I love guess the breed threads  It’s like playing detective.

Definitely not an English Spot mix – they’re a fully arched breed which means they’re really lightly built. Tons of breeds come in spotted patterns (the spotting gene is actually dominant, so it’s easy to get spotted bunnies) so you can’t really go on that alone. The biggest spotted breed is the checkered giant, but he doesn’t look remotely like one of those either. And both of those breeds are fairly rare.

Do you have any pictures of him from the side? It’s hard to tell from just the top views, but from his size and your description I’m going to guess he’s some mix of commercial breeds. Sorry that’s not very helpful! His body shape seems to be a commercial type, but there are quite a few to choose from. He could also be a mix of a commercial breed and something a bit smaller, since he’s not all that heavy.

I’d also like to get some closer pictures of his color. I can’t decide if it’s broken blue or maybe something like broken opal. The brownish patch right behind his ears makes me think it’s not blue because blue is a solid color. Do the hairs have different bands of color? Or are they a solid color along the whole shaft?

Something about his face in one of your other posts reminds me so so much of my mini lop. I’m trying to think of what other breeds have that same face shape. Or I suppose he could have some mini lop in him without inheriting the lop ears and that would explain his size – smaller than a typical commercial bunny, but larger than a mini lop. His ears are fairly small too, which points towards being crossed with some smaller breed (rather than with a Flemmie)

Don’t know what breed he is, but he is a cute chubby little guy!

Our big guys like him are listed as “English Spot/Mini Lop” crosses, wether that is just a guess or they really are those mixes i don’t know. But we have a few with his size/shape at our shelter, and that’s what they have them listed as

Hmm  from his frame he looks like a new zealand white or californian body type.  Probably a mix having aquired those spots like that.

HE is definitely a meat rabbit breed with a build like that.    I have seen a ladies rabbitry of NZW’s  recently that is the same body type.  Also a she had a californian and a NZW and californian mix. 

Definitely a meat rabbit body type you have. 

I know you aren’t going to eat him just love him.  

Andi, I find that rescues call anything spotted an “english spot mix” when really English Spots are pretty rare and very distinctive. I’ve also seen a lot called “American” which is another rare breed. I think those are just stand in breeds because the rescue people don’t know what else to put if the rabbit isn’t obviously one thing or another.

Well, the bottom line is that most rabbits are mixes and honestly, breed is not important. Most rescues really try to keep from putting their rabbits in breed categories because it’s really not important since our rabbits are pets not used for breeding purposes.

I still think it’s fun to think about even if it doesn’t matter one bit 😀

Posted By Elrohwen on 05/13/2010 12:37 PM

Something about his face in one of your other posts reminds me so so much of my mini lop. I’m trying to think of what other breeds have that same face shape.

Maybe Harlequin?  He falls in their weight range, obviously he’s not harli coloured but body shape has some similarities maybe.  He doesn’t appear to have the compact body of lop, seems longer, though def could be a lop mix with larger breed.

It will always be a puzzle.  I saw day old kits some weeks back.  The parents where a rew mini rex and a dwarf lop (I think)  in harli colouring. The kits are now up for sale and there appears to be one all white kit, 1 harli, 1 chocolate otter and some black and whites.   Just goes to show how hard it can be to guess breed. I do agree though, it is fun to try! 

Binkles, they are both lovely!

Jers, I think you’re right about the harli body type, but they’re unfortunately pretty rare in the state. They’re so pretty! I wish we saw more of them around (though I guess you see the color around in other breeds). Definitely the same body type though.