10 Lop Rabbit Breeds That Will Blow Your Mind
Have you ever heard of the term lop rabbit? What came into your mind? Well done, you’ve guessed right; lop rabbit breeds have drooping ears. Now, let me take just a few seconds to explain to you the 10 lop rabbit breeds that will blow your mind.
Why do you want to know about the lop rabbits? Maybe you want to have them for breeding or keeping them as your favorite pets? Whichever the intentions, this article contains everything you want to know about these unique animals.
What Makes Lop Rabbit Breeds Different?
Even by only looking at them, you can’t help but admire lop rabbit breeds due to their outstanding ears that loosely hang downwards. It’s these beautiful ears that make them different from other rabbit breeds.
Perhaps you have seen a rabbit with large, floppy ears, or do you own one? If you haven’t seen one, a French lop rabbit can be a good example.
This rabbit has ears that are loose and hanging downwards; it is what we call drooping. Some lop rabbits have ears that grow past their jaw, and others that get longer than their body.
The ears grow to different lengths depending on the rabbit breed. A mature English lop rabbit is a good example of a breed with ears longer than its body.
Some famous breeds like Chinchilla, Dutch, New Zealand, and California, are not lop rabbits because of their upright ears. The majority of the rabbit breeds have ears that are standing upright.
At least now you can tell what a lop rabbit is and how it’s different from other rabbit breeds.
Quick List of Lop Rabbit Breeds
A French lop is not the only rabbit in the lop rabbit breeds category. I only mentioned it above as an example to explain to you what the lop rabbit breeds look like.
Join me in finding out how big lop rabbit breeds can grow before we can figure out which rabbits belong to this group. These breeds of rabbits seem to grow to different sizes which comes about because of genetics.
They do not all record the same size; some breeds are small while others appear to be large or very large.
Their weight when mature can vary anywhere from 3–11 pounds or more, depending on the breed.
Now, which rabbits are lop rabbits? According to the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA), there exists over 50 breeds of rabbits worldwide. From the lop rabbits family, there are about 10 lop rabbit breeds as listed below. We’ll cover their details further in the article.
- French Lop rabbits
- Mini Lops rabbits
- English Lop rabbits
- Holland Lop rabbits
- American Fuzzy Lop rabbits
- German Lop rabbits
- Lop Meissner rabbits
- Cashmere miniature Lop rabbits
- Miniature Lion Lop rabbits
- Dwarf Lop rabbits.
You should also be informed that Lop rabbits make up approximately 15% of the world’s rabbit population. This is what has been confirmed, but it’s suspected that they could be many than the indicated percentage.
A-Z 10 Lop Rabbit Breeds (Facts)
From the 10 lop rabbit breeds that exist today, as I told you earlier, they all differ from each other in many ways, except that they all have ears that are dropping.
Breed #1: American Fuzzy Lop Rabbits
What do you know about the American Fuzzy lop? These rabbits are native to the United States but today we find them worldwide. Besides having floppy ears, other unique features for identifying these rabbits are their long and wooly coat, tinted ears, and a cat-like short and flat muzzle.
Their wool resembles that of the Angora breed, but it is slightly shorter than the Angora’s.
Many people keep them as pets because of their warm personality. You will notice their social and playful nature, and they love it so much to get the attention of their owners.
The American fuzzy lops also tend to be friendly with other rabbits. They are always clean and not at risk of getting diseases.
Appearance: Small and round body, short ears, long, fuzzy hair throughout the body, and a compact head. Size: 3–4.3 pounds. Cost: $25-$200
Breed #2: Cashmere Miniature Lop Rabbits
They were discovered by Miss Tuner of Wales within the nest of dwarf lop breeds in 1980. These lop breeds possess thicker, longer, and more luxurious coats compared to the other breeds.
They are cute and lovely pets and are peaceful with other household pets. Cashmere lops are friendly, social, playful, and very intelligent. They are good pets to keep even for beginners.
Cashmere mini lops are hardy animals. However, they have teeth that grow continuously which is a major concern. They need access to fibrous feeds to chew to prevent the teeth from overgrowing.
Another important thing to consider is their size where they need to be kept at a healthy weight to avoid many health issues that may arise due to obesity.
Appearance: Compact and thick body, broad chest, muscular rump, thick and silky coat. Size: 3.5 pounds. Cost: $20-$40
Breed #3: Dwarf Lop Rabbits
Dwarf lop rabbits are small to medium-sized, and weigh about 5.25 pounds when mature. They are descendants of the first dwarf lops developed around the 1950s in the Netherlands.
Dwarf lop rabbits come in varying colors, including sable marten, white, chinchilla, black, agouti, orange, brown, fawn, etc. They are perfect pets that you can own and do enjoy people’s company a lot.
There is nothing to worry about if you have children around as Dwarf lops do very well with them. They are also friendly, playful, social, and active. Unfortunately, these rabbits are at risk of hereditary dental problems.
The high buying price of Dwarf lop rabbits is because they are new breeds. You can spend from around $30 for a dwarf lop pet and about $90 for show purposes. They are not always hungry so it will be cheap to feed them.
Appearance: Short body, short legs, broad shoulders, deep chest, wide and thick ears. Size: 4.3–5.3 pounds. Cost: $30-$90
Breed #4: English Lop Rabbits
It was in the 19th century when English lop rabbit breeds were developed through selective breeding in England. They are the number one lop breed to be developed by humans.
Their floppy ears are extremely long and they touch the ground, which is what they are known for. The owners of these breeds have to ensure that they don’t hurt their ears to avoid creating avenues for infections.
You also need to check for the overgrown teeth in English lops and clean their ears periodically as wax builds up so quickly.
These breeds are also friendly, curious, playful, and energetic. They are very fascinating pets one can own.
Appearance: Mandolin-shaped body, more prolonged, and broader ears. Size: 10.5–12 pounds. Cost: $50-$75
Breed#5: French Lop Rabbits
French lop breeds had their origin in France in the 19th century. They are a result of selective breeding from English lop and Flemish giant stock.
If you are looking for a friendly rabbit, then Frenchies are the best choice. They are more friendly than any other rabbits. French lops are pretty intelligent and, therefore, easy to train.
They are sweet and very affectionate, making them the most adorable pet in the rabbit’s world. French lop’s coat isn’t very thick, and these animals do well in warm conditions. Frenchies thrive well on hay and any other feed offered to bunnies.
Appearance: Solid and thick body, broad shoulders, shiny fur, smoothly curved top line. Size: 10–13.5 pounds. Cost: $75
Breed #6: German Lop Rabbits
German lop is a thick and Cobby breed that is native to Germany, developed in the 1960s by rabbit breed enthusiasts.
Initially, German lops were bred purposely for shows but later people started keeping them as pets. You will love them for their calmness and docility.
German lops are a bit expensive to buy following their high-quality features meant for showing purposes. The price varies because of the different pedigree. For example, a breed from a championship genealogy may need even more than $100 to purchase.
The major challenge with the German lops is their susceptibility to respiratory infections, especially when exposed to drafty areas.
Appearance: Cobby, massive and muscular body, Roman nose, wide-open eyes. Size: 8.5 pounds. Cost: $50-$100
Breed #7: Holland Lop Rabbits
Holland lop is a breed originating from the Netherlands, developed by a Dutch breeder known as Adrian de Cock, in the 1950s.
These rabbits are reputable and mostly loved for being docile, calm, and gentle. You can easily handle them, and they’re unique pets.
But you need to be cautious about them because of their vulnerability to intestinal ailments such as enteritis, gut stasis, bloat, and coccidiosis.
The amount you can spend when buying a Holland lop will vary depending on its linage, pedigree, and completed medical procedure, such as vaccinations and fertility alternation.
Appearance: Muscular, compact body, broad head with a puff of fur at the back (crown), short and thick legs. Size: 2–4 pounds. Cost: $20-$400
Breed #8: Meissner Lop Rabbits
The Meissner lop is a tamed rabbit that comes from Germany. However, their population has gone down making them to be among the endangered domesticated rabbit species.
Maybe you own or have interacted with a Meissner lop rabbit, you know how lovely they are and it’s worth keeping them as pets. They are playful, spending most of their happy moments playing.
If it’s about being friendly, calm, and docile, these rabbits are not to be left out. They are good-mannered too. It’s cheap and easy to feed them because they eat grass based-foods.
Appearance: Compact body and shimmery coat. Size: 7.5–10 pounds. Cost: $40-$100.
Breed #9: Mini Lop Rabbits
A Mini lop rabbit is a cross between a Dwarf lop and a Netherland dwarf, which was first bred by Adrian de Cock.
Mini lops are excellent choice pets due to their charming, loving, playful, and social nature. They are always active. First-time pet owners are advised to start with buck Mini lops as females appear to be pretty skittish and need to be handled carefully.
Moreover, Mini lops have a short, dense coat that comes in different colors.
Appearance: Muscular and compact body, shiny and lustrous coat medium coat. Size: 3.4.3 pounds. Cost: $30-$90
Breed #10: Miniature Lion Lop Rabbits
Miniature lion lop is a product of crossbreeding a Lionhead rabbit and a small-eared Mini lop rabbit, developed by Jane Bramley in the UK, in the early 1920s.
They are first-choice breeds for most rabbit lovers and are highly recommended due to their loads of good personalities, including being even-tempered, friendly, active, lively, and extremely social.
Their diet is simple, consisting of fresh grass, raw vegetables, and fresh hay, and also a lot of clean water.
Appearance: Short and muscular body, longer hair mane around the neck, dense coat, very hairy and rounded ears. Size: 3.8 pounds. Cost: $30-$200.
Are Lop Rabbits Good Pets?
People who already keep lop rabbits as pets will tell you how joyful and interesting these rabbits can be. Most rabbit fanciers give very good feedback about the lop rabbits. So yes, Lop rabbits are good pets.
If you are thinking of owning a rabbit pet, go for the lop-eared rabbits without any worry. They are a pet for almost all people and you will find them in so many homes.
Maybe you have even heard other pet owners talking so good about lop rabbits. They were not spreading rumors. It’s impossible to be with a lop rabbit and fail to talk about it. They make you feel happy and accompanied.
I would not be encouraging you to buy one if they are bad pets. I love them too and adore them because they are nice, playful, social, affectionate, active, lively, intelligent, and easygoing.
Another good thing you will like about lop rabbits is their ability to perfectly interact with other pets and children.
Conclusion
You know what! I cannot hide my happiness knowing that you came here determined to know about lop rabbits and now have the information at your fingertips.
Don’t forget that lop rabbits cannot only be found in shows, you can own them as pets and have them in your home.
You can never regret owning one but will want to have even more of them. They are good and have all the personalities you would want in a pet.
Something also to remember is that lop rabbits have dropping ears which come in different sizes depending on the breed.
