Different Types of Rabbits Fur
Rabbits with Normal Fur
Normal rabbit fur is the fur on every rabbit that isn’t rex, satin or wool. This amounts to 37 breeds that have normal fur. Fur length can run from 7/8 to 1 1/2 inches. Each breed standard indicates their ideal length.
Every hair follicle, counting guard hairs and undercoat, contains roughly 14 hairs.
Because of differences in all these various breeds, some normal coats behave in a different manner than other normal coats. Breeders talk about fly-back fur, or roll-back fur, and different densities and textures create the fly-back, roll-back or other coat behavior. The coats are all classified as normal fur
Rabbits with Rex (King) Fur
If a hair follicle of a normally furred rabbit contains about 14 hairs, a rex hair follicle might contain up to 50hairs each. Rex fur is 1/2 inch to 7/8 inch in length. It’s very dense, and plush to the touch. The fur stands straight up, with guard hairs being the same length, ideally, as the undercoat.
Rabbits with Satin Fur
Satin fur is of a standard length, however the hair shaft is narrower in diameter, and somewhat transparent. The combination of these two factors deepens the intensity of the color, and makes the hair shaft translucent.
Satin rabbits have an unmistakable, almost shocking, sheen and luster that is very attractive.
Rabbits with Wooly Fur
The ideal length of angora rabbit wool on the standard-sized angora breeds is generally 4-5 inches. The smaller ‘wooly’ breeds have wool that is a bit shorter, logically. Angora rabbit wool is soft, light-weight and very warm when spun and knitted into garments.
Rabbits with Combination Fur
Lionhead rabbit. Lionheads have a mane of wool around the head and neck, and often a skirt of wool along the lower parts of their sides and hindquarters.
Normal fur is “L” while wool is denoted with an “l.” The normal fur and wool genes have a relationship of incomplete dominance. That is, the recessive gene (wool “l”) does not show itself completely when the dominant gene (normal fur “L”) is present, but does have an influence on the fur.