What is a rhinelander rabbit?
The rhinelander abbit is a medium-sized breed of domestic rabbit that originated in Germany. Rhinelanders are known for their distinctive facial “butterfly markings”, a spine marking, colored ears, cheek spots, eye circles and side markings (on a white background) of black with orange or of blue with fawn. The Rhinelander rabbit breed is recognized by the British Rabbit Council (BRC) and by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
The Rhinelander rabbit is an arched breed of rabbit, meaning that light shows between its body and the ground when the rabbit is sitting or moving. It is similar in appearance to the Checkered Giant breed, but smaller. The Rhinelander rabbit has a trim athletic appearance, with the body being the same width from shoulders to hip. The Rhinelander rabbit is known for its distinctive coat pattern and for its “butterfly markings” which cover the nose and upper jaw in a shape resembling a butterfly. British standard calls for a weight of 6 to 10 lb (2.7 to 4.5 kg), while the American registry prefers a weight of 7 to 9 pounds (3.2 to 4.1 kg). The only color pattern recognized by the BRC is a white base colour with black and yellow markings on the face and back; however, ARBA recognizes a blue and fawn spotting pattern on a white background, in addition to the black and orange pattern.
