English spot rabbits are excellent pets due to their unique appearance and friendly nature. They enjoy playing, jumping, hopping, or running and explore every new thing in their surroundings. They are known to be kept as pets by nobles and royals in British; that’s why they became popular among people. This rabbit breed is a marvelous addition to genetic diversity; breeders continuously try to breed it with other rabbits to create more elegant varieties of bunnies.
English spot rabbits originated in England through selective breeding methods and are known for their distinctive markings on both sides of their belly. Additionally, they have markings surrounding their eyes and ears. They have long, lean, and well-proportionate bodies. Ears are erect or pointed, while eyes are dark and wide. The slender body is 6 to 9 pounds and 17 to 24 inches long. They live for 5 to 8.5 years long. The gestation period is of 28 to 33 days, after which they produce 5 to 7 young ones per litter.
English spot rabbits are frequently kept as pets but were grown for meat production and coats in past. They are being kept as show rabbits for breeding and scientific purposes. This bunny breed is available at cost-effective rates of $10 to $60. On the other hand, you will have to spend some extra money on pet English spot rabbits’ diet, maintenance, health, etc. The old name of this breed was English rabbits. But later, they were named English spot rabbits due to spots or markings on the body.
Content
Characteristics of English spot rabbits
How do you identify English spot rabbits?
What is the physical appearance of an English spot rabbit?
What is the origin and history of an English spot rabbit?
What is the average size and weight of English spot rabbits?
How long do English spot rabbits live?
What is the average gestation period for English spot rabbits?
Characteristics of English spot rabbits
| Characteristics | English spot Rabbits |
| Other name | English rabbits |
| Body size | Medium |
| Distinctive Markings | On both sides of body |
| Food | Hay, fruits and vegetables, pellets |
| Weight | 6 to 9 pound or 2.72 to 4.08 kg |
| Body length | 17 to 24 inches |
| Litter size | 5 to 7 kits |
| Gestation period | 28 to 33 days |
| Common habitat | Indoor or outdoor cages |
| Use | Show and meat rabbit |
| Life Temperament | Friendly, inquisitive and active |
| Origin | England |
| Life expectancy | 5 to 8 years |
How do you identify English spot rabbits?
English spot rabbits are commonly known as English rabbits and can identified by their color pattern or spots on the body. They are available in various colors, like black, blue, chocolate, grey, and tortoise, but the most common color is white. The fur color is different in all varieties.
In addition, they possess distinctive markings on their body. They have brown or black spots on both sides of their belly extending from neck to hips. Moreover, the black markings are also present around their eyes, making a circular pattern.
There is a butterfly-shaped colored pattern on the body that completely covers the nose and mouth and extends towards the chin. Such spots are also present on both sides of their face.
Additionally, ears are covered with black furs, extending toward the dorsal side of their neck. There is a prominent spine marking, starting from the mid portion of the ear and ending at the tip of the tail.
What is the physical appearance of English spot rabbits?
English spot rabbits have a lean and long body in an arched shape. They have a short neck and a medium-sized head. In addition, their ears are erect, vertically long, and pointed at ends.
Their eyes are dark, wide, and brown in color. The grey eye color is very unique in an English spot rabbit. They have rounded back and hips. The hips are broader than their shoulders. Their hind legs are longer and stronger than the front legs.
Their slender hind legs are parallel to their body due to size differences with respect to the front legs. English spot rabbits have dense, short, and fly-back furs. Their short furs shed throughout the year and get stuck in your clothes while playing with them.
What is the origin and history of an English spot rabbit?
English spot rabbits were bred during the 19th century when the majority of the breed of rabbits were produced for meat instead of show and exhibition purposes. They were developed in England when the breeders bred different rabbits to increase their variety for different purposes.
This breed was developed by the process of selective breeding to get distinctive markings. This breed is named for markings on the body, but their exact origin is still unknown.
It is considered that they have originated from checkered giants or English butterfly rabbits. It is assumed that they were produced by Giant Papillon, also known as Great Lorrainese.
Furthermore, English spot rabbits were accepted as a breed by the (ARBA) American rabbit breeders association in the 20th century.
What is the average size and weight of an English spot rabbit?
English spot rabbits have medium-sized bodies and are classified as medium bunnies. A female English spot rabbit weighs 6 to 9 pounds, which is almost equal to 2.72 to 4.08 kg.
On the other hand, the weight of male bucks is from 5.5 to 8.5 pounds. It is equal to 2.49 to 3.86 kg. The females of English spot rabbits are slightly heavier than the male bucks.
Moreover, this breed of rabbits is about 11 to 13 inches or 27.94 to 33.02 cm tall. An adult or fully-grown English spot rabbit is 17 to 24 inches long. On centimeter scale, it is equal to 43.18cm to 60.96 cm.
Furthermore, their average body weight and height are well proportionate, giving it a slender and streamlined look. They gain weight and get longer after growing into adults.
How long do English spot rabbits live?
English spot rabbits can live for 5 to 8 years if they do not get infected or are prone to serious diseases. Illnesses and poor diet plan can reduce their lifespan.
Moreover, microbial infections and parasitic attacks weaken their immunity and affect their longevity. A few common infections reported in this type of breed include hemorrhagic disease, E. cuniculi infections, and myxomatosis.
In addition, these rabbits are always at risk of dental problems as their teeth grow continuously. So, it is essential for them to wear down their teeth by rubbing or chewing hard food. Similarly, they consume hay grass to produce friction and maintain ideal teeth size.
Furthermore, the backbone of English spot rabbits is weak, so you have to take care of it during handling, as their backbone can break after being dropped.
What is the average gestation period for English spot rabbit?
English spot rabbits get sexually matured at the age of 7 to 9 months and are ready for breeding. Medium-sized bunnies get sexually matured at an older age than dwarf breeds.
They give birth to their young ones after 28 to 33 days of pregnancy. The females does are powerful mothers who foster their bunnies very carefully and lovingly. The females of this breed are featured in rearing their kids with kits for other breeds.
They give birth to 5 to 7 kits at once in a litter. Around 25% of the offspring of English spot rabbits are solid-colored, while the other 25% appeared to be partially marked.
So, these appear different from the actual English spots. On the other hand, the remaining 50% are the perfect English spot rabbits with distinctive markings exhibited in pure breed.