When it comes to owning a pet, the sheer variety of options to choose from can be quite daunting. For anyone keen to have a pet in their life that is not a dog or cat, though, the humble rabbit is a common choice. Rabbits make wonderful pets for numerous reasons, but they also can be hard to choose from. After all, the rabbit is, like the dog, a name for a wider army of species. Rabbits come in all shapes and sizes, and thus it is not something that you can buy easily. To understand what you are buying, it pays to research the various large rabbit breeds out there.
Large rabbits come in different types, looks, shapes, and personalities. Some are tiny, and some can be massive. In this guide, we will try and break down some more information about the large rabbit breeds so you can pick one that is the right size for you.
About the large rabbit breeds
So, the first thing to note is that many rabbits are small. Most breeds are going to be dainty and small creatures; the type that could be vulnerable to a fox or similar. Some breeds, though, will exceed this size with relative ease.
Indeed, the largest rabbit in the world, known only as Ralph, was a staggering 55lbs in weight. This made him a Guinness World Record holder – given he was eating through as much as $90 in food per week, Ralph was like having a child!
His breed? A Continental Giant, is among the largest rabbit breeds in the world. Large rabbits come in every size that you can imagine, then, and some can be very big indeed. If you want to bring a big rabbit into your life, you need to make sure you can give them the space they need. You also need to factor in the cost of their diet. As noted above, big Ralph was eating as much food as you might expect to pay for a human being!
These rabbit breeds are massive and while they were once used to basically have a large supply of fur, they are commonly kept as pets today. If you like the idea of having a big rabbit in your life, you should absolutely look at some of the following breeds – they are among the largest breeds known today.
What are the largest rabbit breeds?
Continental Giant
We thought it best to start our list with the breed of rabbit that big Ralph comes from – the Continental Giant.
These large rabbit breeds are very much respected for their size and power. They can easily hit weights as impressive as 16lbs, so these are big animals indeed. They have a similarity to the Flemish Giant (see below), but are unique in their own specific ways. They are known for being very powerful for a rabbit. Their coats are often single-colored, but you can easily find a Continental Giant in a wide range of color schemes.
They tend to be known for their excellent temper and their ability to handle being around children and humans. Avoid trying to pick one up, though; they do not like being lifted and are likely to try and escape through fear if you try to lift them. Good around kids, but mostly older children as opposed to young kids due to this pick-up nature.
Spanish Giant
Moving into a more specific national type, the Spanish Giant is a very popular large rabbit breed. They are noted for their extensive size, weighing around 15lbs, and their powerful upright ears. They often have much shorter, denser fur than other large rabbit breeds. This makes them stand out among other large rabbits. They are also quite rare compared to other breeds on this list; as recently as 2009, they were on the verge of extinction due to overuse in the meat industry.
However, their ability to have massive litters – as many as 16 bunnies at once – means they can reproduce if given the right habitat. They are quite calm and friendly rabbits, but they do not live for very long – the Spanish Giant tends to top out at around six years.
British Giant
Increasingly popular in the USA, the British-bred British Giant is one of our most beloved large rabbit breeds. They are very interesting big rabbits, typically topping out at around 15lbs in weight. They might grow as long or as powerful as other giant breeds, but they are still quite impressive specimens. They are noted for having really broad heads and large, upright ears – this makes them stand out quite specifically.
On top of that, though, they are very much a good choice for those who want a medium-coated rabbit pet. This makes them less challenging to care for, but also generally quite a tough, hardy animal. Typically bred for their tasty meat, they are known for being great pets.
Docile and friendly, they are unlikely to cause a ruckus at home. However, they are quite inactive pets so they do not like being pestered or bothered too much.
Hungarian Giant
Nationally named ‘giant’ breeds of rabbit are common in this list of the large rabbit breeds. The Hungarian edition in particular is one that is around the mid-size range, usually maxing out at around 15lbs in size. They are relatively new, having only been around for the last couple of centuries.
The Hungarian Giant is a very popular pick for those who are looking for a rabbit breed that is ideal for shows. They make decent pets but they have a long history of being used in show events. However, their primary use was previous for their gorgeous meat – though many cannot really think about the idea of eating a rabbit, this was seen as a relatively decadent type of rabbit for Hungarian chefs.
Soft and dense fur with very upright ears, this is a breed of rabbit that should catch the eye for plenty of good reasons.
Flemish Giant
Another of the large rabbit breeds that we want to list is the hugely popular Flemish Giant. These are the largest breed of rabbit in the world on average and are capable of living for around ten years. However, their large size means some might be lucky to live for as long as eight years.
They were once raised with the intent of being show animals, but the Flemish Giant has become a very popular choice for being raised as a pet. They do need large budgets to feed their immense bellies, though, so please keep that in mind.
Unlike other breeds, too, they can be quite demanding when it comes to actually care for and looking out for the creature itself. Keep that in mind, as it could play a role in determining of a Flemish Giant is right for you. They are demanding yet adorable.
French Lop
The adorable French Lop is one of the most commonly found large rabbit breeds in France. They are beloved around the country for their gorgeous look and their relatively large size of around 15lbs. They rank among the larger European rabbits, and are easily spotted due to those big, floppy ears they have. Paired up with their broad and thick foreheads, this is a breed of rabbit that is very recognizable indeed.
They are also available in many different color schemes. The likes of brown and blue are common, as is black and opal. Some rarer choices include fawn and even chinchilla. Social and endearing rabbits, they make wonderful pets and should be great for getting settled in at home. They love being around humans, too, so you could get used to having one of these adorable and charismatic rabbits running around the place together.
Checkered Giant
If you want to move away from purely national-inspired breeds, the checkered giant is a very interesting rabbit type. They are known for their gorgeous little white coats that will be filled with specific black markings. They hail from the Flemish Giant range, most likely bred with spotted rabbits or French Lop rabbits. In Europe, these are more commonly known by the name of Giant Paillon.
They are great rabbits with a very trim and strong build, so they can be quite hard to catch due to their strength and speed. They are very active, too, so they can be quite demanding if you want a rabbit that is docile. Their exercise levels can be quite hard to keep a handle on, and this might be something that plays into their short lifespan.
Sadly, this large rabbit breed is very likely to live for a maximum of around six years.
Silver Fox
A great breed if you want something very specific looking, the Silver Fox is a confusing name for a large rabbit breed. These are known for hitting only around 12lbs, making them among the smallest breeds on the list. These rabbits come with very short and dense coats, complete with the gorgeous silver tips that make them stand out among the crowd.
Some come in a blue or even lilac color, though most will say that black is the only recognized color by most associations. The silver trim, though, is visible on all Silver Fox rabbits regardless of their initial color scheme. They are very popular in America and are known for being bred for their tremendous and unique fur.
However, they are great pets and make useful choices for a pet rabbit at home. Children of all ages can enjoy this calm, relaxing, and tranquil pet rabbit.
Chinchilla
The other breed that we felt compelled to mention here is the (Giant) Chinchilla. These gorgeous big rabbits can reach as much as 16lbs in weight. Bred in the USA, they have been around since the early 1920s and are revered by many rabbit owners. Their ability to produce chinchilla fur was their primary breeding reason, but today they make common choices for pets.
Their dense blue-grey coloring makes them very appealing to many people. That gorgeous white underbelly is a very important standout point as well. Given they can live for as long as a decade, too, you could be looking at a longer time in life with this particular choice.
They are playful and fun pets and tend to be quite relaxed. They enjoy playing around, but like many large rabbit breeds, they do not really enjoy being lifted up. Ideal pets, though perhaps most suited for slightly older children than toddlers.
Blanc de Bouscat
To finish our list of large rabbit breeds would be this interesting French rabbit. Capable of hitting around 12lbs, they are not the largest breed but they are very interesting for their stout, stocky nature. Their red eyes make them look like demon rabbits, but they are actually very calm and relaxing.
Their white coats are immediately going to stand out, but one thing to note is that they tend to drop and dip their heads into their bodies. This gives them very strong, muscular frames that make them much more durable than other large rabbit breeds. They are rare to find outside of France, so if you decide you want one in America be prepared to pay through the nose.
Calm and playful, they make great pets and would probably be among our most popular choices for those wanting a more exotic, rare rabbit breed.
Choosing a large rabbit – is it right for you?
The next thing you need to do is look at each breed above and make a judgement call on their suitability for you. The average large rabbit is going to be very big, as noted above, but some are easier to care for than others.
Research the above breeds in more detail and look into things like local availability and the cost of ownership. Some eat more than others; some have very specific environmental needs. If you want a large rabbit breed, though, the above ten are your starting point1