butterfly rabbit or english spot

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 5 August 2021
Update Date: 5 May 2024
Anonim
English Spot Rabbit 101
Video: English Spot Rabbit 101

Content

Known as the butterfly rabbit, english butterfly or english spot, the butterfly rabbit is a breed of rabbit that is characterized by its beautiful spotted coat. The special aspect of its spots is that they are distributed in a very particular way, giving this rabbit a unique look.

Butterfly rabbits have been around for decades, becoming popular for their good temperament and being much loved as companion rabbits. Thus, nowadays it is very common to find the butterfly rabbit as a pet in homes all over the world. For this reason, at PeritoAnimal we count all about the butterfly rabbit, its characteristics, history and main care.


Source
  • Europe
  • UK

Origin of the butterfly rabbit

the butterfly rabbits emerged in the late nineteenth century in England, that's why they are also called spotted english or, which amounts to the same thing, of english spot. Although it is not known exactly which breeds originated butterfly rabbits, it has been established that they are likely a cross between British and German spotted rabbits.

They arrived in the United States in the first decades of the 20th century and the American club was founded in 1924. Since then, the breed has been gaining followers, becoming one of the most popular in the world.

Butterfly Rabbit Characteristics

The butterfly rabbit is a small to medium sized rabbit. In general, its weight ranges between 2 and 3 kilos. The average life expectancy of these rabbits is approximately 12 years.


The body is medium in size with a marked arch on the back that runs from the neck to the hindquarters. These hind legs should be rounded, never abruptly shaped, and long to allow the body to stand out from the ground.

Although the characteristics above are those that help to identify the breed, without a doubt the most representative characteristics of the butterfly rabbit are those that refer to its coat. O coat pattern The ideal of the breed is very specific, as the butterfly rabbit must have a base color, usually light, over which some spots or stains. These spots must follow the following distribution: a chain of points that goes from the hind legs and tail to the neck, where a line begins that follows the animal's spine. It should also have a mark on the front legs as well as on the cheeks, a circle around the eyes and a colored nose. The ears and their base must be the same color as the spots. All these marks must be well defined, without being fuzzy or having any shade of the base color. Also, this hair is always short and very dense.


butterfly rabbit colors

The different varieties of the butterfly rabbit according to its color are

  • black butterfly rabbit: With a white base and bright, intense black spots, which have a bluish base. The eyes are dark brown in color.
  • blue butterfly rabbit: white base and very bright dark blue spots. The eyes are blue-gray.
  • chocolate butterfly rabbit: its stains on the white base are chocolate brown, dark and glossy. The eyes are brown in color.
  • golden butterfly rabbit: With golden spots, which must be well differentiated from the white base, being clean and shiny, with a well-defined format. The eyes are brown.
  • gray butterfly rabbit: This pattern is very special, as it shows a gray color that is really unique to the breed. It is characterized by specially defined patches on the face and head in general. The eyes are brown in color.
  • lilac butterfly rabbit: gray-spotted with a pinkish tinge, resembling lilac. These rabbits have gray blue eyes.
  • turtle butterfly rabbit: in these rabbits the spots will be orange on the back line, while they will be smoke gray on the back flanks and very dark on the head and ears. The eyes are brown in color.

butterfly rabbit personality

The english spot is incredibly energetic and cheerful, being very playful and quite outgoing. It is such an active rabbit that it requires at least 1-2 hours of play a day to burn off all the accumulated energy. In addition, this time of activity usually coincides with two moments, dawn and dusk, being calmer throughout the day. He likes to enjoy the company very much and it is not good to leave him alone for many hours.

the butterfly rabbit need interaction with others, getting along well with the children, as with other animals in the house, if they have gotten used to each other. If they play with young children, it is important that they play under adult supervision as this will prevent them from hurting themselves or the rabbit from becoming stressed.

Butterfly rabbit care

Butterfly rabbits are a very active and lively breed, who love to play and run around. For this reason, it is not recommended to keep them in very small spaces nor confined in cages. If they have a cage for certain times or when they are alone, it is vital that the litter is made of soft material and that the base is never a grid, as this causes sores on the rabbit's legs.

As for the butterfly rabbit feed, this has to be balanced and varied. We can give you specific rabbit feed, combining it with large amounts of hay and fresh vegetables. Fruits have to be limited due to the large amount of sugars they contain.

The coat of these rabbits is not very demanding, it is recommended to brush them regularly to eliminate dead hair and dirt. However, bathing is not recommended, as is the case for most rabbits, as they are unnecessary, eliminate the protective barrier of the skin, are stressful and can lead to respiratory illnesses if the rabbit is not completely dry or if the water is aspirated. .

butterfly rabbit health

Butterfly rabbits do not have congenital diseases, that is, there are no diseases linked to their genetics. However, they are a little prone to some suffering, such as the dental problems. All rabbits have teeth that never stop growing, but some breeds grow faster than others. This is the case with butterflies, in which, if the teeth do not wear out quickly, they tend to overgrow causing problems such as malocclusion of the mouth or dental abscesses.

Also, as we mentioned earlier, it is very important to look at the surface on which our rabbit rests. Because the floor that is too hard or the bases of the grid cages cause plantar wounds, which are very painful and take a long time to heal.

Where to adopt a butterfly rabbit

Even if you've never heard of the butterfly rabbit before, you can say that it's a pretty common breed, that it's more and more in more and more places. For this reason, it shouldn't be too complicated to find one. refuge or specialized association at the reception and adoption of rabbits that have specimen butterfly rabbits available.

Given the delicacy of these animals, adopting them when they're abandoned is usually supposed to save their lives, as they are so sensitive to moisture and contagious diseases that they often die in refuges very quickly. This is why it is so important to advocate for adoption, as you will be saving a rabbit, although this should always be done. responsibly, only adopting if we are absolutely sure that we can take care of the animal correctly and take care of it in every way.