Breeds of rabbits that have floppy ears


There are several breeds of rabbits that have floppy ears. In this post we will show them to you. We will also teach you the peculiarities of each of these races.


Lop-eared rabbit breeds

If you want to adopt or buy a lop-eared rabbit, you have several breeds to choose from, so I leave you some information about each of them and their names, to help you decide.

English Lop:

The  English Lop  is the oldest dwarf rabbit variety and the one with the longest ears, they drag them across the ground when walking! They are very peaceful and you have to take special care with their nails, because if you step on their ears inadvertently you could hurt yourself. Its weight is usually around 4.5 kg.

The holland lop :

It comes from the Netherlands. It is a cross between the English variety and a Dutch dwarf rabbit. Its hair is dense and short of different colors. Holland Lops weigh 1.5 kg.

French Lop

It looks quite similar to the English Belier rabbit, but the French lop weighs a bit more and does not have as long ears. These rabbits can weigh up to 6kg and their ears measure up to 45cm. The French belier rabbit usually has a thick body and a large head with a broad forehead. The coat is dense, short and smooth.

American Fuzzy lop

The American Fuzzy lop has a compact body like the others, but its unique characteristic is its hair, which is quite long and silky. They have a strong body, and as a curiosity, it exists in a wide variety of colors. They need to be combed more often than other breeds. They are playful, very sociable and active.

Cashmere lop

The Cashmere Lop, which originated in England, is affectionate, calm and friendly; a very docile animal that needs a lot of contact to avoid becoming fearful or aggressive. It reaches  2 kg in weight .

Mini Lop:

It is also characterized by being calm and affectionate. It is a very popular breed. They are also very intelligent and have dense, long hair. Its weight varies from kg and a half to 2.3 kg. They are very intelligent cheerful bunnies. It is very similar to the   dwarf Belier . It is differentiated by the adult weight which is somewhat lower, and a more active character than the previous one.

Other breeds

We can also highlight some unique breeds such as the Meissner Lop, the only one to have a yellow variant, and the Plush Lop, whose appearance in 1995 makes it the youngest breed of all.


What do lop-eared rabbits eat?

There are no great differences with the rest of the races . Lop-eared rabbits are herbivorous animals, whose diet should consist mainly of hay, vegetables and high quality feed. As for the fruit, we will give it to you in the form of a prize and in small quantities.

Among the foods that we should not give our rabbit, are onion, potatoes and lettuce, or excess fruit that can cause intestinal disorders.


Why are their ears so big and droopy?

You should know that this was a modification that the human being made gradually.

A rabbit uses its ears to be able to detect all the sounds that are around. Thanks to this, it is able to perceive any kind of danger that may be approaching. The problem, for example, in lop rabbits is that their large ears do not allow them to hear as easily.

It is a factor to take into account when having one of these pets, because it is good to have them in a place where they will not be scared by other animals that may approach them without expecting it.


Behaviour of lop-eared rabbits


Despite the warning above, it does not mean that these types of rabbits should be locked up and not move in fear. It is as active as any other rabbit can be, so it must have its space to run, play and exercise.

They are usually very affectionate and very active animals, they like to be playing almost all day.


Reproduction of lop-eared rabbits

Unfortunately, these rabbits are not great breeders, not only because at each birth they are barely able to conceive between three and four young, but because of the fact that only 90% of the litter manage to survive the post-hatch stage. In addition, during this period, both the female and the offspring will demand special care in terms of food and environmental conditions.


Health problems of this type of rabbits

Lop-eared rabbits are prone to health problems.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has scientifically confirmed for the first time that lop-eared rabbits are more prone to ear and dental problems than erect-eared rabbits.

The new finding ensures that lop-eared rabbits are often more prone to health problems, such as narrowed ear canals, excess wax build-up and earache. However, it’s not just your ears that are affected; the shape of your skull causes dental problems, such as overgrown and misaligned incisors, molar overgrowth, and molar spurs.


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