Floppy English Lop Rabbits

There are 45 breeds of rabbits including the English Lop Rabbits. English Lop rabbits are one of the oldest breeds of rabbits. English Lops is among the five breeds that have very long ears or floppy ears. Rabbit sizes can be vary and range from very small, such as dwarf breeds, to giant breeds. English Lops is in the giant category of rabbits.

The English Lop is among a total of five breeds of Lop eared rabbits. The five breeds include the American Fuzzy Lop, Holland Lop, Mini Lop, English Lop and French Lop. English Lop rabbits can be traced in the sixteenth century, making it one of the oldest breeds of rabbits. English Lops’ coat patterns can vary in color. Their coat can be comprised of broken or solid colors. Colors show a variety of shades in both the broken and solid coat types. In the broken, or spotted, color patterns, the English Lop is unusual in that it can show the largest variety of colors.

One lovable characteristic of bunnies is their ears. Rabbit ears are not the same among the breeds though. For Lops, their ears flop over and grow long. Sometimes, their ears slant sideways or over the front of their head. One recognizable trait of the English Lops is their extremely long ears. Many people refer to English Lops as ‘floppy-eared’. Their ears grow to a minimum of 21 inches from top to bottom. Their ears can grow to 25 inches or greater. Most stay within 21 to 25 inches. This great length of their ears makes English Lops unusual. Their ears are normally falling on the ground. Other Lop rabbits’ ears are shorter in comparison. Lops are the only breed that show this large, floppy ear characteristic. The rabbits in all other breeds have ears that stay upright.

Rabbits also are categorized according to their body shape. Body shapes can be described in five categories. These shapes are semi-arch, compact, full arch, commercial and cylindrical. English Lops’ shape falls into a cylindrical category. Their back is straight and without an arch. From the front of their body to the back, the English Lops’ body is the same width. They do not have a smaller front compared to their back. English Lops has an unusual shape.

Rabbits’ weight can start at two pounds for those in the very small category. To get an idea of your rabbit’s weight, you should look at a six month-old bunny for most breeds or a nine-month old bunny for larger type rabbits. At those ages, the rabbit will weigh at their minimum weight requirements for their breed. English Lops weigh a minimum of nine pounds. As a large breed, English Lop rabbits grow very big. There is no maximum weight size for English Lops.

All rabbits are social animals and can make good pets. Many owners state how docile and friendly that English Lops. They make a good breed for a pet because of their temperament. There are a couple of concerns when caring for an English Lop. Because of their unusually long ears, the Lop can get more wax build-up in their ears. The solution is to stay pro-active in caring for their ears. Another concern about their ears is fear of the rabbit falling or hurting their ears. Most of the time, the English Lop’s ears are proportionate to their body size. One common problem is tears or rips in their ears caused by the rabbit itself. To prevent the rabbit from making rips, be vigilant in caring for their nails by clipping regularly. English Lops is a special breed, and they need a caring and attentive owner.