What Breed Is My Rabbit? Physical Traits & Characteristics Explained

Rabbits come in a multitude of sizes, colors, and patterns. When you have a rabbit with an unknown origin, it could be hard to identify the lineage. But if curiosity has the best of you, there are ways you can trace the breed—or combination of breeds.

Here, we will discuss physical traits, personality quirks, and other defining characteristics to determine the breed of your rabbit.

Defining Physical Characteristics

One way to tell what kind of rabbit you have is to look at all of the physical characteristics. Even though it might not be 100% reliable, it can pin it down pretty well for you. But most of the time, if you get a rabbit, they might be a mixed breed. So, you could have a couple of different breed selections in the genetic makeup.

The only way to know for sure is to buy from a licensed breeder with thorough knowledge of the type of rabbit specifically. Here are some indicators you can look for if you don’t have that option.

Body Shape

The American Rabbit Breeders Association breaks up rabbit breeds into five body-style categories. Before anything else, you might try profiling their overall appearance.

The 5 Body Types

1. Semi-Arch

Semi-arch bodies are considered “mandolin-shaped.” Some breed examples of the semi-arch body type include:

2. Compact

Compact bodies are usually small, hunched, and tightly constructed. Some breed examples of the compact body type include the:

3. Commercial

Commercial rabbits are typically those used for meat production. They have heavy bodies with dense muscle mass. Some breed examples include

4. Cylindrical

If your rabbit has a cylindrical body, we have good news. There is only one rabbit in the entire lineup with this body type—the Himalayan!

5. Full Arch

The fully arched rabbit is a highly athletic-looking body. It is very slender, agile, and quick. Some examples of this body type include:

Body Size

Like dogs, rabbits are broken up into classifications of size. These include:

Shape of the Ears

The shape of the ears can sometimes tell you a lot about the rabbit breed. Typically, there are two styles of ears. One of them stands erect and straight upward. The others flop down to the sides of the head. The floppy-eared rabbits are referred to as lops, while the others are standard.

While this one visual aspect will only help a little for a standard rabbit, it can pinpoint if your rabbit is a lop or lop-mixed breed.

Fur Type

Rabbits have different fur textures and lengths. Some examples of this include normal, rex, satin, or wooly.

Color

Rabbits have a varying array of coat colors and patterns. However, certain ones are only characteristics of particular breeds. For example, breeds such as the American Chinchilla (gray), Lilac (lavender), and Thrianta (red), only come in one color. However, there are other rabbits that can come in these colors too, so just because your rabbit is gray, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an American Chinchilla.

American Rabbit Breeders Association Recognized Breeds

The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognizes over 45 different breeds, each with their own unique colorings and characteristics. There are several different breeds that are similar in color and size, making it hard to identify exactly which breed you have.

Fortunately, the ARBA has created this handy list of recognized breeds to help you figure out which one you might have. At the very least, it can help you to narrow down the potential breeds.

Consult Experienced Keepers or Veterinarians

If you want to be certain you have it right, there are certain avenues you can go down to consult with people who might know more about breed detection than you. Here are a couple of examples.

Pet Shops/Breeder

Between breeders and pet shops, breeders are always a better option to get any information about rabbit species. Pet shops are often general places where employees know the basics about the animals that are there but aren’t necessarily rabbit experts.

Still, you can always ask if you have a pet shop nearby. If you have narrowed down the breed, you can reach out to some rabbit breeders who specialize in these particular breeds to see if they can confirm.

Veterinarians

Veterinarians might be your best point of contact for figuring out what breed your rabbit is. They might not know for sure, but they can certainly give you their best guesses based on their professional opinion.

Online Forums

Online forums for rabbits can tell you a lot about the breed you have. Many people on these forums are extremely experienced in rabbit keeping and can give you a pretty good indication about which breed you have.

Granted, this isn’t a surefire way, as there is no guarantee that the person answering your question knows what they’re talking about for sure, but you can certainly get a general consensus to determine the most likely possibility.

DNA Tests for Rabbits

You have probably heard DNA tests for cats and dogs. You mail in or submit a sample of your pet’s DNA, and laboratory assistants determine what breeds are in the makeup. This can be such an interesting thing to do for many owners who have mixed-breed animals.

While science is advancing every day, we don’t quite have the technology available yet to opt for DNA tests for rabbits. With the way that everything is progressing, this option will likely be available in the near future. But right now, we know of no available DNA test for rabbits on the market.

Conclusion

Finding out what kind of rabbit breed you have can be a very exciting exclamation point. After all, you can learn so many details about their personality, likes, dislikes, and favorable habitat. All rabbit species are different, and learning all you can about your pet is helpful.

If you’re having trouble self-identifying or you simply want to know for sure, you can always ask your exotic veterinarian for a little assistance. They can give some insight based on experience and characteristics they see in domestic rabbits. You can also take to online forums to consult with experts and enthusiasts alike.

Featured Image Credit: Arlee.P, Shutterstock