Livestock Facts: Lapine

Normally friendly household pets also found in the wild and occasionally on farms, these animals tend to be hunted by a large variety of predators. They usually only fight back if absolutely necessary but can throw in a good punch, bite, and survive if their tails get bit off. Working at Ernie Miller, I have had my fair share of dinner time punches and grumbles, friendly “love-bites”, and much more from this animal. 

I am referring to, if you haven’t guessed yet, a rabbit. Like most livestock species, they have many breeds such as the Cottontail, Holland Lop, English Lop, and Californian rabbit(s). 

The most common breed in Kansas is the cottontail as they are native to the area. This rabbit can have its tail bit off by a coyote, wolf, dog, or other predator, get away and survive if able. Obviously, this is not always the case for these small but mighty animals but I thought I’d share my recently found knowledge.

The other three breeds I listed above are common household breeds if they are not inbred or mixed domesticated. 

The Californian rabbit looks similar to the Dutch and English spot rabbits as all three have a solid white body with black spots which help to differentiate the three breeds. For example, Californian rabbits have a spot on their nose and all black ears. These spots give the visual effect of a “sunburn” on the rabbits face.

Similarly, the Dutch rabbit also has all black ears but the black spots are around the eyes. This will look more like a mask over the eyes and ears.

Finally, the English spot rabbit has small black ‘polka-dots’ all over the body instead of the mask or sunburn effect. All three breeds are shown below:

Now with that being said, California, English spot, and the Dutch rabbits are NOT the only breeds that have black spots. Several other breeds may be bred to also have similar markings or of course the rabbits could be cross bred (meaning bred within two or more breeds). 

Sources:

Rabbit Breed Image

Knowledge from Ernie Miller Nature Center

Knowledge from FFA Vet Science Competitions