Swiss Fox rabbit

Havana-coloured Swiss Fox rabbit, displayed at a club show (Reto Stucki / Schweizer Fuchskaninchen-Züchter-Club)

Origin and development

This breed originated in Cham in the early 1900s, when a breeder attempted to produce the best possible imitation of the fur of the Alaskan blue Arctic fox. He sought to achieve this goal by combining a long-haired (angora) with a short-haired (Havana) breed. Although the new breed did not quite meet the original breeding objective, the animals found admirers and were initially known as the Swiss Longhair. The breed was subsequently renamed the Swiss Fox rabbit. Since 1949, Swiss breeders have had their own club, with two regional groups.

Description

In the Swiss Fox rabbit, the central point for selection purposes is the coat structure. Lying over a thick undercoat are guard and awn hairs 5–6 cm long. The fact that the rabbit’s appearance does not perfectly match that of the Arctic fox is due to the structure of the awn hairs, which are long but less firm. The Swiss Fox rabbit’s long coat, hidden neck and only slightly upright carriage give it a compact appearance. The hair on its head and ears is short, contrasting with the rest of its body. A number of colour variants exist. The first Swiss Fox rabbits were mauve (blue), matching the colour of the Arctic fox. The later variants were chinchilla, havana, black and white with red eyes, and white with blue eyes. There is now also a dwarf variety, known as the Dwarf Fox.

Swiss Fox doe with her offspring (Philippe Ammann / ProSpecieRara)

Breeding objectives

h Small breed with good carriage and well-formed body h Typical coat structure and vibrant coat colour h Health and hardiness h Good-natured and calm animals

References

Schweizerischer Fuchskaninchen - Züchter - Club (www.fuchskaninchen.ch) Kleintiere Schweiz (www.kleintiere-schweiz.ch) ProSpecieRara (www.prospecierara.ch)