Glossary
of Rabbit Terms
Adult: Any
fully developed, mature rabbit of breeding age (generally over 8
months old). At this time weight should reach a platue.
Agouti:
A color pattern In which the hair shaft has three or more bands
of color with a definite break between each color.
Albino:
A rabbit with pink eyes and white fur.
Awn
Fluff: A soft, wavy wool with a guard hair tip found
between the underwool and the Awn Hair of the Giant angora.
Awn
Hair:A strong straight guard hair prodtruding above the
Awn Fluff on a Giant Angora.
Back:
The top portion of a rabbit's shoulders, loin and rump.
Balance:
In
terms of Type: Shape or
conformation, to be an orderly and pleasing arrangement of
physical characteristics; a well formed rabbit.
In
terms of Markings: To be
an even distribution of cooresponding markings in various breeds
(ie. Harlequin, Dutch, Checkered Giant, English Spot,
Rhinelander)
Band:
A color circling the rabbit's body.
Banding:
A shaft or hair having various shades of color.
Barred:
Elongated spots, as seen in the side markings of the
english Spot. Also light colored streaks or bars on the front
legs of other agouti patterned, or non-self colored breeds or
varieties.
Base
color: the color of fur next to the rabbit's skin.
Belly:
The underside of a rabbit, extending from underneath the
rib area to the pelvic area.
Belly
color: The color underneath a rabbit that extends from
the fore legs to the crotch area.
Blaze:
the markings found on the head ot the Dutch rabbit.
Bloodline:
Refers to a particular strain of rabbits in a breeding
program.
Bloom:
The gloss or luster of a rabbit's coat when in good
condition.
Boil
or Abcess: A localized area of inflammation caused by
infection. May produce puss or swelling.
Boots:
the colored markings found on the rear feet and legs of pointed
rabbits.
Bowed
Legs: Legs bent like a bow which curve outwardly from
the middle.
Breed:
A class of domestic rabbit with distinctive reproducible
characteristics including fur, markings, shape and size.
Breeder:
Anyone who raises a special variety or varieties of rabbits.
Brindling:
An intermixure of hair colors (usually black and red).
Desireable in some breeds such as the tans.
Broken
Coat: A coat with missing guard hairs which causes the
undercoat to be exposed in certain areas; occuring from a molt.
Broken
Color: Any recognized breed color in conjunction with
white and carrying the breed pattern.
Buck:
An unaltered male rabbit.
Buckling:
An immature male rabbit.
Bull
Dog: Term used to describe the head formation of some
rabbits. A short, broad, bold head with a definate masculine
appearance. As seen in some lop breeds.
Butterfly:
A particular nose marking found in some breeds of rabbits. The
colored area covers the whisker beds and extends up the center of
the face.
Butting:
A form of malocclusion, where the upper and lower incisors meet
evenly (aka pegged teeth). In a health rabbit the upper
incisors will slightly overlap the lower incisors.
Caked
Teats: Mammary glands, become engorged with milk so much
that it produces swelling and discomfort. This is usually an
indication of mastitis.
Cannibalism:
The practice of any animal killing and eating another of
its own species. An example is a doe eating her own young.
Chain:
A sequence of small spots extending in a line as seen in
certain breeds such as the English Spot.
Charlie:
A lightly marked animal; usually having colored ears, light eye
circles, and a broken butterfly (resulting in a mustache
appearance), devoid of any back or side markings. It is known to
be a genetically recessive trait occurring in breeds such as the
Checkered Giant, English Spot, Rhinelander, Broken color Lops,
Rex and Satins.
Cobby:
A short legged rabbit, usually stocky in appearance due
to the short legs.
Condition:
The overall physical condition of a rabblt in relation to its
health, cleanliness, and molt of fur.
Conjunctivitis:
An infection causing inflammation to the eyelid, usually
resulting in excessive tearing. It is contagious by contact.
Cecal
Stool (Cecotrophes): Soft fecal matter produced in the
cecum (area in the colon) that is high in vitamins. Also known as
"night feces".
Coprophagy
(Cecotrophy): The normal practice of the rabbit
consuming soft cecal stool directly from the anus.
Cottony:
A very soft textured fur, devoid of guard hairs. Often
used to describe a kit's first coat.
Crossbreeding:
Mating individuals of different breeds.
Crown:
The forehead area between the ears of a lop rabbit.
Dam:
The mother of a rabbit.
Dew
claw: An extra toe or digit on the inside of the front
leg.
Dewlap:
A pendulous fold of loose skin that hangs from the throat in
does.
Doe:
An unaltered female rabbit.
Doeling:
An immature female rabbit.
Ear
Canker: An inflamed, scabby condition in the ear caused
by ear mites.
Eye
Circle: Even marking of color around the eye, such as
that seen In Hotot and Dwarf Hotot rabbits.
Eye
Color: The color of the iris of the eye; the area
surrounding the pupil.
Flank:
The sides of a rabbit between the ribs and the hips.
Fleece:
Wool covering a rabbit.
Fly
strike: Rabbit cage becomes infested with maggots during
the summer months due to inadequate cleaning. Maggots may also
get under rabbits skin in genital area.
Fostering:
The use of another doe other than the dam to nurse the
young.
Genotype:
The genetic make up of a rabbit.
Gestation:
the length of time between mating and kindling;normally 32 days.
Glossy:
Describing the appearance of a naturally healthy rabbit
coat.
Group:
a broader classification than variety that is applied to color
groupings.
Hairball:
An accumulation of hair in the stomach that impairs appetite and
digestion.
Hutch
stains: stain on a rabbit's coat as a result of urine,
manure or rust from the hutch.
Intermediate:
A rabbit at least 6 months of age and under 8 months of age,
meeting the requirements of the breed.
Junior:
A rabbit less than 6 months of age.
Kindle
or Kindling: The process of giving birth to young
rabbits.
Kitling
(kit): A young or newly born rabbit.
Litter:
A group of kits born to a doe when she kindles.
Matted:
Wool entangled in a thick mass.
Molt:
The act or process of shedding or changing the fur. the baby, or
nest fur is shed at 2 months of age and the first prime coat fur
is fully developed at 4 to 6 months of age.
Nest
box: A special box in which the doe kindles and rears
the kits for the first few weeks.
Pedigree:
A written chart of the male and female ancestors (the parents,
grandparents and greatgrandparents of a rabbit. this document
also shows the date of birth and may contain other information
such as the rabbit's color and weight. . .
Purebred:
A very loose term used to designate rabbits that closely
approximate the requirements of the Standard of Perfection of
their breed and have done so for a number generations.
Rabbitry:
A place where domestic rabbits are kept.
Self
or Self-colored: rabbits with the same color fur all
over the body, head legs and tail. Not having ticking, agouti
pattern, shading, tan pattern etc.
Senior:
A rabbit 6 months of age or older in those breeds having two
showroom age classes, a rabbit 8 months or older having three
showroom classes or a rabbit having reached minimum senior
weight.
Shaded
or shaded-self: A rabbit with a gradual transition of
basic color, usually from dark to light.
Sire:
The father of a rabbit.
Slobbers:
Excessive salivation creating wet or moist and unsightly fur
around the mouth, lower jaws and forelegs.
Snuffles:
A bacteria infection that causes sneezing and mucus discharges
from the nose of rabbits.
Solid:
a rabbit with the same basic coloration over the entire body, not
mixed with any other color to create a pattern or markings.
Sport:
A rabbit not true to the characteristics of its breed.
Standard
of Perfection: The book stating the chracteristics for
each recognized breed of rabbit as approved by the American
Rabbit Breeders Association Inc.
Top
color: The surface color of the fur lying in its normal
position.
Type:
Denotes conformation of a rabbit, or shape or size of a
particular part of the rabbit, e.g. head type. The general
physical make up of the rabbit as compaired to the ideal.
Undercoat:
The color at the base of the hair shaft next to the skin. Not the
belly color of the rabbit.
Variety:
A division within a breed. Type indicates the breed, color
indicates the variety.
Weaning:
Separating the doe and the young so the young can no longer
nurse.
Wool:
The soft, fleecy hair on Angora, American Fuzzy Lop and Jersey
Wooly rabbits. The guard hair and underfur resemble fine wool in
texture.
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