Mini Rex

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Mini Rex were derived form the standard Standard Rex rabbit. Their unique fur, dense, plush and velvet-like, was caused by a mutation seen in wild rabbits in France in the late 1800s. The rex mutation is recessive and causes the hair to protrude outwards from the body, instead of lying flat, and the guard hairs to be shortened to the length of the undercoat.

Their small size, plush coat and friendly personalities make them one of the most popular rabbit breeds in the United States. They were first recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1988, and been very popular with exhibitors ever since. It weighs around 4 pounds. Short and rather close coupled, it is moderately well filled with flesh. The ideal length of fur is 5/8 inch, and is to have a lustrous appearance, good body, and a plush-like effect which offers a distinct springy resistance to the touch.


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[edit] The ARBA Mini Rex Standard

For competitions, a Mini Rex should have a well-rounded back, with well-developed and filled shoulders, midsection and hindquarters. Their head should be well-filled and set on a short neck, with thick ears not longer than 3.5 inches. They have medium-fine bone and rather short legs. Fur should be extremely dense, straight and upright. It should be smooth and springy, not too soft or silky. Fur must be between 1/2 inch and 7/8 inch in length.

The Mini Rex is judged 35 points on body, 5 for head, 5 for ears, 35 for fur, 15 for color and 5 for condition, making a total of 100 possible points. They are a four-class rabbit, which means there are four age groups they can be shown in. They are Senior Bucks (3 - 4.5 lbs), Senior Does (3.2 - 4.5 lbs), Junior Bucks (2 - 3.8 lbs) and Junior Does (2 - 3.8 lbs).

[edit] Coloration and Markings

The Mini Rex color spectrum includes Black, Blue, Blue Eyed White, the Broken Group, Castor, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Himalayan, Lilac, Lynx, Opal, Otter, Red, Sable Point, Seal, Tortoise, and White. New certificates of development have been awarded by ARBA for Sable, Smoke Pearl, Silver Marten, and Tan Mini Rex, all to be presented in the next few years.

  • Black -- dark, rich, lustrous black, running deeply towards the skin, blending into a dark blue undercolor. Eyes are dark brown.
  • Blue -- dark blue, running as deeply towards the skin as possible, with a medium blue undercolor. Eyes are a blueish grey.
  • Castor -- a rich chestnut color tipped with black. The undercolor is slate blue with an orange intermediate band of color. Ears are laced in black. Surface color of the belly is cream, as well as the eye circles and jowls. Eyes are brown.
  • Chinchilla -- sparkling mix of pearl and black. Slate blue undercolor, white belly color. Ears are laced with black, and eye circles are pearl. Upper of tail is black, bottom is white. Eyes are brown or blueish grey.
  • Chocolate -- lustrous chocoalte brown. Dove-grey undercolor. Brown eyes.
  • Himalayan -- body is bright white. Ears, feet, tail and nose dark blue or black. Dark toenails, pink eyes.
  • Lilac -- dove grey lightly tinted with a lilac shade. Matching toenails and blueish grey eyes.
  • Lynx -- light fawn color tipped with lilac. White undercolor. Eye circles, jowls, belly, inside of ears and underside of tail are white. Eyes are blueish grey. '
  • Opal -- medium blue top color, fawn intermediate color and greyish blue undercolor. Underside of tail, jowls, belly, inside of ears and eye circles are to be white of cream. Eyes are blueish grey.
  • Red -- rich red with as little shading as possible. White or cream belly color. Eyes are brown.
  • Seal -- dark, dark brown body, fading to lighter brown on the belly and chest. Eyes are brown.
  • Tortoise -- rich orange with dark shading on the belly, feet, rear, sides, face and ears. Eyes are brown.
  • Red Eyed White -- pure white. Eyes are pink.
An opal Mini Rex buck. The white markings above his legs are incorrect.
An opal Mini Rex buck. The white markings above his legs are incorrect.
  • Blue Eyed White -- pure white, eyes blue.
  • Broken -- any color and white.
  • Tri-Color -- white with Black & Orange, Lilac & Fawn, Chocolate & Orange, or Blue & Fawn.
  • Pattern -- a broken with a balanced nose marking, eye markings, colored ears, colored tail and body spots. Colored area covering 10% to 50% of rabbit.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • ARBA Standard of Perfection, 2001 - 2005