lion head rabbit

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 12 February 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
Anonim
All About Lionhead Rabbits
Video: All About Lionhead Rabbits

Content

Did you know that there is a rabbit with a mane like a lion? Yes, it's about the lion head rabbit or lion's head, which features a crown of fur that makes him look like a true king of the jungle, at least for a while. These lagomorph fluffs arose out of sheer bad luck in Belgium a long time ago, although until recently they had not been popularized beyond European borders.

Do you want to know more about this leonine rabbit? Stay at PeritoAnimal and discover in this article all the characteristics of the lion head rabbit, your care and more.

Source
  • Europe
  • Belgium

Origin of the lion head rabbit

Although the breed may not have been known worldwide until relatively few years ago, lion head rabbits or lion head rabbits are a long-lived breed that originated in Belgium. This breed is the result of crossing Dutch dwarf rabbits and Swiss fox rabbits, with the first examples appearing with this particular lion's mane.


Although the breed originated in Belgium, its development took place more in the United Kingdom, the first country where the breed was made official in 1998. Today, many other countries have also recognized the official standard for the lion's head breed, although many others have not yet officially recognized it.

Lion Rabbit Characteristics

Lion head rabbits are small rabbits. classified as toy or dwarf, whose size varies between 1.3 and 1.7 kilograms, although specimens weighing up to 2 kilograms are found. Therefore, there is no such thing as the dwarf lion-headed rabbit variety, as they are all toy. The average life expectancy of a lion head is approximately 8 or 9 years.

The lion's head rabbit's body is compact and short, rounded and broad chest. What stands out the most, besides its mane, are its long ears, that can measure about 7 centimeters. The tail is straight and covered with a good coat of hair. Its head is oval and relatively large, with a rather long muzzle and wider in males. It has round eyes that stand out slightly and are very bright.


However, the most notable feature of the lion's head rabbit is its mane. The coat is what made him famous and constitutes the hallmark of the lion head breed. Without a doubt, the most notable is the clump of hair covering your head when these rabbits are still young because when they are fully adult this mane disappears so it is a very characteristic but ephemeral trait. This mane can be of two types, which are determined by the rabbit's genes:

  • Simple mane lion head rabbit: less dense and short, disappears early. These rabbits are typical of crosses between a lion's head and other breeds.
  • Double maned lion head rabbits: really dense and bulky. These tend to preserve a certain mane even as adults.

The fur of the lion's head rabbit is of medium length, except on the head where the mane is long and thick when born compared to the fur on the rest of the body, as it reaches 5-7 centimeters in length. But, as we mentioned, this will only last until the lion head completes approximately 6 months, at which point this hair begins to thin and disappear. In very rare cases it grows back a little, but never quite like it was born.


Colors of the lion head rabbit

According to different official associations and organizations, such as the British Rabbit Council or ARBA, this breed is accepted all colors as long as they are recognized colors (already existing, not new). Also, in this breed it is mandatory that the color of the outer coat is the same as that of the undercoat of this region.

However, the most common lion head rabbit colors and color patterns are as follows: black, saber, siamese saber, chocolate, white, blue, chinchilla, orange, brown, tan, butterfly, bicolor combined with white and tricolor combined with white.

lion cub head rabbit

As we've already mentioned, the lion's head rabbits are unique. leafy mane around the head. Undoubtedly, this is one of the ways to identify a breed of rabbits from birth, something quite complicated in general, since the most common is to identify the breed once it reaches adulthood.

lion head bunny personality

These cute bunnies have a very special personality, as they are extremely affectionate and continually seek the affection of their humans, revealing how adorable the way they have to ask for the caresses they enjoy so much.

They are ideal to have as pets, as they are quiet and sociable. However, if you live with children, it is vitally important that you educate them to treat the bunny with respect and, above all, with great affection, since due to their size they are a little more delicate than other rabbits.

Rabbits in general are animals sensitive and quite fearful, that's why when faced with new noises or situations, our lion's head rabbit may feel stressed. This is normal, although we should limit this stress as much as possible, as it can affect the animal's health, which will show itself altered and sometimes quite aloof or even aggressive.

Care of the lion head rabbit

The lion head rabbits, because they have a denser and longer coat than other rabbits, need a almost daily hairstyle, ideally, 4-5 times a week. If we do not carry out this care with the hair, there is a danger that tangles will form and knots that will be practically impossible to undo. The lack of brushing not only has aesthetic repercussions, as if dead hair is not removed from the eye region, there is a high risk of conjunctivitis and other conditions that alter the rabbit's visibility. It is also important to brush it to avoid the formation of hairballs in the digestive tract, which can become very dangerous and can trigger a fatal intestinal obstruction which can become deadly.

Likewise, we have to highlight the hygiene measures, eliminating the dirt and remains of feces from the back of your body, because on the contrary they can be seen attracting flies that deposit their eggs and originate a miasis or parasitic infection by fly larvae, very painful and complicated to treat. To keep these regions clean, we use a damp cloth or washcloth, we will never use the bath for regular hygiene, as they damage the oily layer that protects the rabbit's skin.

For all that was said above, the most important care of lion's head rabbits are those related to hygiene and maintenance of the coat, since the consequences of poor hygiene are really negative. However, these are not the only precautions, as we also have to watch the food of this little rabbit. We have to be very aware that rabbits are herbivorous animals, so they should never include animal foods in their diet. Vegetables and fruits should be present, as well as a good amount of fresh hay and clean water.

Finally, we highlight the importance of offering the lion's head rabbit a sheltered place to rest and shelter. This usually involves introducing a den in the cage, which must be large enough so that the rabbit can move around without any problem and stretch out completely. Obviously, it is critical that the lion's head rabbit enjoy hours outside the cage to exercise, explore and bond with its humans. In no case is it appropriate to keep the animal confined 24 hours a day. Also, don't forget to give your bunny a environmental enrichment suitable, with toys you can chew to wear out your teeth, enough hay, tunnels to exercise, etc.

See our rabbit care article for more details.

lion head rabbit health

Due to the characteristics of its coat, the lion's head rabbit tends to suffer furball accumulation in the digestive apparatus, something very negative due to the fact that it can cause an intestinal obstruction. On the other hand, it is also as a consequence of the lack of hygiene and care of the cloak that the myiasis is another of the most frequent health problems in this breed. Both problems can be avoided by providing proper care. However, it is sometimes very difficult, especially during molting, to prevent our rabbit from ingesting large amounts of fur. In these cases, it is important to turn to our trusted veterinarian, as he can help us by recommending products that facilitate the evacuation and dissolution of these hairballs.

The teeth of rabbits never stop growing, so in the lion's head rabbit, and any other breed, it is possible to observe oral problems due to this overgrowth, such as wrong occlusions. Therefore, we have to provide them with toys, sticks or unpainted cardboard so that when they gnaw they wear their teeth properly and sufficiently. .

In order to confirm that our lion's head bunny is in the best possible health, we need to have regular check-ups with the veterinarian or veterinarian. In these exams, the specialist will be able to detect possible anomalies and propose the most opportune treatment. In addition, it is recommended to be updated with the vaccines that exist to keep our rabbit as protected as possible from diseases such as myxomatosis, deadly in virtually all affected.

Where to adopt a lion's head rabbit?

Before adopting a lion head rabbit, you need to carefully consider whether you can offer it all the care it needs. Remember that you need to do hairstyles weekly and dedicate time to play, exercise and relate. If after reviewing all the information shared here you are sure that you can take care of all your care, then it is best to look for it the protectors of animals and associations to adopt a specimen of this breed. While finding lion's head rabbits to adopt is tricky and even more so if you're looking for a baby rabbit, it's not impossible.

Nowadays in the animal protectors, where we can find dogs and cats for adoption, it is also possible to find other animals such as rabbits. In addition, there are associations dedicated to the rescue and subsequent adoption of exotic animals or small animals such as rabbits, chinchillas and ferrets.