Harlequin Rabbit Breed – Everything You Should Know

History of Harlequin Rabbit Breed

The Harlequin Rabbit is one of the breeds of rabbit that has its origin in France. This type of rabbit breed is popular for its coat coloration and markings. The Harlequin Rabbit was developed in the 1880s in France which is believed to be crossbred of semi-wild Tortoiseshell Dutch rabbit and wild rabbit. The Harlequin rabbit was formerly called Japanese rabbit but the name was dropped during World War 2.

There are two varieties of the Harlequin rabbit breed. They are Japanese Harlequin rabbit and Magpie Harlequin rabbit. The Japanese Harlequin rabbit is known for its unique blend of either black, chocolate, blue or lilac color on a fawn or orange background. The Magpie Harlequin rabbit is known for its blue, lilac, chocolate, or black markings on a white background.

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General Characteristics of Harlequin Rabbit Breed

1. Harlequin rabbits have small to medium body size
2. Their mean body weight is about 2.5 kg
3. They possess short fur making it easy to clean or groom them. The coat is also dense and soft
4. Harlequin rabbits are docile, clever, intelligent, calm, playful and good-natured
5. They have characteristic or distinctive colors and markings. Their head, body, ears and feet are split between two colors. That is, the ears have two different colors, the face also has two different colors and they alternate with the rabbit ears. The chest or bellies and feet have two different colors.
6. The head is roundish in shape and broad while the ears are erect and medium in length
7. Female Harlequin rabbits are heavier than the males
8. They fit into both pet, show and meat rabbit classes

Profile Summary of Harlequin Rabbit Breed

Breed Name	Harlequin Rabbit
Country of Origin	France
Purpose	Show, Meat and Pet
Body Size	Small to Medium
Body Weight	Mean body weight is about 2.5 kg
Breed Rarity	Very common breed
Temperament	Low
Tolerance	Can tolerance both harsh and mild climates
Hardiness	Hardy
Color Varieties	The Japanese Harlequin rabbit is known for its unique blend of either black, chocolate, blue or lilac color on a fawn or orange background. The Magpie Harlequin rabbit is known for its blue, lilac, chocolate, or black markings on a white background.
Commercial Purpose	Yes