American rabbit

Did You Know?

• The original name was the German Blue Vienna, changed due to the first World War.
• Some rabbit rescue organizations now refer to mixed-breed rabbits as 'American', causing confusion.
• The American may be black, though it is not an ARBA-recognized color.

Color

The American Rabbit was originally accepted as a 'Blue' rabbit, prized for its uniform rich, dark slate-blue fur free from white hairs, sandy, or rust color. A white variety, recognized in 1925, was developed from white sports crossed with white red-eyed white Flemish giants; it is an albino (red-eyed white). Blue-eyed whites are considered sports and cannot be shown.

Shape

The breed standard calls for a mandolin or semi-arch shape with a long loin, differing from the rounded commercial shape of New Zealand or Californian rabbits. This shape requires a distinct posing posture to display the length and highest arch over the hips. Americans are a normal-sized, medium rabbit; does are slightly larger than bucks, with adults weighing 4–5.5 kg.

Breed History

The American rabbit was developed in Pasadena, California, by Lewis H. Salisbury and recognized in 1918 by the National Breeders and Fanciers Association. Salisbury did not disclose the breeds used, but the body shape suggests blue Vienna, Beveren, Blue Imperial, and Flemish Giants. Replication is impossible due to the extinction of the Blue Imperial. The white variety, accepted in 1925, came from sports of American Blues crossed with White Flemish Giant.

Conservation status

Americans were popular for meat and fur until the 1950s, listed among the top five or six commercial breeds as late as 1949. By 2012, dedicated breeder efforts and the discovery of a white line in a Hutterite community in Alberta, Canada, helped shift them to 'Threatened'. They are also included in the Slow Food USA Ark of Taste for Meat and Poultry, boosting interest as a heritage breed.