Dwarf rabbits (domestic rabbits)
Under Zwergkaninchen within the meaning of the breed rabbits a group of small (dwarfish) will house rabbit breeds understood. They are not to be confused with the North American species of dwarf rabbit ( Brachylagus idahoensis ). Dwarf rabbits are very popular as pets , but also as breed rabbits for exhibition purposes.
Races
The dwarf rabbits include the following breeds :
The ermine rabbit is a completely white dwarf rabbit that weighs only between one and two kilograms. There are ermine rabbits with red or blue eyes. The rabbits with red eyes are albinos and therefore particularly sensitive to light. The body of the ermine rabbit is stocky and cylindrical and the pelvis is well rounded. The head sits on the body with no visible neck and is relatively large in comparison to the body.
Color dwarfs come in different colors and with both short and long fur. They weigh no more than two kilograms and correspond in physique and type to the ermine rabbit.
The fox rabbit is a long-haired rabbit, which as a dwarf only reaches a weight of 1.1 to 1.35 kilograms. The fox rabbit comes in many different colors. It is a very calm and balanced breed, which is similar to the ermine rabbit.
The Rex rabbit is a short-haired rabbit with particularly structured hair that is harsh but not wavy and that is perpendicular to the scalp. They come in many different colors and sizes. They are easy to care for and also suitable for keeping in the apartment.
Dwarf rams, also known as ram dwarfs, are somewhat larger than colored dwarfs and actually not real dwarf rabbits, as they lack the hereditary dwarfism factor. They come in many colors. They have a curved bridge and their ears hang on the sides of their heads with the sound opening on the inside.
The jamora is a long-haired rabbit that normally weighs 2 to 2.5 kilograms and is actually a little heavier than a dwarf rabbit. The fur is similar to the dwarf fox rabbit and the color is derived from the Japanese rabbit.
The weight of the lion's head dwarfs is not specified. They have short fur and a lion's mane around the head and neck, as well as on the hind legs. Since this mane is matted, it is particularly easy to care for and popular in pet ownership.
Teddy rabbits reach a maximum weight of 2 kilograms and have a long, dense and soft fur. They come in all colors and drawings and mostly with blue eyes. Their ears can stand up, but they can also hang down.
Teddy rams reach a weight of 2 kilograms and are similar in appearance to the dwarf ram. They have a clear bulge on the forehead and the nose area and are provided with pronounced jaws. Their muzzle is wide. Teddy rams have a short, writhing body with broad shoulders, a rounded pelvis and a short and strong neck.
Genetic characteristics
With the exception of the dwarf rams, all races carry the dwarf factor , which causes the typical body shape. The dwarf factor is fatal in its homozygous form , so that two dwarf rabbits may not be paired with each other ( torture breeding ).
See also
literature
- Thomas Bartels, Wilhelm Wegner: undesirable developments in domestic animal breeding. Breeding extremes and breeding defects in livestock and hobby animals. Enke, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-432-28131-5 .
- Friedrich Karl Dorn, Günther March (Ed.): Breed rabbit breeding . A manual for the rabbit keeper and breeder. 7th edition, Neumann-Neudamm, Melsungen 1989, ISBN 3-7888-0569-2 .
- Wolfgang Schlolaut, Klaus Lange: The big book of the rabbit . 2nd, revised and expanded edition, DLG, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-7690-0554-6 .
- Teddy rabbit club (ed.): Teddy rabbits: Teddyzwerge & Teddywidder. What you simply need to know about teddy rabbits. Brainduct, Neuenhagen near Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-940090-07-2 / ISBN 978-3-940090-04-1 .
- Lothar Thormann: Color dwarfs (= expert knowledge of breed rabbit breeding ). 5th, revised edition, Oertel + Spörer, Reutlingen 1997, ISBN 978-3-88627-755-1 .
- Lothar Thormann: Our ermine rabbits . In: Das Blaue Jahrbuch 1999. A practical way of doing things for the rabbit breeder . Oertel + Spörer, Reutlingen 1988 ff., Pp. 111–119, the current edition: The Blue Yearbook 2016 , Reutlingen 2015, ISBN 978-3-88627-677-6 .
- Anne Warrlich: dwarf rabbits . Stuttgart: Kosmos 2016, ISBN 978-3-440-14703-0
- Monika Wegler: dwarf rabbits. Updated new edition, Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-8338-3634-3 .