The Tan rabbit is another small breed raised mainly for show purpose throughout the world. It is a pretty old breed originated from England in the late 1880s.
The Tan rabbit was thought to be the result of crosses between the Dutch types and wild rabbits. After development, the breed was very popular for showing.
Currently the Tan rabbits have gained much popularity in the United States. The breed comes in four color varieties which are black, blue, chocolate and lilac. But the original color of this rabbit was black.
After discovering the Tan rabbit breed, the breeders began to domesticate and develop the breed. And shortly after that, the blue variety was developed by repordedly breeding a scooty fawn doe to a black Tan buck.
Then during the 1920s the chocolate Tan variety was developed. And the lilac variety was created after a short period of the development of chocolate version. Today the Tan rabbit is a popular breed for showing and also popular as pets.
Tan Rabbit Characteristics
The Tan rabbit has short and deep body type. Their body is compact, very lean and well balanced. They are a full arched rabbit breed. This type of rabbit breeds show an arch starting at the nape of their neck, running smoothly over their shoulders, midsection and hips.
The sides and back are an incredibly sleek black which is much darker than in any other breeds. The sides of this breed have a tan ticking over the black, which produces a striking pattern.
The chest, chin, underbelly, eye, inner nostrils, inner ears and tail of the Tan rabbit are a rich rufus red color. There are four color varieties, which are black, blue, chocolate and lilac.
All these four color varieties have identical patterned markings. Usually Tan does have an average body weight between 1.8 and 2.7 kg and bucks weight about 1.8 to 2.5 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.
Uses
Tan rabbit is mainly raised as a show animal. But they are also raised as pets.
Special Notes
The Tan rabbits are known to be very friendly. But some does can be pretty aggressive when in season. The breed is very active and requires lot of stimulation and exercise. Average lifespan of these rabbit is between 8 to 10 years. Review full breed profile in the chart below.
| Breed Name | Tan |
| Other Name | n/a |
| Breed Purpose | Mainly kept as a show animal, also suitable as pets. |
| Breed Size | Small |
| Weight | Average body weight is between 1.8 and 2.7 kg |
| Suitable for Commercial Production | No |
| Good as Pets | Yes |
| Climate Tolerance | All Climates |
| Color Varieties | Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
