What Color is Your Pet Rabbit?
Frequently rabbit breeders and pet owners have a rabbit with no idea of the color. It's not wonder there's confusion. There are 144 rabbit coat colors, not including steels, tri-colored, blue-eyed whites, magpies, dutch marked, and probably more, if I think about it along enough. That's a lot of color!
You have no trouble identifying a black rabbit. But immediately after that, things can get a little ify. Here's some rabbit color information to help.
If your rabbit is white with patches of color, then your rabbit is a broken. If the patches are black, for example, your rabbit is a broken black.
There are two patterns of broken: spotted and blanketed. Both are called brokens. Your rabbit can either have one large spot on the back like a continent, or a bunch of little dots like a group of islands.
Sometimes I hear rabbits referred to as brown. It is true that there are chocolate rabbits. They are a bit rare due to recessive genes, but they really are about the color of a candy bar.
Another color that is often called brown is actually black tortoiseshell. The back is a bright orange color and the fur shades down to black at the very points. If you want to see a group of torts, you can visit my Holland Lop Bucks page of The Nature Trail Rabbitry. There are 3 broken torts and 2 solid torts on that page.
Sometimes people describe their rabbit as gray. Although there is a gray rabbit, I've never seen one. Most are actually blue.
I love otters and marten. Those rabbits have a basic color (which could be blue, black, chocolate, lilac, sable, or other) and then have a different color around their eyes, behind their heads and marking their noses. Their tummies are light.
There are orange rabbits. These guys are bright orange (brighter than the torts). But even brighter are the rare red rabbits. Thriantas are a new breed for the US, being developed right now.
Some rabbits have ticking or banding in their fur. If you blow into your rabbit's fur and see rings, then you have an agouti rabbit. It may be chestnut (that's the wild rabbit color), chinchilla, opal, or one of several other colors.
Whites come in ruby-eyed (their eyes are actually officially called pink) and blue-eyed. If you think you have a brown-eyed white, it is most likely an ermine (also called a frosty or frost-point).
Pointed whites have ruby eyes and are white all over except for dark points (ears, feet, tail, nose markings). They are also called himalayans.
One of the best ways to find out the color of your pet rabbit is to visit a local rabbit show (find those at the American Rabbit Breeders' Association). When you see one the same color as yours, ask the exhibitor. He or she will probably know. Or, you can look at rabbitry websites (you will find a list of links both on Precious Pet Rabbits and The Nature Trail Rabbitry). When you see one like yours, drop the website owner an email and ask. Most are more than happy to talk about rabbits.
Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
You have no trouble identifying a black rabbit. But immediately after that, things can get a little ify. Here's some rabbit color information to help.
If your rabbit is white with patches of color, then your rabbit is a broken. If the patches are black, for example, your rabbit is a broken black.
There are two patterns of broken: spotted and blanketed. Both are called brokens. Your rabbit can either have one large spot on the back like a continent, or a bunch of little dots like a group of islands.
Sometimes I hear rabbits referred to as brown. It is true that there are chocolate rabbits. They are a bit rare due to recessive genes, but they really are about the color of a candy bar.
Another color that is often called brown is actually black tortoiseshell. The back is a bright orange color and the fur shades down to black at the very points. If you want to see a group of torts, you can visit my Holland Lop Bucks page of The Nature Trail Rabbitry. There are 3 broken torts and 2 solid torts on that page.
Sometimes people describe their rabbit as gray. Although there is a gray rabbit, I've never seen one. Most are actually blue.
I love otters and marten. Those rabbits have a basic color (which could be blue, black, chocolate, lilac, sable, or other) and then have a different color around their eyes, behind their heads and marking their noses. Their tummies are light.
There are orange rabbits. These guys are bright orange (brighter than the torts). But even brighter are the rare red rabbits. Thriantas are a new breed for the US, being developed right now.
Some rabbits have ticking or banding in their fur. If you blow into your rabbit's fur and see rings, then you have an agouti rabbit. It may be chestnut (that's the wild rabbit color), chinchilla, opal, or one of several other colors.
Whites come in ruby-eyed (their eyes are actually officially called pink) and blue-eyed. If you think you have a brown-eyed white, it is most likely an ermine (also called a frosty or frost-point).
Pointed whites have ruby eyes and are white all over except for dark points (ears, feet, tail, nose markings). They are also called himalayans.
One of the best ways to find out the color of your pet rabbit is to visit a local rabbit show (find those at the American Rabbit Breeders' Association). When you see one the same color as yours, ask the exhibitor. He or she will probably know. Or, you can look at rabbitry websites (you will find a list of links both on Precious Pet Rabbits and The Nature Trail Rabbitry). When you see one like yours, drop the website owner an email and ask. Most are more than happy to talk about rabbits.
Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
posted by Laurie Stroupe at 9:58 AM
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