Dwarf rabbit

{{Short description|Breed of rabbit}} thumb|right|{{center|A dwarf rabbit (Netherland Dwarf breed)}}|280px

'''Dwarf rabbit''' refers either (formally) to a rabbit with the dwarfing gene,<ref name="Hu Thesis">{{cite thesis |last=Hu |first=Dou |date=May 2014 |title=Identification and analysis of the dwarf mutation in domestic rabbits |trans-title=Identifiering och karaktärisering av dvärg mutationen hos tamkaninen |type=Master's thesis |volume=444|pages=1–26|url=https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/6908/11/hu_d_140622.pdf|access-date=19 February 2018|series=Examensarbete |location=Uppsala, Sweden |publisher=Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences}}</ref> or (informally) to any small breed of domestic rabbit or specimen thereof, or (colloquially) to any small rabbit. Dwarfism is a genetic condition that may occur in humans and in many animals, including rabbits. True dwarfism is often associated with a cluster of physical abnormalities,<ref name="Fiorello">{{cite journal|last1=Fiorello|first1=Christine V.|last2=German|first2=R.Z.|title=Heterochrony within species: craniofacial growth in giant, standard, and dwarf rabbits|journal=Evolution|date=February 1997|volume=51|issue=1|pages=250–261|doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.1997.tb02406.x|pmid=28568789|s2cid=205780205|doi-access=free}}</ref> including pituitary dwarfism. The process of dwarfing is used to selectively breed for smaller stature with each generation. Small stature is a characteristic of neoteny, which may account (in part) for the attraction of dwarf animals.

== Small rabbits == thumb|{{center|Baby Mini Satin rabbits ''Blue-eyed white - Satin coat''}} [[File:BRACHYLAGUS_IDAHOENSIS.jpg|thumb|right|{{center|Pygmy rabbit ''(Sylvilagus idahoensis)'' {{convert|375|-|500|g|lb}}}}]]

The Netherland Dwarf is the smallest of the domestic rabbits. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA)<ref name="ARBA Standard">{{cite book|title=Standard of Perfection 2016–2020|date=2015|publisher=American Rabbit Breeders Association|asin=B018GVBJK4}}</ref><ref name="ARBA website">{{cite web|title=ARBA Recognized Breeds|url=https://arba.net/|publisher=American Rabbit Breeders Association|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> accepts a weight range of {{convert|1.1|-|3.5|lb|abbr=on}}, but {{convert|2.5|lb|abbr=on}} is the maximum allowed by the British Rabbit Council (BRC).<ref name="BRC Standard">{{cite web|title=Breed Standards 2016-2020|url=http://www.thebrc.org/Mono%20Breed%20Standards%20Book%20APRIL%202017%20small.pdf|publisher=British Rabbit Council|access-date=29 January 2018|archive-date=21 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121125834/http://www.thebrc.org/Mono%20Breed%20Standards%20Book%20APRIL%202017%20small.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The small stature of the Netherland Dwarf was initially the result of the dwarfing gene: ''dw''. Its short neck and rounded face are additional features of neoteny.

Many small rabbit breeds have the dwarfing gene, but the Polish and the Britannia Petite are among those that do not. They have attained their small stature solely through selective breeding of successively smaller generations (a process called ''dwarfing'').

Some small rabbits (often mixed breeds) are a ''false dwarf'', a rabbit that did not inherit the dwarfing gene.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

One of the smallest species of wild rabbit is the Marsh rabbit (''Sylvilagus palustris''), an excellent swimmer<ref name="Swimmer">{{Cite news |last=Compton |first=Gail |date=29 September 2012 |title=Swimming Rabbit Surfaces|url=http://www.staugustine.com/living/garden/2012-09-28/swimming-rabbit-surfaces |department=Lifestyle |work=The St. Augustine Record |location=St. Augustine, Florida |access-date=22 February 2018}}</ref> that weighs {{convert|2.2|-|2.6|lb|abbr=on}}.

==Smallest rabbit breeds== The following table includes rabbit breeds currently recognized by ARBA<ref name="ARBA Standard" /><ref name="ARBA website" /> or by the BRC<ref name="BRC Standard" /> that have a maximum weight of {{convert|4|lb|abbr=on}}. Also included is a small breed from Germany, the Teddy Dwarf.<ref name="Tk Club">{{cite web|title=Herzlich Willkommen auf den Webseiten des Teddykaninchen-Clubs|url=http://www.teddykaninchen-club.de/home_index.html|publisher=Teddykaninchen Club|access-date=22 February 2018}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable" |+ style="text-align: center;" | Domestic rabbit breeds <{{convert|4|lb|abbr=on}} |- ! style="width: 160pt;" | Breed name

!class="unsortable"|Image

! style="width: 120pt;" data-sort-type="number"|Weight

! style="width: 120pt;" | Ear type

|- |Netherland Dwarf||140px||{{convert|1.1|–|2.5|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |[[Britannia Petite Rabbit|Britannia Petite [US]]]||140px||{{convert|1.5|–|2.5|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |Teddy Dwarf   ''Also called:''     Teddyzwerg||140px||{{convert|1.75|–|3.75|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |Dwarf Hotot||140px||{{convert|2|–|3|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |Jersey Wooly||140px||{{convert|2.5|–|3.5|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |[[Polish rabbit|Polish [US]]]||140px||{{convert|2.5|–|3.5|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |Lionhead||140px||{{convert|1.36|–|1.7|lb|abbr=on}}||erect |- |Miniature Lion Lop||140px||{{convert|1.5|–|1.6|lb|abbr=on}}||lop |- |[[Holland Lop|Miniature Lop [UK/NL]]]||140px||{{convert|3.4|–|3.8|lb|abbr=on}}||lop |- |Miniature Cashmere Lop||140px||{{convert|3.5|lb|abbr=on}}||lop |- |American Fuzzy Lop||140px||{{convert|3.5|–|4.0|lb|abbr=on}}||lop |- |Plush Lop (Miniature)||140px||{{convert|1.7|–|1.8|lb|abbr=on}}||lop |}

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://rabbitbreeders.us/rabbit-breeds Breeds of Rabbits Chart] at rabbitbreeders.us * [http://www.raising-rabbits.com/small-rabbit-breeds.html Small rabbit breeds] at Raising-Rabbits.com

Category:Rabbit breeds Category:Rabbits as pets