Rabbit Color Patterns

Rabbit breeders use several official-sounding terms to refer to a rabbit's coat pattern. While an average rabbit enthusiast might describe his pet's color as "marbled" or "Siamese", these words are rarely considered acceptable in rabbit-breeding circles. If you are interested in breeding or showing rabbits-- or if you just want to know the correct description for your bunny-- learn these terms.

Self Coat Pattern

A rabbit's coat pattern is considered to be "self" if the color is consistent throughout the body, with no other colors or markings anywhere on the fur. A black self, for example, is solid black.

Pointed Coat Pattern

Some people refer to this pattern as "Siamese" because of its similarity to a Siamese cat. This trait is most commonly seen in the Himalayan rabbit breed (which inspired the Persian cat variation of the same name). Rabbits with pointed coat patterns have dark patches on the nose, ears and tail.

Marked Coat Pattern

Rabbits with marked patterns have a basic light-color fur with evenly distributed, symetrical spots of blotches throughout the body.

Brindle Coat Pattern

A rabbit has a brindle coat pattern if it contains two colors, which appear regularly throughout the body. A two-toned coat is not necessarily brindle; this definition only applies when the coloration is marble-like and regular in distribution.

Broken Coat Pattern

Rabbits with two or three coat colors, distributed unevenly and asymetrically, are considered to have broken coats. At least one of these colors is always white. Rabbits with three colors are sometimes called "harlequin" rabbits.

Shaded Coat Pattern

Rabbits with shaded coat patterns look beautiful and alluring. Their upper bodies are dark, particularly along the ears and back. The lower parts of the rabbit's body are a lighter shade of the same color.

Tan Color Pattern

This rabbit coat pattern does not mean that the rabbit is tan in coloration. A rabbit with a tan pattern may be almost any shade. Most of a tan pattern rabbit's coat is dark in coloration, but its chest, belly, jaw, nostrils and eye circles are comparatively light.

Ticked Pattern

Ticked patterns include the beautiful agouti rabbit coats. These have a solid color throughout teh body, but all of the rabbit's coarser guard hairs have different-toned tips.