One of the most wonderful things about rabbits (as pets or wool producers) is the incredible variety of colors that you can find them in! With a rich history of interbreeding amongst distinct rabbit types, most of the popular rabbit breeds available today can be found in a whole spectrum of coat colors.
Because of the rabbit’s guard hairs (short hairs that surround and seal the primary coat) many black rabbits will also have exciting accent colors. Whether you’re looking for a pure black rabbit or something with a little more pizazz, this guide will be covering every black-haired breed recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
From Fuzzy Lops to Rexes and beyond, it’s all here so let’s get started!
The 21 Most Beautiful Black Rabbit Breeds
1. American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit
This adorably fluffy, compact, and lightweight breed is a product of interbreeding between French Angora and Holland Lop stock. Available not just in black, but a wide range of colors, these energetic little gals and fellows have a sweet disposition and enjoy being groomed, which you’ll have to help them with during their shedding season in the summer!
2. Beveren Rabbit
Though never having gained great popularity in the United States, the Belgian-born Beveren is a fantastic option for a medium-sized rabbit with silky, luxurious fur. Though originally bred for meat and fur production, their adaptable coats have also made them popular to keep as pets in an outdoor hutch.
3. Britannia Petite Rabbit
Miniature to an extreme, the Britannia Petite often just barely tips the scale at 2.5 pounds. Broken coat colors are more common in this high-energy breed, but it’s far from impossible to find one in flat black. Their full arch body gives them an appearance reminiscent of wild rabbits, with lithe and slender front legs.
4. English Angora Rabbit
Massively fluffy and generally raised for wool production or professional shows, the English Angora is the smallest and most difficult to groom of all Angora breeds. If you’re willing to put up with a daily brushing schedule though, the English Angora will reward you with a full coat of lustrous black fur that can be spun into soft wool.
5. English Lop Rabbit
Considered to be the ancestor of all Lop breeds available today, the English Lop takes ear size to absurd lengths—up to 30 inches measured from tip to tip over the top of their head! You can find English Lops in the “self” color group in an all-black variant, with only the insides of their enormous ears showing a bit of pink.
6. Flemish Giant Rabbit
This most affable of giant breeds can grow to sizes exceeding 20 pounds, making it the biggest black rabbit on our list. Black Flemish Giants are sometimes found with small silver guard hairs, giving them an almost opalescent appearance in direct sunlight.
7. French Angora Rabbit
Perhaps the more manageable of the Angora group of rabbit Breeds, French Angoras have significantly less hair around their faces. This makes them much easier to groom, and some might say easier to appreciate their natural beauty as well! Because of their prodigious fur, black French Angora rabbits will often appear somewhat gray throughout their bodies.
8. French Lop Rabbit
Similar to the English Lop but without quite so exaggerated an ear size, the French Lop is another medium-sized rabbit that makes for a gentle and low-key pet. While originally bred primarily for meat, many French Lops now enjoy a life of relative luxury with breeders and pet owners.
9. Havana Rabbit
The Havana may well be the poster child for black rabbits everywhere, having been named after the rich, dark color of the tobacco found in Cuban cigars. At their darkest, barely a spec of light shines out from their small (around 7 pounds) frames. Their lush fur and gentle disposition have earned them a reputation as excellent pets.
10. Holland Lop Rabbit
The miniaturized descendant of the French Lop, Holland Lops are renowned for their stout, compact bodies and naturally kind temperaments. Often found weighing less than 4 pounds, Holland Lops are among the smallest black rabbit breeds that you can find.
11. Jersey Wooly Rabbit
Named after the American State, the Jersey Wooly was the product of a complex cross-breeding in 1970s New Jersey. Possessing all the attractive attributes of fluffy rabbit breeds but with a much more easily managed coat, the Jersey Wooly is a natural for inexperienced owners. It has become a favorite pet for those who don’t wish to commit to the daily grooming necessary for other fuzzy breeds.
12. Lionhead Rabbit
With their characteristic fringe of fur around an otherwise tame mane, the Lionhead is one of the most easily recognized rabbit breeds. When found in black, its mane is often more of a gray color.
13. Mini Lop Rabbit
While not quite as small as the exceptionally tiny Holland Lop, the Mini Lop tends to be a more sedentary creature than the high-energy Holland. When found in black, their floppy ears can even seem to obscure their eyes, making for a delightfully dopey appearance.
14. Mini Rex Rabbit
Dense, springy, and ultra-plush coats are the signifying characteristic of this breed, the diminutive cousin to the Rex. Black Mini Rexes seem to be especially velvety, with coats that capture nearly all the light directed at them. Truly a stunning rabbit breed when found in black!
15. Mini Satin Rabbit
Satins are named for their extremely high-gloss fur, which tends to reflect natural light. The Mini Satin is the pint-sized version of the Satin, developed only as recently as the 1970s. Black Mini Satins are an excellent choice for anyone looking for a low-maintenance rabbit whose cage doesn’t take up much space.
16. Netherland Dwarf Rabbit
The smallest of all black rabbit breeds, the Netherland Dwarf is often found weighing less than 3 pounds! Their feisty temperaments and adorable appearance have won the hearts of many pet owners, with black Dwarves being particularly fond of hiding under the couch.
17. New Zealand Rabbit
Despite the name, New Zealand rabbits were developed in California for use in the meat, fur, and laboratory industries. As the breed gained popularity, though, pet owners were happy to welcome their variety of colors and mild dispositions into their homes.
18. Polish Rabbit
While the earliest Polish rabbits were all white, breeding has developed these diminutive (usually less than 4 pounds) rabbits into a wide variety of colors. In their black coloration, Polish rabbits’ tiny pointy ears will still be clearly visible as part of their silhouette!
19. Rex Rabbit
On the larger side of the Rex family, these rabbits can grow to around 12 pounds. Black Rexes have all-black underfur and guard hairs, making them exceptionally dark as well as incredibly soft and velvety. They are a favorite of rabbit owners with plenty of room for them to run around and play.
20. Satin Rabbit
As the product of a breeding project gone awry with the all-black Havana rabbit, Satins possess what may be the most rich and opulent coat of any rabbit breed. Like their Havana forebears, their black coats are deeply colored and highly glossy.
21. Satin Angora Rabbit
Combining the best of a Satin’s fur texture with the incredible coat length of an Angora, the Satin Angora can produce a sizeable quantity of black wool. It has the “clean-shaven” face of a French Angora, making it particularly handsome.
Conclusion
It’s truly wondrous how many amazing shapes, sizes, and colors rabbits come in today. We’d like to give a special thanks to the ARBA, as well as Lynn M. Stone for her book “Rabbit Breeds”, both of which provided much of the technical information in this article. Thank you for reading, and we wish you the best of luck in finding the perfect black rabbit for your home!
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Featured Image Credit: Rita_Kochmarjova, Shutterstock
