About Our Rex Rabbits
What Are Rex Rabbits?
Okay, let’s dive into the cool story behind the Rex rabbit’s name!
Rex rabbits have a royal nickname: “King of Rabbits.” They earned this title because their special, velvety fur was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before when they first appeared.
So, how did they get the name “Rex”? The story goes like this:
The first rabbits with this amazing fur were shown to a priest named Amde Gillet in a village in France, a long time ago.
He thought these rabbits were so special and magnificent that he called them “The King’s rabbits.”
In Latin, the word for “king” is “rex.” And just like that, the name stuck!
Now, let’s talk about the specific Rex breed (the one ARBA recognizes and the one we have):
Size: It’s a medium-sized rabbit, weighing between 7.5 and 10.5 pounds (that’s about the weight of a large cat).
Shape: It has a rounded, solid body shape.
Head: Its head is a little bit wider than many other rabbit breeds.
Ears: Its ears stand straight up and look like the right size for its head.
Feet: Its feet look a bit small compared to its body size.
Females (Does): Like many larger rabbit breeds, the girl rabbits (called “does”) often have a flap of skin under their chin. This is called a dewlap, and it kind of looks like a built-in neck pillow!
Basically, “rex” refers to amazing, soft fur found on several rabbit types, but the “Rex” is one special, official breed known for having the famous plush fur!
Sometimes people say “rex rabbit” (with a lowercase ‘r’) when they’re talking generally about any rabbit breed (and there are at least eight!) that has this special, short, velvety fur. It’s like saying “hound dog” – there are many types of hound dogs, right?
But, there is also one specific breed that is actually named the Rex (with a capital ‘R’). This specific Rex breed is officially recognized by groups like the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) and the British Rabbit Council (BRC). These groups set the standards for what a perfect Rex rabbit should look like.
So, it’s important to know the difference:
“rex rabbit” (lowercase):
A general term for any rabbit breed with that unique, plush fur.
“Rex” (uppercase):
The name of one specific breed of rabbit known for this fur.
Okay, let’s talk about that super soft fur again!
When people use the word “rex” (with a small ‘r’), they’re not talking about the rabbit breed itself, but about the special type of fur that Rex rabbits (and some other animals) have.
This unique fur happened because of a tiny change in the rabbit’s body instructions, kind of like a glitch in its body’s computer code. This is called a genetic mutation.
So, what makes this “rexed” fur different?
It Stands Up: Instead of lying flat against the rabbit’s body like most fur, rex fur hairs stick straight out.
Hair Length: Most fur has long, protective hairs (called guard hairs) and shorter, fluffy hairs underneath (the undercoat). In rex fur, those longer guard hairs are much shorter, almost the same length as the soft undercoat.
Because all the hairs are short, stand up, and are packed really closely together (it’s very dense!), the fur feels incredibly thick and soft. Touching it is often described as feeling like plush (like a brand new stuffed animal) or smooth velvet fabric.
