The Evolution of Rabbits

All domestic pet rabbits recognized today have the European wild rabbit as their direct ancestor. The European wild rabbit existed since 3,000 B.C. French Catholic monks domesticated them as a source of food around 600 A.D. Over the years, breeders crossbred these rabbits to improve their meat yield, and to produce good quality fur for market. Crossbreeding from century to century caused many breeds to become extinct and new breeds to be recognized.

  1. European Wild Rabbit

    • Records as far back as 3,000 B.C. document wild rabbits in Europe. Romans kept rabbits in enclosures to use as food for their solders, but it was not until 600 A.D. that they were truly domesticated. French Catholic monks required a suitable source of food for lent, and because they lived in seclusion, they could not leave the monasteries to acquire this food. The monks thus acquired some rabbits to keep within the monastery walls as a food source, and over the years, they domesticated the rabbits.

    Early Domesticated Rabbits

    • The early development of domestic rabbit breeds evolved because of the need to improve the amount of meat a rabbit provided. Different rabbits from different stock throughout Europe, when bred together, created a more plump rabbit, thus increasing their market value. In the process of this crossbreeding for meat, the rabbits developed coats of varying colors and textures and rabbit breeders began marketing rabbit pelts for clothing. These early breeders then began breeding not only for meat, but also for unusual pelts.

    Breeds of Today

    • Angora rabbits existed as early as the 1500's.

      Many breeds of rabbits recognized today appeared in literature as early as the middle of the 16th century. Chinese carvings exist depicting a rabbit very similar to the English lop of today. Flemish giants appeared in literature in Belgium in the middle of the 16th century. The first Angora breed appeared in English literature in the early 1500s. Documents from ancient Spain indicate the existence of the Chinchilla breed. However, with continued crossbreeding to improve the body and fur of these rabbits, today's breeds have slightly different characteristics than those of early documented breeds.

    American Rabbit Breeds

    • Rabbit breeds have come and gone over the years as breeders constantly strive to improve the rabbits. There are 48 domestic breeds and 15 domestic sub-breeds classified as extinct worldwide, and 48 breeds recognized as official rabbit breeds in America today. The ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) is responsible for the approval and recognition of rabbit breeds. They began in 1910 as the Pet Stock Association and their main goal is to oversee the development of new rabbit breeds and to set standards for good rabbit development that includes size, weight, overall body construction and good fur.