Dwarf rabbit refers either (formally) to a rabbit with the dwarfing

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

, or (informally) to any small breed of

domestic rabbit A domestic or domesticated rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'')—more commonly known as a pet rabbit, bunny, bun, or bunny rabbit—is a subspecies of European rabbit, a member of the lagomorph family. A male rabbit is known as a ''bu ...

or specimen thereof, or (colloquially) to any small rabbit.

Dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition wherein an organism is exceptionally small, and mostly occurs in the animal kingdom. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dw ...

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, including pituitary dwarfism. The process of

dwarfing Dwarfing is a process in which a breed of animals or cultivar of plants is changed to become significantly smaller than standard members of their species. The effect can be induced through human intervention or non-human processes, and can include ...

is used to selectively breed for smaller stature with each generation. Small stature is a characteristic of

neoteny Neoteny (), also called juvenilization,Montagu, A. (1989). Growing Young. Bergin & Garvey: CT. is the delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny is found in modern humans compared ...

, which may account (in part) for the attraction of dwarf animals.

Small rabbits

The

Netherland Dwarf The Netherland Dwarf is a breed of domestic rabbit that originated in the Netherlands. Weighing , the Netherland Dwarf is one of the smallest rabbit breeds. Its popularity as a pet or show rabbit may stem from its neotenic appearance. The Net ...

is the smallest of the domestic rabbits. The

American Rabbit Breeders Association The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a national club for domestic rabbit and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Knox, Pennsylvania in the United States. Its membership is composed of rabbit and cavy breeders throughout, fa ...

(ARBA) accepts a weight range of , but is the maximum allowed by the

British Rabbit Council The British Rabbit Council (BRC) is an organisation for rabbit enthusiasts in the United Kingdom. Rabbits are the UK's third most popular pet. History The British Rabbit Council was formed in 1934 when the British Rabbit Society and the National ...

(BRC). 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 Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

and the

Britannia Petite Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the Britis ...

are among those that do not. They have attained their small stature solely through selective breeding of successively smaller generations (a processing called ''dwarfing''). Some small rabbits (often mixed breeds) are a ''false dwarf'', a rabbit that did not inherit the dwarfing gene. One of the smallest species of wild rabbit is the

Marsh rabbit The marsh rabbit (''Sylvilagus palustris'') is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water. It is similar in app ...

(''Sylvilagus palustris''), an excellent swimmer that weighs .

Smallest rabbit breeds

The following table includes rabbit breeds currently recognized by ARBA or by the BRC that have a maximum weight of . Also included is a small breed from Germany, the Teddy Dwarf.

References

External links

rabbitbreeders.us – Breeds of Rabbits Chart
{{Authority control Rabbit breeds Rabbits as pets

Small rabbits

Smallest rabbit breeds

See also

References

External links