Different breeds of rabbits exist in nature, and each of their species has its distinctive characteristics. They have varying requirements for diet, living conditions, and physical activities. The checkered giant rabbit grab the attention of many breeders and pet owners due to their large size and beautiful spotted body.
Giant checkered rabbits are domestic rabbits with white bodies having black or blue patches. They have slender or arched bodies, broad head, and upright ears. Their bodies weigh 10 to 14 pounds and body length ranges between 2.5 to 3.5 feet. They are calm bunnies that live for around 7 to 12 years. Moreover, the female checkered giant rabbits remain pregnant for 30 to 34 days and produce 8 to 15 kits.
Let’s look a closer look at the behavioral traits and explore the physical features of Checkered Giant Rabbits!
This article will provide deeper insights into their body length and body weight and let you know about their eating habits, pregnancy period, litter size, etc. You can also know about the origin of this breed in addition to knowing its basic features. You must read it thoroughly if you are a pet owner because it helps know about their behaviors and needs for a healthy and happier life.
Content
Characteristics of Checkered Giant Rabbit
What do checkered giant rabbits look like?
What is the size and weight of checkered giant rabbit?
What does checkered giant rabbit eat?
How are checkered giant rabbits originated?
Can you keep checkered giant rabbits as pets?
How long is checkered giant rabbit pregnant?
What is the lifespan of checkered giant rabbit?
What are the uses of checkered giant rabbits?
Characteristics of Checkered Giant Rabbit
| Characteristics | Checkered Giant Rabbits |
| Body color | White body and blue or black spots |
| Body size | 2.5 to 3.5 feet |
| Body weight | 10 to 14 pounds |
| Food | Good quality hay |
| Origin | French |
| Type | Domestic |
| Temperament | Fairly calm |
| Litter size | 8 to 15 |
| Life expectancy | 7 to 12 years |
| Duration of Gestation | 30 to 34 days |
What do checkered giant rabbits look like?
Checkered giant rabbits have white bodies with some distinctive blue or black colored patches on them. The black-colored spots are the markings on their dorsal spinal stripe.
Also, a few spots are prominent on both sides of their belly. Some black spots are present around their eyes in a circular pattern.
Black or blue patches are present on their nose that look like a butterfly. Their ears are broad and upright and appear black from the outer side, while the inner side is lighter in color.
In addition, checkered giant rabbits have large, arched, and slender bodies. Their body resembles hare for its mandolin or pear-shaped body.
Their head is broad and wide as compared to other breeds. They have powerful, long legs that are white having no black patches.
Moreover, they have four webbed toes in their forelimb and hind limbs. The tail is black along the dorsal spine line and white from its ventral side.
Furthermore, the furs of checkered giant rabbits are rolled back, short, dense, and relatively soft. The furs have a unique pattern of black and white colored furs throughout their breed.
What is the size and weight of checkered giant rabbit?
As their name indicates, the checkered giant rabbits are relatively larger than many other species. This large-sized breed ranges between 2.5 and 3.5 feet (30 to 42 inches) body length.
Their males are slightly smaller, and their body length ranges between 2.5 to 3.2 feet, while the female checkered giant rabbits reach up to 3.5 feet in length.
In addition, their body weight varies according to the age as they get bigger and gain more muscular weight over time.
The body weight of a 4 to 7-month-old checkered giant rabbit is around 6.6 pounds (3 kg). However, the weight of 8 to 10-month-old bunny weighs approximately 11 pounds (5 kg).
In the same way, their gender also has a direct impact on their body weight. The bucks older than a year are bulkier than the young ones, and their average body weight is around 11 to 13 pounds.
On the other hand, 12-month-old rabbits are heavier than the buck of the same age and weigh almost 12 to 14 pounds. Their genetic makeup allows female bunnies to be bigger and heavier than males.
What does checkered giant rabbit eat?
Checkered giant rabbits are highly active furry animals that need a balanced diet to maintain their physical activities and grow into healthier animals.
They are a type of domestic rabbits that depend on people or pet owners for their food. Offer energy-rich foodstuff to nourish their bodies that providing healthy vitamins and minerals.
A large proportion of their diet should include fresh hay. Chewing hay is beneficial for the maintenance of the size of the teeth because it helps wear down the teeth.
In addition, they can also eat fresh green vegetables. But you should offer them in moderation. Leafy green vegetables and root veggies are safe and healthier options to consider.
Moreover, you can also feed high-quality pellets as treats, but their main diet should include fresh vegetables and hay. Also, their bodies need water to carry out metabolic activities.
Most importantly, provide the food and water in a clean bowl to ensure the good health because dirty food bowls pose a risk of infection.
How are checkered giant rabbits originated?
Checkered giant rabbits are native to France, and they were first domesticated in French settings. There is a misconception among breeders as they think that this breed originated from Germany.
They are produced by breeding French lops rabbits and Flemish giant rabbits. Also, they were bred with spotted rabbits. The result of this breeding was the Land Keninchen, but there were no patches on its body commonly seen in checkered giant rabbits.
In Germany, these were further bred with Flemish giant rabbits many times to get a bigger bunny, Lorraine rabbit or Great German spotted rabbit due to the presence of spots on the body.
After that, this breed was bred with Flemish giant rabbits to produce the checkered giant rabbits. This final breed had characteristics of both Flemish giant and Great German spotted breeds, while the patches and spots were inherited from Lorraine rabbit.
This is the reason for the misconception, as some breeders relate this breed to France while other breeders consider it to originate from Germany.
Can you keep checkered giant rabbits as pets?
You can keep checkered giant rabbits in captivity because they are domestic pets that can survive in controlled environment. They never got exposed to the wild environment.
However, consider some things before keeping them as pets, like the cage size, eating preferences, and nature. It needs a wider and broader space to live in.
The young checkered giant rabbits need a cage of size 30 x 44 inches, but the adult ones need a larger cage of 40 x 55 inches size for better survival.
They are highly active bunnies that involve in activities, like playing, running, jumping and exercising. They can make longer jumps of around 33 to 36 inches, which seems interesting.
So, it is essential to ensure the availability of enough space to keep a giant breed as a pet. They also need plenty of resources, like food and water due to their larger body size and active lifestyle.
They have a calm and friendly temperament. Being energetic, they seek attention from their owners. Therefore, you should keep them as pets if you also love playing and interacting with them.
How long is checkered giant rabbit pregnant?
The gestation period of checkered giant rabbits ranges between 30 and 34 days. This time period is a few days longer than the average pregnancy period of rabbits.
This time depends on the age of the bunnies and varies according to their mating time. They take more time to get sexually mature and reproduce at the age of 1.5 years or 18 months.
After mating and completion of the gestation period, the female checkered giant rabbits produce a litter of size 8 to 15, depending on the external conditions and health status.
These pregnant rabbits produce kits in that nest box. It is essential to put a box beside a doe almost 5 days before the completion of the gestation period because there is a chance of earlier production of kits.
What is the lifespan of checkered giant rabbit?
On average, checkered giant rabbits live for 7 to 12 years, but the external environment also plays a crucial role in determining their life expectancy.
However, some of them complete a lifespan of 14 years in captivity when they get good care and attention from their owners. They take notice of their dietary needs and provide a balanced diet.
In addition, a fresh and clean environment, frequent medical check-ups, and exercise habits also help them survive longer in captivity. They have no risk of predation when kept in the cage.
Changes in the external environment, like temperature, humidity, and weather conditions, do not affect them significantly when they live in controlled conditions.
They cannot reach a maximum life span of 14 years in the wild due to the increased risk of attack from predators and the high risk of exposure to disease-causing agents.
What are the uses of checkered giant rabbits?
Checkered giant rabbits are rarely used to get meat due to their high cost and other reasons. These expensive bunnies are commonly used for breeding, shows, and exhibitions as they have beautiful bodies.
Many giant breeds have been produced by using them as parents. They are also bred with spotted rabbits in a controlled environment multiple times to get a new breed of bigger bunny.
Moreover, they are also used for in manufacturing daily-use products as their delicate and soft furs make them suitable for use in making hats, bags, coats, clothing, and other accessories.