Lionhead rabbit
Lionhead rabbit is one of the newest breeds of domestic rabbits in the United States, and is currently undergoing the American Rabbit Breeders' Association evaluation process. The Lionhead rabbit has particularly long wool surrounding the face, reminiscent of the mane of a male lion, hence the name. Other characteristic traits of the Lionhead include a partly rounded head and small size, usually between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds. It also tends to have slightly shorter, thicker ears than most breeds.
The Lionhead rabbit originated in Belgium. It is reported to have been produced by breeders trying to breed a long coated dwarf rabbit by crossing a miniature Swiss Fox and a Belgian dwarf. The Lionhead seemed to have been more popular than the long coated dwarf, and so breeders carried on this trend in breeding them intentionally, and so came what we know today as the Lionhead rabbit.
The Lionhead has a small body, and the head is bold, although not quite round from all sides, with well-developed muzzle. Their legs are of medium length and they are of medium bone. Their ears are not to exceed 3½ inches long. Their mane is at least 2 inches long and is to form a full circle around the head, extending to a 'V' at the back of the neck. It may fall into a fringe between the ears, creating a "wool cap". Lionheads may have longer fur around their back legs. Some Lionheads have noticeably longer wool on the cheeks and chest. They are to have a dense, roll back coat, of medium length and even all over body in adults.
The breed has been recognized since 2002 by the United Kingdom's British Rabbit Council. It currently is in "Certificate of Development" status with the American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA). The current breed presenter is Theresa Mueller of Seattle, WA. She made her first successful presentation at the 2010 ARBA Convention in Minneapolis, MN in November, 2010 in the varieties of REW, Black Tortoise and Black. Theresa must make two more successful presentations in order for the breed to attain recognized breed status within the ARBA. COD holders in line behind Theresa include Dawn Guth(OH), Lynne Schultz(NE), Lee A. Nevills(IN), Anita Moore(MI), Regina Mayhugh(OH), and Marilyn Stevens(PA). Arden Wetzel (MN) was the first Lionhead COD holder, but ultimately failed his presentation. Second COD holder Gail Gibbons (KS) also failed to successfully present the breed to ARBA. Bob Whitman (TX) and Kim Croak (PA), both recently deceased, also held Lionhead breed CODs.
The North American Lionhead Rabbit Club (NALRC) holds its annual Lionhead Exhibition Specialty show in Columbus, OH on the first Saturday in May of each year.
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[edit] Mane types
Typically, the mane is thick, woolly, and soft with lots of evident "crimping". Depending on the set of genes a Lionhead gets, it can have a double mane (2 mane genes), a single mane (1 mane gene), or no mane(0 mane genes).
[edit] Single maned
Single maned lionhead rabbits have a mane that is around its head, ears, chin and sometimes on the chest. The genotype for the single mane is Mm. Typically their mane wool diminishes as they get older.
[edit] Double maned
Double maned lionheads have a regular mane of wool all the way around the head, and some have "transitional wool" around the hindquarters, tail and their hips that some refer to as a "skirt", which is considered undesirable for show purposes, but not on the tail. The genotype for a double mane is MM.
[edit] No maned
As the name implies, no mane. They look like an ordinary rabbit or similar to a larger Netherland Dwarf rabbit. The genotype for the no-mane is mm. These are not typically kept for breeding.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lionhead rabbit |
- British Rabbit Council Lionhead
- North American Lionhead Rabbit Club
- Lionhead Rabbit Pictures
- COD holdings: [1]
- Under evaluation by ARBA [2]
