to) Tortoiseshell and varieties of this, Broken colour patterns (white + colour), and Pointed colour patterns.
The Lionhead is an aptly named breed due to the little ‘mane’ they have around their necks. Despite their popularity as pets for young children, they are not really suitable for young children as they have weak backs and are not too fond of being handled (which may be improved with training/habituation); they are more suited to a more responsible age, in which the rabbit’s space will be respected and more experienced, gentle handling.
This breed is said to have been developed by cross breeding the Swiss Fox and Netherland Dwarf – this had been a recognised breed by the BRC since 1999, but only recognised by ARBA 10 years ago, in 2014!
All images are either open source, Google images, or my own – or photos donated for use by the pet owners.
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