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

gene In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...

, or (informally) to any small breed of

domestic rabbit The domestic rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'') is the domestication, domesticated form of the European rabbit, a member of the lagomorph order. A male rabbit is known as a ''buck,'' a female as a ''doe,'' and a young rabbit as a ''k ...

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

Dwarfism Dwarfism is a condition of people and animals marked by unusually small size or short stature. In humans, it is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than , regardless of sex; the average adult height among people with dwarfism is . '' ...

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 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 Physiology, physiological, or Somatic (biology), somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal. Neoteny i ...

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

Small rabbits

The Netherland Dwarf is the smallest of the domestic rabbits. The

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

(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 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. One of the smallest species of wild rabbit is the Marsh rabbit (''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