Classification of Rabbits by Fur Type
To the Americans who raise rabbits, there are millions of ways to classify the recognized breeds of rabbits. One way, set by the American Rabbit Breeder's Association, Inc. (ARBA), is to classify rabbit breeds by fur type. There are four types of fur that rabbits can have, normal, rex, satin, or wool.
Out of the 45 different American breeds of rabbits, 36 have normal fur. Normal fur, often also called commercial fur, can differ between the breeds. Because of the extra luster in the coats of some breeds, like the tan, stand out. While others, like Havanas, are known for their rich color. Normal fur should be, according to the ARBA's Standard of Perfection's standard for commercial normal fur, "coarse enough in guard hair to offer resistance when stroked toward the head. The under fur should be fine, soft, and dense, interspersed thickly with decidedly heavier or thicker guard hairs. The coat should be well balanced, and of fairly good length. The hair should be set tight in the skin, without breaks due to molt, broken spots, broken guard hairs, mats or stains." A normal furred rabbit's fur length can vary from breed to breed. Normal furred breeds can be further classified into rollback or flyback fur. Flyback fur snaps back into it's position after being petted backward. Rollback fur returns back to it's original position without the snap of flyback fur. Normal fur can come in many different varieties, anything from black to white, blue to red, opal to squirrel. When most people think of rabbits, they think of the normal furred rabbits.
Only two American breeds of rabbits have rex fur, the rex, and the mini rex. Its plush-like feel characterizes rex fur, making it popular. The fur of a rex pelt should be "extremely dense with length no less than 1/2 inch or more than 7/8 inch, ideal length 5/8 inch." A rex's fur is unique because of the shortness of the guard hairs. According to the standard, "Guard hairs are to be very plentiful and evenly distributed, but not too noticeably protruding." In a rex's fur, the guard hairs are actually shorter than the under coat! Touching a well-conditioned rex pelt you should feel the smoothness and the coat should have a nice "springiness." Some breeders have pride in having rex fur that you can "imprint." To have imprinting rex fur, you have to have fur with such springiness that when your hand is placed on the rabbit, then removed, the print of your hand is still there. When stroked backwards, the fur should stand straight up.
When someone sees a satin rabbit for the first time, the first thing they notice is the sheen. Only one breed of rabbit has the sheen, or brilliant shine, of the satin fur, and it's name appropriately is the satin. Satin pelts differ from the normal fur in two basic ways. The first is a finer diameter hair shaft. Satins also have a more transparent hair shell. This greater transparency makes the pigment show through more brilliantly. According to the standard for satins, "The sheen is due to the clarity of the glass like hair shell and its ability to reflect light." Satin fur is silkier and shinier than normal furred breeds, as well as being more dense and fine. Length of fur for satins should be 1 to 1 1/8 inches, and should be uniform throughout the body. The satin fur is tight set, and free from molt, stains, and mats. In the standard, the sheen is described as "distinct, glossy, and lustrous."
The last, and least recognized by the non-rabbit raiser, type of fur is wool. Many people think of sheep, not rabbits when they hear the word wool. Only six breeds of rabbits, American fuzzy lop, jersey wooly, English angora, French Angora, satin angora, and giant angora, have wool. The wool of a rabbit differs from the long, dense, silky wool of the English Angora to the short, coarse wool of the American Fuzzy Lop. All wooled breeds have wool covering their entire bodies, with exception of the face, ears, and feet. The English Angora and French Angora however, call for side trimmings and bangs as well as heavy wool on the ears. Side trimmings are, by ARBA definition "wool appearing along the side of the head and face on some wooled breeds." Rabbit's wool is much warmer than the wool of a sheep, due to the denseness. The wool of all breeds, except the giant angora, possess two different layers of fur. The first, are the guard hairs project from the body, and "furnishes wearing quality and resilience to the coat." These hairs, also called awn hairs, protect the under wool. Under wool is described as "the shortest wool fiber, lying at the base of the wool coat." In the giant angora, there is a third layer, the awn fluff. The awn fluff is "the soft crimped wool fibers ending in a straight tip" which give the giant angora a denser coat.
The type of a rabbit's coat is only one way in which they can be classified. Their body type, varieties, size, or markings can also classify rabbits. Each different person you meet who raises rabbits, may classify them differently.
All quotes are directly from the Standard of Perfection 2001-2005 © Copyright 2001, American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc. Bloomington, Illinois 61704
