POPULARITY
3 episodes with Tortoiseshell
2 episodes with Tortoiseshell
2 episodes with Tortoiseshell
2 episodes with Tortoiseshell
2 episodes with Tortoiseshell
2 episodes with Tortoiseshell
2 episodes with Tortoiseshell
Numilia is an 8-10 month female Tortoiseshell with very, very unique markings on her soft coat and crisp green eyes. Numilia is a friendly and confident girl. She loves to be with people, and also does well with dogs and other cats. Numilia is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and tested negative for FeLV-FIV. Please contact Paws of Hope at information@pawsofhope.org to learn more about our beautiful Numilia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Numilia is an 8-10 month female Tortoiseshell with very, very unique markings on her soft coat and crisp green eyes. Numilia is a friendly and confident girl. She loves to be with people, and also does well with dogs and other cats. Numilia is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and tested negative for FeLV-FIV. Please contact Paws of Hope at information@pawsofhope.org to learn more about our beautiful Numilia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Numilia is an 8-10 month female Tortoiseshell with very, very unique markings on her soft coat and crisp green eyes. Numilia is a friendly and confident girl. She loves to be with people, and also does well with dogs and other cats. Numilia is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and tested negative for FeLV-FIV. Please contact Paws of Hope at information@pawsofhope.org to learn more about our beautiful Numilia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Numilia is an 8-10 month female Tortoiseshell with very, very unique markings on her soft coat and crisp green eyes. Numilia is a friendly and confident girl. She loves to be with people, and also does well with dogs and other cats. Numilia is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and tested negative for FeLV-FIV. Please contact Paws of Hope at information@pawsofhope.org to learn more about our beautiful Numilia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Numilia is an 8-10 month female Tortoiseshell with very, very unique markings on her soft coat and crisp green eyes. Numilia is a friendly and confident girl. She loves to be with people, and also does well
Chrissie gives you a quick overview of the use of the tortoiseshell pattern.Read the essay here: https://historywiththeszilagyis.org/hwts021 Find us on Twitter:The Network: @UFPEarth. The Show: @SzilagyiHistory.Chrissie: @TheGoddessLivia. Jason: @JasonDarkElf.Join us in the Federation Council Chambers on Facebook. Send topic suggestions via Twitter or to hwts@ufp.earth. Support our historical work here: patreon.com/historywiththeszilagyisUnited Federation of Podcasts is brought to you by our listeners. Special thanks to these patrons on Patreon whose generous contributions help to produce this podcast and the many others on our network! Vera BibleJosh BrewingtonTim CooperChrissie De Clerck-SzilagyiTom ElliotVictor GamboaAlexander GatesThad HaitJim McMahonAnn MarieGreg MolumbyJoe MignoneCasey PettittJustin OserMahendran RadhakrishnanFit RogersKevin ScharfTom Van ScotterJim StoffelVanessa Vaughan You can join this illustrious list by becoming a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/ufpearth
This podcast will give you a summary of the latest news related to cyber intelligence and proactive cyber security in only a few minutes. The podcast is aimed at professionals who are short on time, or for anyone who would like to know a bit more about what is REALLY happening out there in the cyber world. The focus of this podcast will be on the latest cyber events for non-technical people; anyone can listen and understand. https://news.nucleon.sh/2021/08/26/intelligence-briefing-72/ A group of Iranian hackers targeting U.S. military personnel on Facebook, deployed a "well-resourced and persistent operation" to connect with victims on the social media site, and trick them into providing sensitive information as part of a larger online espionage campaign, Facebook said recently. The group, known as "Tortoiseshell" in the security industry, targeted nearly 200 individuals associated with the military as well as defense and aerospace companies in the U.S., and to a lesser extent in the U.K. They used social engineering and phishing to direct victims away from Facebook and infect their devices with malware. Facebook said its investigation revealed that parts of the malware used by Tortoiseshell was developed by Mahak Rayan Afraz, a Tehran-based IT company with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "Based on our analysis of the capabilities of this malware, we believe it was target-tailored to understand the type of software that the device was running and the networks that it was connected to, to presumably assist in future targeting efforts for the attackers," Mike Dvilyanksi, Facebook head cyber espionage investigations, told..... ------ That's it for this podcast, stay safe and see you in the next podcast. Don't forget to visit www.nucleoncyber.com for the latest podcasts on cyber intelligence.
This week we have our lovely friend and fellow student Kim, who tells us all about the various different trainings in alterative therapies she has undertaken along with us having a wonderfully wholesome conversation. For our medical story this week, V tells us all about the history of condoms.
Welcome to the 80s! Tortoiseshell glasses, with smoky lenses, Texas tech impresarios and Silicon Valley Dudes programing the latest hit video games. As technology began to explode into the American home, the world struggled with how to interpret this new way of life. Inevitably the artistic medium of our times saw a pretty incredible attempt to imagine the world from within technology itself. This is Disney's TRON, a 1985 science fiction film starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, and David Warner. The movie would become and infamous flop, and a bold new bar in the world of technology and animation. A harbinger of things to come, not only narratively, but in the film industry; love it or hate it, TRON has grist for the Nighthawks' Diner conversation. Pull up a seat and join us.
Clickfraud arrives via a third-party SDK, and the app developers who used it say they didn’t know nuthin’. Maybe they didn’t. A Trojanized TOR browser warns its bro’s that, whoa, you’re out of date and the police might see you, but it’s really just stealing the bros’ alt-coin. WiFi bugs are fixed in Kindle and Alexa. Don’t try to jailbreak your iPhone from a sketchy Checkrain site. Two Big Tech companies take different directions on free speech. And Russia gets an assist from Uncle Sam. Craig Williams from Cisco Talos on a Tortoiseshell creating a fake veteran’s job site. Guest is Caleb Barlow from Cynergistek on the challenges of securing medical records. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2019/October/CyberWire_2019_10_18.html Support our show
Recorded 9/27/19 - We are down Matt and Joel today, so Mitch, Craig, and Nigel are taking you through this EP. We cover some recent posts from Talos with Divergent and Tortoiseshell. Turns out, people get a bit excited when you target US veterans with malware - even other malware authors thinks that’s scummy. That takes us into a chat about social engineering in general and we end up talking about some interesting stuff with unpatchable vulns and why deleting /var on install could be described as a bad idea for a Chrome update. Full show notes on the [Talos blog](https://blog.talosintelligence.com/2019/10/beers-with-talos-ep-63-third-law-of.html)
Coming to you from London this week, Jamie Collier, Philip Doherty, and Josh Poole join Viktoria Austin for our weekly threat intelligence updates. The team kicks off with a discussion around the top story of the week - Magecart Five Widens Attack Vectors. Recent Magecart Five activity has included loading malicious Javascript files onto commercial-grade Layer 7 routers, injecting malicious code into a free, open-source app module, distributing phishing emails via an unspecified spamming service containing the KPOT trojan, embedding compromised websites with redirect code that results in the download of the RIG or Fallout exploit toolkits onto a target machine, and creating a phishing website imitating “G-Cleaner”, a w Windows garbage cleanup tool. The team also discussed the other top stories of the week including: - Suspected Chinese Threat Actor Targets Airbus Suppliers - Tortoiseshell Lures American military-veteran job seekers - Zendesk discloses 2016 data breach Check out the full threat intelligence summary report at https://resources.digitalshadows.com/weekly-intelligence-summary
On this week's news wrap podcast, Threatpost editors Tara Seals and Lindsey O'Donnell break down the top news, including: Despite claiming they were retiring, GandCrab's authors have been linkedto the REvil/Sodinokibi ransomware via a technical analysis. A spearphishing campaign, first spotted in Julytargeting three U.S. utility companies with a new malware variant, has evolved its tactics and extended its targetingto include nearly 20 companies. A known threat actor, Tortoiseshell, is targeting U.S. military veteranswith a fake veteran hiring website that hosts malware.
Viktoria hosts this week’s episode in London with Phillip Doherty and Adam Cook. After a quick debate around the top trending sports at the moment, the team digs into the first story of the week: Tortoiseshell Group (a newly identified threat group) has reportedly conducted some supply chain attack campaigns against 11 IT providers in Saudi Arabia. Next they look at two new malware variants that have emerged, attributed to North Korean-associated Lazarus Group. Emotet botnet has been hot in the news lately, so the team also talks about its emergence. Finally the team rounds up the week with the Tyurin indictment, where Andrei Tyurin pleaded guilty to one of the largest computer hacking crimes involving US financial institutions, financial services, and news publishers. Our own Richard Gold published a blog mapping the indictment to the MITRE ATT&CK framework - definitely worth a read below. To learn more, check out our weekly intelligence summary report at https://resources.digitalshadows.com/weekly-intelligence-summary. Mapping the Tyurin Indictment to the Mitre ATT&CK™ framework: https://www.digitalshadows.com/blog-and-research/mapping-the-tyurin-indictment-to-the-mitre-attck-framework/
We’re back! The Cyber Security Brief returns for season 2. In our first episode, Dick O’Brien is joined by Brigid O’Gorman and Gavin O’Gorman (no relation) to discuss our recent research into Tortoiseshell, an APT group we recently discovered using both custom and off-the-shelf malware to target IT providers in Saudi Arabia in what appear to be supply chain attacks with the end goal of compromising the IT providers’ customers. We also discuss the recently revealed vulnerability in vBulletin, the release of iOS 13, a ransomware attack on a healthcare facility in Wyoming, and Facebook suspending thousands of apps from its platform.
Tortoiseshell is trolling for military veterans. There’s been a fresh Fancy Bear sighting. The transcript of a conversation between the US and Ukrainian presidents has been released. Citizen Lab warns that Poison Carp is actively working against Tibetan groups. A zero-day afflicting vBulletin forum software is out. GandCrab comes out of retirement. And there’s an odd spam campaign in circulation that looks like phishing but seems not to be. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on the White House blocking Congress from auditing its offensive hacking strategy. Guest is Tim Keeler from Remediant looking at lateral movement in the context of the NotPetya attacks. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2019/September/CyberWire_2019_09_25.html Support our show
A daily look at the relevant information security news from overnight.Episode 160 - 25 September 2019APT10 after utilities - https://www.zdnet.com/article/17-us-utility-firms-targeted-by-mysterious-state-sponsored-group/New Fancy Bear attack - https://threatpost.com/zebrocy-retools-political-attacks/148593/U.S. vets sammed - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fake-employment-site-created-to-target-veterans-with-malware/Wyoming hospital ransomware - https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/wyoming-hospital-the-latest-to-be-hit-with-ransomware-attack/d/d-id/1335895Apple open access - https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/24/apple-bug-full-access-keyboards/
A daily look at the relevant information security news from overnight.Episode 156 - 19 September 2019IT supply chain hack - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-tortoiseshell-group-hacks-11-it-providers-to-reach-their-customers/Scotiabank leaks - https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/09/18/scotiabank_code_github_leak/Phishing page emails - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-phishing-page-sends-stolen-logins-using-javascript/IRS Amadey botnet - https://threatpost.com/irs-emails-botnet-recruitment/148473/Windows Defender failing - https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-defender-malware-scans-are-failing-after-a-few-seconds/
A newly discovered threat actor, “Tortoiseshell,” has been active against targets in the Middle East. The Simjacker vulnerability may not be as widely exploitable as early reports led many to believe. The US Army seems committed to decentralizing cyber operations along long-familiar artillery lines. Joint Task Force Ares continues to keep an eye on ISIS. Canada seeks to reassure allies over the Orts affair. And the Justice Department wants any royalties Mr. Snowden’s book might earn. Daniel Prince from Lancaster University on cyber security as a force multiplier. Guest is Brian Roddy from Cisco on securing the multi-cloud. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2019/September/CyberWire_2019_09_18.html Support our show
Hello Listener! Thank you for listening. If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link below: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. Or you can become a Fluffle Supporter by donating through Patreon.com at the link below: Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit What's this Patreon? Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. What do you need? Please support Hare of the Rabbit Podcast financially by becoming a Patron. Patrons agree to a regular contribution, starting at $1 per episode. Patreon.com takes a token amount as a small processing fee, but most of your money will go directly towards supporting the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast. You can change or stop your payments at any time. You can also support by donating through PayPal.com at the link below: Hare of the Rabbit PayPal Thank you for your support, Jeff Hittinger. Today we are going to cover the Dutch Rabbit breed. The Dutch rabbit, also known as Hollander or Brabander is easily identifiable by its characteristic color pattern, was once the most popular of all rabbit breeds. However, after dwarf rabbits were developed, the popularity of the Dutch rabbit dwindled. Nevertheless, the Dutch rabbit remains one of the top ten most popular breeds worldwide. The Dutch is a classy rabbit easily recognized in the best of circles. We had a few purchases through the Amazon link on the web site. We still need a few more purchases so that Amazon will not shut down the account, so please use the link on the hare of the rabbit .com website page. Our Amazon item of the week is: This is a charming pendant that will spruce up any outfit and become your go to favorite accessory! The pendant is sterling silver plated and approximately 1” in diameter with the delightful 3D urethane encased Dutch Rabbit. The included snake chain is 22” in length, made from brass and 95.5% sterling silver plated, and closes with a spring ring clasp. A note of concern is that the sterling silver plated items can tarnish over time when exposed to the air, but can be easily cleaned with a silver polishing cream. Last week we covered the Polish rabbit, and some breeds, such as the Polish, can’t actually claim origin from their namesake country, but the Dutch is indeed from the Netherlands. The Dutch color originated in a breed called the Petite Brabicon, that by the time it appeared in England around 1850, was called the Hollander. In the early stages of the breed’s history, there were two marking patterns: one was the Dutch we know today, the other was similar, but more of the rabbit was colored and it had just a white blaze and white collar. The UK is actually the country in which the Dutch breed was established and standardized, though the actual bloodlines are from the Netherlands. British rabbit breeders of the early 1800’s obtained recently arrived Brabancons at the London ports and added them to their breeding programs. The breed in England was called the Dutch breed as early as 1835. During the 1830s rabbits were imported to England from Ostend in Belgium every week for the meat market. Among these rabbits was a breed known as the Petite Brabançon, as it originated from Brabant in Flanders. The Petite Brabançon may still be found in paintings from the fifteenth century. The Dutch rabbit has its genetic roots in this old breed. The Petite Brabançon would often display Dutch markings, and breeders in England selected those with even markings, fixing those markings into the breed we know today The earliest engraving of the Dutch breed reveals a nearly entirely colored rabbit which possessed two white front paws and a narrow collar covering little more than the animal’s dewlap region. It did not even have a blaze, though many Dutch animals did, as did the Brabancon from which the Dutch was developed. At the time, they weighed up to 9 pounds, and were cobby and muscular in type. The does were prolific, and could be counted on to mother their litters well. Fanciers of the developing Dutch breed continued to line-breed and in-breed the Dutch. In-breeding significantly reduced the size of the breed from 9 pounds down to as little as 1.25 pounds in a few animals. The Dutch is one of the oldest breeds as it was developed around 1864, indeed the United Kingdom Dutch Rabbit Club was founded in 1879 Controversy over the direction of the breed prompted calls for the creation of a Dutch Rabbit Club, which was established in December, 1884. The Dutch markings and type were then standardized in England by the late 1880’s. Today’s familiar Dutch breed has remained unchanged since then. During World War 2, in Britain, the Dutch rabbit was crossed with larger breeds for meat production. It has also been used in the laboratory. Dutch breed rabbits arrived in the USA at the beginning of the 1900’s, and was one of the first breeds accepted at the formation of the National Pet Stock Association, forerunner to the ARBA, in 1910. The Dutch rabbit is among the first rabbit breeds recognized by the National Pet Stock Association, the forerunner of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. The NPSA was founded in 1910 and had several name changes until becoming the ARBA in 1952. According to Bob D. Whitman’s book “Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories,” the Dutch breed is descended from the Brabancon breed out of Belgium. It got its name by 1835, and the first written account describing the breed appears in “Manuals For The Many,” dated 1865. Whitman credits the original Dutch breed to England. The Dutch is one of the oldest breeds of domestic rabbit known, owing its existence, as do all domestic rabbits, to the much earlier domestication of the European wild rabbit, or (true rabbit). Considered a fancy rabbit due to their distinctive Dutch markings, the Dutch Rabbit, has from its introduction, benefited from the careful attention of breeders over the years who have continue improving the breed and expanding the available varieties while maintaining and perfecting the distinctive markings. Special attention has been paid to perfecting the general body type of the Dutch breed to the standard of perfection we know today. Due to the high expectations demanded for perfection in type and markings, the Dutch is one of the greatest challenges for the prospective and experienced breeder alike. The Dutch rabbit is probably one of the easiest breeds to identify because of the distinctive white markings. The white blaze on the nose, and the white collar and the “saddle” on the back are a dead giveaway. Dutch are a small breed, but not a dwarf. The fur is normal length, with a soft under layer covered by longer guard hairs. The fur is flyback, meaning that if brushed opposite to the direction of growth, the fur quickly snaps back to normal position. Ears are upright. The breed is recognized by both British Rabbit Council and the American Rabbit Breeders Association. Today, the Dutch rabbit is a very popular breed for show and also raised as pets. Descriptions and Standards In the USA: Dutch are a small rabbit breed weighing up to 5.5 pounds. They are compact and cobby in type, and recognized in 7 varieties: Black, blue, chinchilla, chocolate, gray, steel, tortoiseshell In the UK: The "ideal" weight is 2.041 – 2.26 kg (4.5 - 5 lb). The breed is accepted in 9 varieties: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Yellow, Tortoiseshell, Steel Grey, Brown Grey, and Pale Grey. Tri-colored Dutch is recognized as a separate breed. The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes seven varieties of Dutch rabbit colors, all mixed with the white markings characteristic to the Dutch. The colors are: black, blue, chinchilla, chocolate, gray, steel, and tortoise. A lilac color is currently in development. Recognized eye color ranges from brown to brown with a ruby cast to dark brown to blue-gray. The BRC standards require a compact, cobby rabbit with firm flesh and a glossy coat. The ideal weight is between 2.041 kg and 2.26 kg. The ears should be short and strong, the eyes bold and bright and the cheeks should be rounded. The blaze should be wedge shaped, carrying up to a point between the ears. The line dividing the white fur from the contrasting color in the saddle (middle of the body) should continue round under the body (called the undercut at that point) in an even and straight line. Foot stops, that is the white markings on the hind feet, should be about 3.17 cm in length and cut cleanly round the foot, similar to the saddle and undercut on the body. Body To be considered a show rabbit the body should be compact, having a close-coupled appearance with a nicely rounded back. From directly behind the head the rabbit should display an even pleasing curve up over the shoulders it its highest point at the loin and hips, then rounding off into full and smooth hindquarters. Looking from the top, the rabbit’s shoulders should be rounded but slightly narrower than the hips. The hips should be well rounded, smooth and full all the way to the base of the hindquarters with no protrusion of the hips to mar the total effect. The truly proportioned body of the Dutch rabbit is the picture of elegance. Head The rabbit’s head should be rounded and full, not pear shaped, with a short neck making the head set close to the shoulders. Ideally not more than one and a half fingertip widths of the index and middle fingers should fit between the base of the head and the beginning of the shoulders on a senior animal, one over 6 months of age. Ears The ears should be stocky, well furred and carried erect. They should be in proportion to the size of the head and body of the rabbit. Eyes The eyes should be bright and clear, free of spots or discoloration in the iris. The color of the iris must be the same in both eyes and must match the color specified for the variety. Feet and Legs The feet and legs must be straight and of the proper length and size to balance and be in harmony with the body of the rabbit. Toenails must be white in all varieties. Nails of any other color than white are a disqualification. Fur The fur should be short and dense while course enough in guard hairs to offer resistance when stroked backwards toward the head and when released the hair should fly back to its natural position and lie smooth over the entire body of the rabbit. The coat should have a rich high luster with a dense undercoat. BRC: They come in Black, Blue, Steel Grey, Chocolate, Yellow, Tortoiseshell , Brown Grey and Pale Grey. There is also the Tri Colour Dutch which is classed as a different variety. Everything is the same as for the Dutch rabbit except that one cheek must be orange, the other black The ear on the orange cheek side should be black and the ear on the black cheek side should be orange. The saddle consists of alternating bands of orange and black. Appearance The American Rabbit Breeders Association standard calls for a small to medium rabbit. Dutch are a 4-class breed. Junior bucks and does are those under 6 months of age with a minimum weight of 1.75 lbs (0,793kg). Seniors are 6 months of age and over, weighing between 3.5 (1,58kg) and 5.5 lbs (2,48kg), with 4.5 (2,04kg) being the ideal weight. Dutch are to have a compact, well-rounded body; rounded head; short, stocky, well-furred ears; and short, glossy "fly-back" fur. Six colors (in conjunction with white) are recognized for show: Black, a dense, glossy black with a slate blue under-color. Deep, solid and carrying well down to the skin, with blue under color, the deeper the better. Free from white hairs and mealiness or flecking. Eyes dark hazel /dark brown. COLORS: Blue, a medium blue-gray with a slate blue under-color. Deep, solid, slate blue, color to carry well down to the skin. Blue under color, the deeper the better. Free from white hairs and flecked or mealy coat. Eyes dark blue/blue-gray. Chinchilla, (the newest variety to be recognized by the ARBA) an agouti color with bands of pearl white and black with a slate blue under-color. The ears must have black lacing. Eyes-- brown (preferred). Chocolate, a rich chocolate brown with a dove-gray under-color. Deep solid dark chocolate, color carrying well down to the skin. Under-color to match the top color as near as possible. The deeper the under color the better the top will appear. Free from white hairs and mealiness. Eyes hazel/dark brown (with a ruby cast), the deeper the better. Gray, (UK: Brown Grey) an Agouti color similar to that of the American cottontail, with bands of color on the hair-shaft which produce a ring effect when blown into. The bands of color should be a light tan, a thin charcoal band then a darker tan over a slate blue under-color. Slate blue at the base followed by a band of yellowy orange then a black line, finishing by light or nut brown tips to the fur. The whole interspersed by black guard hairs. That is the impression gained when the fur of the brown grey is parted. The general impression should be light or nut brown on ears, cheeks, body, hind feet and top of tail, the whole ticked with black hairs. Belly color and eye circles (small as possible) bright straw color. A lighter shade permissible under tail. Eyes hazel/Dark Brown, deeper the better. Steel, (UK: Steel Grey) a black color with off-white tips to the hair-shaft on some hairs. The under-color is slate blue. Dark steel grey merging to pale slate blue in the under-color. The whole interspersed with black guard hairs. The medium bright and evenly ticked shade is the one to aim for and the extreme tips of the fur will be tipped with steel blue or grey. The mixture to carry well down the sides, flanks and hind feet. Belly color will be a lighter shade varying with the top color. Upper part of the tail to match the body color; underside to tone with the belly color. Ears to match body, Eyes deep hazel/brown Pale Grey - Top color biscuit carrying well down and merging into pale slate at the base, the whole interspersed with black ticking. The general impression should be biscuit tipped with black on ears, cheeks, body and top of tail. Belly color white with pale slate under-color. Eye circle white but ideally non-existent or as small as possible. Body color should be present on hind feet. Underside of tail white. Eyes hazel. Tortoise, (UK: Tortoiseshell) a bright, clean orange with slate blue shadings along the ears, whisker beds and hindquarters. the under-color is dark cream. An even shade of orange top color to carry well down and shading off to a lighter color to the skin. Ears, belly and under the tail blue-black. Cheeks and hind quarters (flanks) shaded or toned with blue black. Eyes hazel/dark brown, the deeper the better. In the UK, Yellow (no US equivalent) and Pale Grey (US: Gold) Dutch are also recognized for show. An even shade of yellow throughout. The exact shade is not so important as that the color should be even and extend to the belly or undercut and no eye circles. In fact, a self color free from chinchillation on cheeks and hind feet. Eyes hazel. Chinchillation - A mixture of colors ticked with a darker shade, often found on the cheeks of yellows. The steel, pale and brown grey are chinchillated varieties to a certain extent. Description of terms used: Flecking or Mealiness - Individual hairs more than one color in selfs. e.g. Blacks should be black at the tip of the fur, that color carrying down the fur as far as possible, then merging into blue. In flecked or mealy exhibits the individual fur would be black, then dark grey, then a deeper shade before merging into blue at the base. New varieties under development in the United States include Harlequin (UK: Tri-Colored Dutch) (a pattern of black and orange patches) and Chinchilla. The BRC has a separate standard for Tri-Coloured Dutch. Despite its popularity, the Dutch rabbit has not changed much over the years. The most striking aspect of the breed is the marking pattern: The blaze is an even wedge of white running up the rabbit's face. It is shaped by the cheeks which are the rounded circles of color on either side of the face. The neck marking is a white wedge on the back of the head. The saddle is to be a straight line running behind the shoulders and continuing underneath the rabbit to the undercut across the belly. The stops are located on the rear feet, which should be white from the toes to a point one third the length of the foot. Cheeks: Cheeks are to be well rounded and carried around the whisker bed, but not into it. Faults include the cheeks being hooked (i.e. not well rounded and coming sharp to the jaw bone), meeting the line of the neck, or dragging into the mouth or throat. Faults also include the cheeks being to high, whether above the whisker bed or appearing as eye circles. Blaze: The blaze is the marking along the face. It should be in a wedge shape and about medium width. The blaze should cover the nose, whisker bed, and tapering up to the ears. Although, there are no additional points added, it is desirable to have a hair line (where the blaze goes between the ears and connecting to the neck marking). Neck: The neck marking is the white part on the collar behind the ears. It should be a clean and wedged shape marking. An animal with no or full neck marking is not disqualified, but is faulted. Dirty necks (where it is not a clean shape) will be faulted. Saddle: The saddle marking is point on the upper body where the white fur meets the colored fur. This should begin just behind the shoulders and create a perfect circle around the body. Undercut: The undercut is the marking on the under-body that connects to the saddle. It should create a perfect circle and should be close behind the forelegs, but touching them. It is a disqualification if the body color extends past the elbow joint of the foreleg. Stops: Stops are the white spats or stockings on the back feet starting from the toes and reaching up to a point one-third the length of the foot or hock but must never extend above the hock joint. It is important that they be of equal length. Clean cut on both feet, and form perfect circles around the appendage. That is to say the line should not be biased or offset. Nor can there be drags. A split Stop occurs when the body color runs down and between the toes and is a disqualification as is the case when the white stop runs above the hock joint. On the hind feet, the stop markings should be well rounded. There should be white from the toes to about one third of the length of the foot, where the color fur begins. Disqualifications include if the color fur of the marking runs completely and between the toes. The toes can be separated for identification of the split stop. Hairline The hairline is the thin line of white hair running from the top of the Blaze between the ears, entirely dividing the cheeks and ears and connecting the white Blaze to the white Collar behind the ears. The hairline is a desirable marking but is very difficult to achieve and no points are awarded nor taken away by it presents or absence. Sometimes only a partial hairline exists and fails to fully connect the Blaze to the Collar and may appear only as a spot of white between the ears. In such cases the spot is not considered a blemish or disqualification. A perfect hairline, however, can be the single discriminating mark of perfection that allows a judge to pick a best of show or breed over second best, or best of breed of opposite sex. Dutch Rabbit Personality The Dutch Rabbit is in general a calm, easy-going rabbit. They make a good domestic pet, are friendly and are easy to train. Dutch rabbits are considered an easygoing, friendly, intelligent breed. Of course, generalizations always have exceptions. Discuss the personality of any Dutch you’re considering adding to your family with the rabbit rescue operator, breeder, or person you might adopt from. Also, quietly observe the rabbit for several minutes to see how he or she looks and acts. Care should always be taken, as the rabbit can be a bit jumpy and wary by nature. The body of the rabbit is very delicate. Owners that are new to rabbits need to receive instruction on the proper way to pick up and handle their new pet, as it is very easy for the rabbit to be injured if handled carelessly. Unlike cats and small dogs, rabbits have a natural fear of being picked up and handled and will need time and conditioning to adjust. When young bunnies are handled carefully and they learn to trust their people early in life they will become very overt in their display of affection. Rabbits can be trained to recognize their name and to even come when called. They will especially enjoy sitting on its owner’s lab, snuggling, and being attentive. When interacting with any rabbit, earn their trust before you attempt to touch them or pick them up. Give them time to settle into your home before introducing them to the entire family or to your friends. Observe your new furry friend to learn his or her likes and dislikes, and allow them to approach you to interact with you on their terms. Always move slowly around your rabbit, and learn how to properly pick them up before attempting to do so. Rabbits are fully capable of inflicting injury to a person with their claws, particularly the rear claws. Periodic trimming of the nails, proper handling and some common sense will usually prevent most injuries. Some breeders wear arm protectors to prevent scratches to their forearms when handling their rabbits. Occasionally, rabbits will show aggressive behavior in the form of biting although this is normally the exception. When bites are delivered, it is usually more of a pinch then a true bite. A rabbit, however, is fully capable of delivering a serious bite if provoked sufficiently. Dutch Rabbit Care Caring for a Dutch rabbit begins with offering a healthy diet and a safe, loving home. Get these basics down, along with some extras, and your Dutch should thrive. Feeding: Every rabbit raiser has their own preference on what pellet to feed. It is, however, important to feed a high quality pellet. Supplements, again, are the owner's preference. It's very important that any rabbit gets Timothy Hay in their diet on a daily basis. Timothy will help prevent intestinal obstruction. Fresh water on a daily basis is an important key in maintaining a healthy and conditioned rabbit. The key food for rabbits is hay. Both clean, fresh hay and clean, fresh water are two things rabbits must have free access to at all times. The type of hay matters. For healthy adult rabbits who aren’t nursing, fresh grass hay rules. This includes timothy, orchard, oat, and other grass hays. Young rabbits, nursing mothers, or sick rabbits need the added calories and extra protein and calcium from alfalfa hay. Hay is important for rabbits because chewing it provides a wonderful way for rabbits to wear down their constantly growing teeth. This can prevent some dental problems. Besides hay, rabbits enjoy eating leafy greens and vegetables. Fruit is also appreciated, but the sugar content means you must offer only small portions. Consider vegetables and fruit as treats, particularly fruit. You don’t want your rabbit filling up on these and not eating enough hay. Consult your veterinarian about which vegetables and fruits are safe for rabbits to eat. A pelleted food formulated specifically for rabbits is a small but important part of the rabbit diet. This provides vitamins and minerals that might otherwise be missed. Housing: All rabbits require a well ventilated area to help prevent disease (i.e. pasturella). Dutch are a relatively small breed and don't require a very large cage, usually 24"x24" is a good sized cage. Your rabbit’s habitat needs to be spacious and outfitted with a litter box, bedding, food and water dishes or bottles, toys, and hideaways. This could apply to a rabbit-proofed room, an exercise pen, a large cage, or some other accommodation that fits into your home. Keeping your bunny’s abode clean is as important as outfitting it and placing it in a good location. Daily spot cleaning, weekly cleanup, and a monthly deep clean promote good health and happy bunnies. Bunnies? Yes. Rabbits are social animals and most prefer to hang out with another bunny or two. If you do adopt multiple bunnies, be sure they get along. And to prevent unwanted pregnancies, keep them in same-sex groups or have them spayed/neutered. Spayed/neutered rabbits actually face fewer health risks as they age, because reproductive cancers are almost eliminated. But just because your bunnies have buddies doesn’t mean they entertain themselves. Be sure to interact with your furry friends daily. Petting your rabbits, playing games with them, and just hanging out adds to their life, and yours. Rabbits do a lot of self-grooming, just like cats. Bunny pairs and groups also help groom each other. But rabbits still need help from you to keep their nails trimmed and their fur brushed. Rabbits with longer fur especially need daily brushing to prevent mats. Regularly check your rabbit’s ears, mouth, and area around the tail for signs of any problems. Note: Rabbits rarely need baths. If you choose to bathe a rabbit, never submerge him or her fully in water. Keep the water level to an inch or two. When drying, be gentle and keep them warm, but not hot, until fully dry. This can take a while for wool or rex breeds. Dutch Rabbit Health The average Dutch rabbit seems no more or less susceptible to the usual rabbit ailments. Among those are GI stasis, malocclusion, respiratory disease, mites, and, in un-spayed females, uterine cancer. A healthy diet, a safe, clean home, and plenty of chances for daily play and interaction minimize many of the health risks. Rabbits with blue eyes might be more sensitive to light. Be aware that if the environment is uncomfortable for you, it’s likely uncomfortable for your rabbit. This is particularly true about warm temperatures. Keep your rabbit in a cool area, ideally no more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, to minimize the risk of heatstroke. Rabbits tolerate cooler temperatures better than warmer. And keep in mind that higher humidity can make temperatures feel warmer. Contact your rabbit-savvy veterinarian if your rabbit suddenly changes behavior or routine, or if he or she has unusual discharge from anywhere on the body. A rabbit who stops eating, drinking, or eliminating needs immediate veterinary care. Breeding: The gestation period for a Dutch rabbit is usually between 28-32 days. Average size of litter is around 6 kits. Kits are born blind and eyes will open anywhere between 7-14 days. The goal of every responsible rabbit breeder is the challenge of producing animals that best reflect the standards of perfection in type and marking for their breed. The first step for the new breeder is to build a base to start from. That is best done by purchasing the highest quality pedigreed stock the breeder can afford. This is normally accomplished by visiting rabbit shows and buying from reputable and experienced breeders who often bring to the show breeding quality rabbits from their stock that they are willing to sell. With that done, the real work can begin. With every great task undertaken, the devil is always found in the details and this is no less true than when working with the variables of genetics. Once the breeder is armed with a fundamental understanding of genetics plus the skill to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in his or her base breeding stock, that knowledge can be put to work matching prospective breeding pairs. The key to producing quality animals always rests with selective breeding to cultivate and enhance positive characteristics while culling out the less desirable. The design of the breeding program is the search for the elusive perfect rabbit. In the search for perfection, probably few other rabbit breeds is the bar raised higher than it is for the Dutch. Considered the fancy rabbit, the pursuit of near perfection in its markings is a true test of patience and perseverance on the part of the breeder. In the case of the Dutch, it almost seems that if something can go wrong it will. From a cheek that is too long to stops that are uneven to a slight spot on the end of the nose, all are faults and imperfections that either can be a disqualification or at least points lost at the judging table. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a complaint. On the contrary, it is a statement about what makes raising Dutch Rabbits so challenging and interesting. If it were easy to raise the perfect Dutch Rabbits everyone would be doing it. And what personal satisfaction would there be in finding success at something that offers no challenge. Purchasing: When purchasing a Dutch rabbit, it is important to keep in mind the purpose of the rabbit you are about to buy (i.e. breeding, showing, pet). No matter what the purpose is, it is very important to keep the health of the rabbit in mind and do a good examination on the rabbit first. Check the teeth for any signs of malocclusion (long, lower incisors extending in front of upper incisors, etc.) teeth problems are hereditary and it wouldn't hurt to see the sire & dam's teeth (if applicable). Check the ears for any dirt that may resemble ear mites. It is extremely important to look at the nose, eyes, and forearms, for any evidence of a cold or upper respiratory infection. For a show or breeding rabbit, it is important to look at the bone structure of the animal. Check the hind legs for straightness and there is no evidence of cow hocks (where the hind legs are turned so the toes are pointing outward). Check for pinched hindquarters (where the hindquarters taper towards the tail and are not well rounded). Check vent, especially a buck to be sure both testicles are noticeable. Check toe nails and eye colors to be sure it is the appropriate color via the Standard of Perfection, which can be purchased on the website for ARBA, it is listed under publications. If it will be your first show or breeding rabbit you purchase, it helps to have the Standard of Perfection with you as a reference to what you want. Remember, there may be no such thing as a perfect Dutch, but there is a difference between a good and a bad Dutch. Life Span The average adult Dutch Rabbit will weigh between 4 to 5 ½ pounds and on average will live 5 to 8 years Longer life spans can be expected if the animals are neutered or spayed. The longest life span that has been reported is 15 years with 10 years not all that uncommon. Summary Today Dutch remain one of the most popular rabbits, both as pets and show animals – not to mention as stars of rabbit product advertisements. The Dutch is one of the very best breeds for a child to start with due to its small size, general hardiness, and gentle disposition. In America, the breed is supported by a close-knit body of fanciers called the American Dutch Rabbit Club. https://lafeber.com/mammals/dutch-rabbit-breed-info/#Dutch_Rabbit_History http://www.home.netspeed.com.au/reguli/DutchRabbit.htm http://mom.me/pets/small-pets/19118-popular-pet-rabbit-breeds/item/dutch-rabbit/ http://www.bunnybunch.nl/informatie/konijnenras-hollander http://www.dutchrabbit.com/aboutthebreed/aboutthebreed.html http://www.verlannahill.com/AboutDutch.htm http://rabbitbreeders.us/dutch-rabbits http://www.roysfarm.com/dutch-rabbit/ https://www.raising-rabbits.com/dutch-rabbit.html Folk-Tale Ossaert Ossaert (also known as Oessaart, Oschaert, Osgaard, Osschaart, Oeschaart and Griepke) was once an ordinary dog that belonged to his owner: Bornes (Henricus Bornius, 1617-1675). His owner was an infamous man, known for his cruelty. He found no peace in the afterlife, and neither did Ossaert. Both of them remained to haunt their residence in Kloosterzande, until the building was demolished in 1856. Ever since, Ossaert became a notorious water demon, both in Zeeland, Gelderland and parts of Belgium. Most prominently, he appears in the form of a black dog with firey eyes. It is said he also takes the shape of a rabbit, horse or donkey, and that he can expand in size. Again others say he appears as a bull with a human head, always pulling heavy chains where he goes. Some people even described him as a blue light. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0570.html#ashliman Jesper the Hare Herder Denmark There was a king who had half a hundred hares. He also had a daughter who was exceptionally beautiful. Many suitors came to her, but none succeeded, for her father had decreed that he would give her in marriage only to the person who could tend half a hundred hares for three days in the woods, bringing them all back to the palace every evening. Anyone who attempted to do this, but failed, should have three strips of skin cut from his back, with salt and pepper sprinkled into the wound. He would then be banished from the land or be fined five hundred thalers. In spite of these harsh conditions a number of suitors tried their luck, but none of them succeeded. Now there was a man who had three sons: Povl, Per, and Jesper, and they wanted to try their luck. Povl, the oldest, presented himself first, and was accepted into service. The next morning he went out with the hares. As soon as they had closed the gate the king said, "You must take care of them," but they were hard animals to care for, because as soon as they were outside they scattered in all directions. Povl saw no more of them, although he ran hither and thither, both far and wide. He had brought a snack with him from the palace, so when he got hungry he sat down to eat. Then an old woman came up to him and said, "Won't you give me a bite from your snack, little chap?" "No, I won't. I don't have enough for myself," he said. "Just be on your way." "Yes, I'll have to be off again," she said, and went on her way." After Povl had eaten, he of course again began to think about collecting the hares. "It doesn't look good," he said to himself. "How shall I find the hares and gain control over them?" He ran, and he sought, but he could not round up the hares, and in the evening he came back to the palace empty-handed. Then three strips of skin were cut from his back; pepper and salt were sprinkled into the wound; and finally he was banished from the land, for he had no money to pay the fine. At home his parent heard the news, and they were very discouraged. Nonetheless, Per, the second brother, wanted to try his luck as well. He reported to the palace and was also accepted into service. The king told him that he was to take care of the hares as soon as the gate was opened. But the next morning when they opened the gate, whoosh, the hares scattered to all four corners of the world. And, briefly stated, it did not go one whit better with him than with his brother. The same old woman came to him and asked for food, but he also said to her, "No, be on your way. There's nothing here for you." In the end, three strips of skin were cut from his back; pepper and salt were sprinkled into the wound; and he was banished from the land. The old parents were terribly angered to learn this. But then Jesper, the youngest son, came to them and asked permission to try his luck. He felt sure that luck would be with him and that he would win the princess. Until now he had never asked anything of them. The mother, in truth, held him in the highest esteem, so he was allowed to set forth. Approaching the palace, Jesper met the king behind the barn, but he did not know that it was the king. Jesper said, "Will you go in to the king, greet him from me, and tell him that I would like to serve here as the hare herder?" Why?" asked the king. "The king has proclaimed that the one who can tend his fifty hares for three days shall have his daughter to wife, and I would like to have her. "So that's it," said the king, "but do you also know, that if you cannot tend them, three strips of flesh will be cut from your back? And you should know straightaway that I am king." And thus the situation was decided. Jesper's service was to begin the next day. The hares were driven out, and as soon as the gate was opened, whoosh, they scattered in all directions, and not a trace of them was to be seen anywhere. "This is crazy," thought Jesper. "What kind of hares are these? How is this going to end?" He wandered about in the woods with his lunch-bucket under his arm looking for the hares. Growing tired and hungry, he sat under a tree to eat his snack, when the old woman came up to him and asked if he would not give her a little piece of bread. "Yes," he said, "you may as well eat my entire snack. I probably cannot eat anyway, and here is a big piece of meat; you may have it as well." What is the matter with you?" she asked. "Oh, I have taken on myself to win the princess, and now all the hares have run away. I cannot find them, and because of that I must now be banished from the land and never again see my father and mother." "Right, but we can find some help for you, because you were so good to me. But let's eat first." When they had finished, she took the gnawed bone and gave it back to him, saying, "I have made a flute from it, and when you blow into one end you can bring all the hares to you whether they are ever so far away or whether they are than under lock and key, if they are still alive. But if you blow into the other end, they will run away again to all corners of the world so fast that no one can get hold of them. You must always keep the flute with you, and if you use it right, you probably will have the good fortune to win the princess." Then the old woman said farewell and thank you, and went her way. "Thanks also to you," said Jesper and I can believe that he was glad for this flute, thinking that his difficulties were now over. As soon as the old woman was gone he gave it a try, and everything went well enough. When he blew into one end, all fifty hares came running up to him at once, and when he blew into the other end, they fled away like the wind. When it was evening he blew hares together, and dancing around him they entered the king's gate. The king himself came out to count them, and they were all there. Then he went to the queen and talked to her about what should be done. "We cannot let it be known that such a fellow is getting our daughter." They put their heads together, and at last the king said that the next day the princess should disguise herself and go out to him and seek to buy a hare from him Thus he would be lacking one when they were counted. In the morning when the hares were let out they ran away as usual, but Jesper thought, "Let the critters run. I'll win the princess anyway." Soon afterward, while he was lost in his own thoughts, a ragged urchin girl came to him and asked if she could not buy one of his hares. Her parents, she said, had guests and nothing fresh to offer them. "No, I cannot sell you one," he said, "for they are not my own, and I need a full count in the evening when I get home." Yes, she knew that, but still she asked what he would take for one. Finally he said, "If I lose the princess it would be the worst thing that could befall me, but if you must have one, you will have to give me a kiss for it." Yes, she agreed to do this, and she gave him what he asked for. Then he blew the hares together and gave her one of them in her apron. She made her way homeward, happy about the arrangement that she had made, but just as she reached the gate, Jesper blew on his flute, and whoosh, the hare jumped from her apron and was gone. With a sad face the princess went to her mother and told her what had happened. But she said nothing at all about the kiss. So there was another discussion as to what should be done, and the king and the queen together decided that the queen should go out and give it a try. So that afternoon, disguised in old clothes, she went out into the woods to Jesper and asked if she could not buy a hare. "No," he said, that was not possible, for they were not his own. She begged and promised so well that he finally agreed to let her have one. He blew the hares together, picked up one of them by its hind legs, and said, "If you want this one you will have to lift up its tail and kiss its behind." The queen thought that this was disgusting, but she would have to go through with it rather than to let her daughter marry such a fellow and be plagued with him throughout her life. Furthermore, no one would see her do it. So she got the hare, put it in a sack, and walked toward home with the sack on her back. But just as she was entering the gate Jesper blew on his flute, and whish, the hare jumped from the sack, leaving her standing there with a very sad face. Then she went to the king and told him part of what had happened, adding, "Now you yourself must go there, and do better than we have done. It is all about our daughter's happiness. "Yes," said the king, "but let us see what happens this evening. It could be that he will not bring all of them home." But, in fact, he was tired of the game. "Am I some miserable wretch who cannot keep hold of a hare?" he thought. That evening Jesper blew his hares together, and they obediently followed him to the palace grounds. The king came down and counted them, and they were all there. Well, the third day arrived, and Jesper went out with his hares. A little later the king, disguised as a huntsman and riding a dapple-gray horse, went out as well. Meeting Jesper, he said, "You have many hares out here." "Yes, I have half a hundred," said Jesper. "Would it be possible for me to see one of them." "Yes." Jesper blew on his flute, and all the hares came running up to him.. "Could I buy one of them?" asked the huntsman. "No, that's not possible," said Jesper, "for they are not my own. They belong to the king, and I have agreed to the conditions that if I do not keep all of them, then I will be banished from the land and punished further as well." "Oh, it won't be that bad for you," said the huntsman. "I will pay you whatever you ask for." "I agree with that," said Jesper "Stand by your horse and kiss it right under its tail, and then I'll give you a hare." The king turned as red in the face as an angry turkey-cock. It was terrible that such a simple oaf would dare to say such a thing to him. But he held his temper and thought, "If no one sees it, there will be no shame in it. I'll do what he says." So he stood by the horse, lifted up its tail, and kissed the beast right in its behind. Afterward he got the hare and put it in his saddlebag, which he buckled tightly shut. "It will stay there," he thought. But just as he arrived at the gate and was about to ride through, Jesper gave his flute a little tweet and whish, the hare was gone. "He is a dangerous lad," thought the king, and he was quite abashed that he had had no better luck than the others. That evening the lad came home with the hares at his heels, jumping and dancing. It was a delight. The king came down and counted them, and of course they were all there. In the meantime the queen and the princess had spoken to the king, claiming that Jesper's task had been too easy. The king agreed with them, so after the hares had been counted, he said to Jesper, "By rights you should have my daughter, but I find that you have won her too easily. You must admit that she will bring you great happiness. Therefore it is not unjust that one of these days I should give you a new test. If you can fulfill it, you shall have my daughter. So it shall be." Of course Jesper was not pleased with this, but because he could do nothing about it, he decided that the best thing would be to accept it cheerfully. Now the new task was to be extremely difficult, so there was to be a council to judge it. The king issued an invitation to all the princes and great lords who were unmarried to a grand feast when he would give his daughter away. They came from far and near, and gathered in the palace on the appointed day. After all the guests had eaten, the king commanded that a large brewing vat be placed in the middle of the room. Then he said, "Now, princes and lords, bear witness that the one of you who can tell this vat full of truths, he shall have my daughter." Then they began to tell stories, one after the other, but nothing came from the contest. Finally the king said, "Yes, we probably should have called on Jesper the hare herder. Let him try his luck." So it was Jesper's turn. He was not very good at storytelling, he said, but that could not be helped, so he would just relate how it went the other day when he was looking after the king's hares for the first time: "A girl in ragged clothes came to me and wanted to get a hare from me. She begged long and hard, finally promising to give me a kiss for one. She got the hare, and I got the kiss. And this girl was the princess, is that not so?" They all looked at the princess, and she turned red in the face, but then stood up and said yes. "Do you want to hear more?" asked the boy. "Yes, the vat is not yet full," said the king. So he continued: "In the afternoon of the same day an old woman came to me, and she too wanted to get a hare from me. At first I said no, but she kept begging, and finally I promised her a hare on the condition that she kiss its behind, and she did it too. And that woman was the queen. " "What are you saying?" cried the king. He stood up, and they all stood up as all. "Oh, never mind, let him have our daughter," said the queen. Everyone stared at her, and the boy said, "Is it not true?" "Yes," she admitted, but did not relate the whole story. "Should I tell any more truths?" said the boy. "Yes, the vat is not yet full." So he began again: "On the third day I went out with the hares, and a huntsman came by, riding on a dapple-gray horse, and he wanted to buy a hare from me, offering me gold or whatever I wanted, if he could have one. We finally agreed on a price: He was to stand by his horse, lift up its tail, and kiss its behind. I could see that he did not want to do this, but finally he did so anyway. And this huntsman was no one other than ..." "Stop! Stop! That's enough! That's enough! The vat is now full," said the king. He had heard enough. So Jesper got the princess and half the kingdom. The king put on the wedding, and it was so joyful that it was heard throughout the land. Jesper sent for his parents, so they too could be present, and I was there as well. I did not leave until late at night. They did not let me go until they had given me some of the wedding feast. I got beer in a scarf and bread in a bottle. Then they gave me a paper gown, a hat made of butter, and a pair of glass clogs for my feet. As I went outside the door my butter hat melted, and it ran down around my ears; and when I reached the pavement my glass clogs shattered. Then the wind tore my paper gown apart. I was about to eat a piece of bread to give myself strength, but when I broke the bottle to get at it, the bread fell into the dirt in the street. When I opened the scarf to drink a drop of beer, the beer ran out into the gutter. So there I stood, naked and barefoot and hungry and thirsty. As I stood there they shot a cannon salute for Jesper and the princess. The cannonball came flying by, but I was quick and jumped on it, and thus I was shot home to the others in order to tell them this story. Word of the week: Measure © Copyrighted
One of the newest rabbit breeds, named for the mane of long hair standing up in a fringe around the head. They are small rabbits, lively and energetic but good-natured. The Lionhead is a fairly short-furred little rabbit, with the exception of a mane of long wool around the face, neck, and possibly low on the flanks. They do look a like little lions. Origins The Lionhead gene is the first major mutation in rabbits since the Satin in 1932, and unlike other fur gene mutations it is dominant. This means that a Lionhead rabbit crossed with a normal rabbit will still pass on the 'mane' gene to some offspring, producing more Lionheads. We are going to explore the origins of the LionHead rabbit. There are differing accounts of where the Lionhead mutation first occured; some sources say it originated in Belgium, as a result of crossing Swiss Fox with Belgian Dwarf rabbits to create a long-coated dwarf rabbit, with the progeny then bred with the Dwarf Angora. Introduction to the Lionhead Breed Over in Europe... There has been a lot of speculation on how the Lionhead rabbit began. Bob Whitman, who was a very knowledgeable rabbit history buff and enthusiast, spent many hours researching the beginnings of this breed. He believed that the precursor of the Lionhead dated back decades earlier than first thought. Another widely held belief holds that they originated in Belgium in a litter of bunnies that was the result of the crossbreeding of the Swiss Fox and a Belgian Dwarf in which a genetic mutation produced an early version of the mane we have come to recognize on today's' Lionhead. Other crosses to a smaller wool type breed may have also been included in the crossbreeding. Some sources list the Jersey Wooly, although more accurately it would be the European Dwarf Angora (in the USA we have no Dwarf Angora so the name Jersey Wooly was added here). In the early 1960's the Lionhead rabbit appeared as a genetic mutation in a litter of rabbits in France and in crossbred litters in Belgium. The breeders were actually trying to produce a long-coated Dwarf. The parents of the crossbred litter was a Swiss Fox and a Belgian Dwarf. The exact trail of their development has been lost, however rabbits with "beards" were present in France in the mid-1960's. Ms. Meg Brown, renowned rabbit expert of Scotland, reported that these "bearded rabbits" closely resembled today's lionheads. Many experts believe that the lionhead rabbit originates from a crossing between a Swiss Fox and a Netherland dwarf rabbit, there is however no scientific evidence. Others state that the lionhead is a crossing between a Jersey Wooly and a Netherland dwarf but they can’t support their hypothesis with evidence. Although it is not likely that we will ever find out their true origination we can assume it is one of the mentioned theories. An undesirable trait in the Dwarf Angora, attempts were made to set the gene in a new breed, 'Téte de Lion'. Whatever its origins, the Lionhead certainly originated in Europe, and the Dwarf Angora played an important role in its early development. Belgian breeder Mr. Ronny de Clerq began breeding Lionheads in 1970. Through in-breeding and cross-breeding, he is credited with stabilizing and enhancing the breed as it is known today. At first weighing 3 kg (6.6 pounds) or so, he crossed his Lionhead bunnies with smaller dwarf breeds. This reduced the size of the breed, and it also introduced multiple color genes into the gene pool. Later, the breed was imported into England where continued crossbreeding of small breed rabbits and additional wool breeds were done. These cross-breedings made in Europe and in England created the current EUROPEAN LIONHEAD RABBIT. The one thing that we know for sure is that the result of the Lionhead, however they came about, was the first true gene mutation since the 1930's. Here in America... The first Lionheads that were used as a basis for any concentrated breeding programs in the United States were imported in 2000 by the late JoAnne Statler of Minnesota. In the following years, other breeders brought additional stock into this country. Tom Coats of Maryland, Theresa Mueller and Cheryl Rafoth of Washington State, Toni Tubbs, also of Washington and the late Bob Whitman of Rare Bits & Pieces in Texas also imported Lionheads from Europe. These imports, along with hybridizations made throughout the United States have produced the American version of the Lionhead Rabbit as we know it today. The five Lionheads that were first brought into Northern Minnesota were of very different varieties: a Silver Tipped Steel doe, a dark Siamese Sable buck(carrier of the Harlequin and Steel), a Harlequin (Black/Orange) doe, a Broken Chestnut Agouti buck and a Black sport buck (with a Dutch blaze, a carrier of the Vienna/BEW gene). In an attempt to broaden the gene pool, several Minnesota breeders began crossing the Lionheads to various other small breeds such as Netherland Dwarf, Britannia Petite, Polish, and Florida White. Holland Lops have also been used by some in the Lionhead breeding program. The North American Lionhead Rabbit Club was born... The North American Lionhead Rabbit Club (NALRC) was founded on September 29th, 2001 at the Minnesota State Rabbit Breeders Association State Show held in Elk River, Minnesota. Since then, I have grown to a club of over 300 members. The NALRC hosts a National Lionhead Rabbit show the first weekend in May in Columbus, Ohio each year. The club publishes an information packed quarterly Newsletter called the Mane Musings, and all new members receive a Guidebook and membership card. Each calendar year, the NALRC sponsors a Lionhead Sweepstakes contest. The first NALRC National Exhibition Show was held... The first NALRC National Lionhead Exhibition Show was held in May of 2003 in Columbus Ohio. The show was judged by Eric Bengtson. The show had an overwhelming entry of 204 Lionheads. At that first show, Lionheads were shown the same way as the Netherland Dwarf breed with varieties judged first, followed by selection of best in each group. This type of judging was used in hopes of persuading the ARBA to revisit the question of allowing the Lionhead Breed to enter the ARBA Standard Book as a breed shown in groups and not varieties. When the ARBA Standards Committee met during the 2003 ARBA Convention, a formal request made by Bob Whitman to make that change was denied. Every year since the first show in 2003, the NALRC continued to hold an annual National Lionhead Exhibition Show on the first Saturday in May, in Columbus, OH in conjunction with the Ohio State Rabbit Breeders Association (OSRBA) annual show. Varieties on COD were judged individually, and all competed for Best of Breed. NALRC will continue to hold a national breed show in the Spring every year, but with the recognition of the breed came the ability for ARBA chartered clubs to bid to host the specialty in other areas of the country. The Lionhead is one of the newest rabbit breeds and has been developed following a genetic mutation that causes the growth of a longer 'mane' of hair around the head. In nature, mutations occur quite frequently, and many breeds result from a mutation that is fixed through a selective breeding programme. Rabbits with the 'mane' gene were imported to Britain and bred with other small wool breeds and Dwarf breeds, to develop the Lionhead breed as we know it today. The Netherland Dwarf has had a particularly strong influence in establishing the compact body shape and small ears of the breed standard, and also introducing a wide variety of colors. Some people refer to this breed as Lionhaired, which is not an official name but generally understood to be a collective term referring to the hair type, the miniature version and the lop eared version, the mini-lion lop or dwarf lionhead. Sometimes the Lionhead rabbit is referred to as the 'Teddy Bear' rabbit, but this is also incorrect, as this name was initially linked to the Angora breed. Chronological History of the Lionhead Rabbit for the BRC 1995 Derek Medlock and Joyce Taylor were in Bruges for a rabbit show. A friend was collecting 12 Lionheads and Derek and Joyce, having already been introduced to the Lionhead at the Cambridge show by Mary Page went with him. When they arrived there were 21 rabbits and Joyce said that she would like the ones that their friend did not want. She was given the choice of color and chose Sooty Fawn, the rest as they say, is history. Recognition in UK It took more than 4 years to complete the process. Already in 1998 the Breeds Standards Committee (BSC) had a meeting where they spoke about the Lionhead breed. A year later a standard was proposed to the BSC to which they agreed. In the following years the working standard was accepted and an official lionhead club was founded. This club became part of the much broader rare varieties club. 1999 A proposed standard was put to the Breed Standards Committee and agreed provisionally. Mr and Mrs Gaunt were to be secretaries of the Lionhead Club under the umbrella of the Rare Varieties Club. Clarinette Stud were Best Unstandardised with a Harlequin buck at Bradford As from the year 2000 several presentations were held at the Bradfrord Championship Show in different colors. In 2000 The Working Standard was agreed by the Breed Standards Committee with the ring size to be 'C'. First Presentation of the Harlequin Lionhead at Bradford Championship show. You may be interested to know that the Judge was Mrs. Pam Honour, she was obviously impressed as she is now breeding and showing Lionheads. Clarinette Stud went Best Unstandardised with a Blue Lionhead. London Championship show - 1st presentation by Dee Millen of Agouti, Chin, Opal, Magpie and in partnership with Carmill Stud - Red Eyed White. 2001 The 2nd Presentation of the Harlequin Lionhead at Bradford Championship Show. 1st Presentation of the Blue Lionhead at Bradford. 2nd Presentation of Agouti, Opal, Magpie and REW, The Chinchilla had, with permission from BRC, changed homes to Sandoval Stud. 2002 Schlegel and Davies were Best Unstandardised with a Chocolate Lionhead The third and final Presentation of the Harlequin Lionhead. (Harley, the rabbit that won Best Unstandardised in 1999 was in this Presentation) 2nd Presentation of Blue Lionhead at Bradford The major breakthrough was at the first of may in 2002. Just several days after the latest Bradford show ended the British Rabbit Council (BRC) decided to officially recognize the Lionhead rabbit breed. The BRC standardized the Lionhead rabbit in all of its available colors. A week after Bradford the BRC Management Committee agreed to standardize the Lionhead in all recognized colors from May 1st. Therefore there are no restrictions for showing your lionhead in the UK, all colors can compete for best of breed and best in show March 23rd - National Lionhead Rabbit Club granted official recognition as the National Club for the breed. May 1st - STANDARDISATION AS IT IS TODAY May 5th - First stock show at Southern Championship show at Bognor Regis. Recognition in US I will circle back on some of the history we already covered to explain how the recognition developed. Bob Whitman, whom we have discussed on other episodes, was a highly respected rabbit enthusiast, breeder and author on all things rabbit and particularly enjoyed the more unusual breeds. He passionately researched rabbit history on his favorite breeds and spent many hours researching the beginnings of the Lionhead breed. He also held a COD for this breed. He believed the Belgian dwarf and Silver fox cross theory and also that other crosses to a smaller wool type breed may have also been included in the crossbreeding. Bob wrote a very good book called 'Domestic Rabbits and their Histories' which includes descriptions about the Lionhead rabbit breed, which we will have a link to in the show notes. Further development involved European Dwarf Angora also known as a Jersey Wooly in the USA. Later, the breed was imported into England where continued crossbreeding of small breed rabbits and additional wool breeds were done. This crossbreeding made in Europe and in England created the current European Lionhead rabbit we know today. In contrast with their relatively late arrival in the United States the Lionhead Rabbit was already very popular in Europe during the late eighties. The first Lionheads that were used as a basis for any concentrated breeding programs in the United States were imported in 2000 by the late JoAnne Statler of Minnesota. In the following years, other breeders brought in additional stock of which Bob Whitman was one, who also imported Lionheads from Europe. These imports, along with hybrids made throughout the United States, have produced the American version of the Lionhead that we see today. The first lionhead rabbit was imported in 2000, it would however take more than 14 years before the standard committee of the American Rabbit Breeders Association would stand (ARBA) would officially recognize the lionhead rabbit breed. The five Lionheads that were first taken into Northern Minnesota were of very different varieties: Silver Tipped Steel doe Dark Siamese Sable buck (carrier of the Harlequin and Steel) Harlequin (Black/Orange) doe Broken Chestnut Agouti buck Black sport buck (with a Dutch blaze, a carrier of the Vienna/BEW gene) In an attempt to broaden the gene pool, several Minnesota breeders began crossing the Lionheads to various other small breeds such as Netherland Dwarf, Britannia Petite, Polish, and Florida White. Holland Lops have also been used by some in the Lionhead breeding program which went on to produce lop eared mini lions. NALRC The North American Lionhead Rabbit Club was founded on September 29th, 2001 at the Minnesota State Rabbit Breeders Association State Show held in Elk River, Minnesota. The first NALRC National Lionhead Exhibition Show was held in May of 2003 in Columbus Ohio. The show had an overwhelming entry of 204 Lionheads. At that first show, Lionheads were shown the same way as the Netherland Dwarf breed with varieties judged first, followed by selection of best in each group. The first attempt to get the breed recognized in the United States was made by Arden Wetzel of Minnesota who held the first COD for the breed. He made his first presentation attempt in 2004 during the ARBA Convention held in Rhode Island. The attempt in 2004 failed in all five colors. He then made a second attempt in 2005 at the ARBA Convention in Indiana. Arden was successful in Tortoise in 2005 which meant the breed moved forward in Tortoise only. As of 1 February 2014 the ARBA officially recognized the breed in the varieties Tortoise and Ruby Eyed White (REW). hope of persuading the ARBA to revisit the question of allowing the Lionhead breed to enter the ARBA Standard Book as a breed shown in groups and not varieties. When the ARBA Standards Committee met during the 2003 ARBA Convention, a formal request made by Bob Whitman to make that change was denied. Here is an invaluable new reference book, bringing years of experience, research and information together into one handy publication. Over 200 breeds have been meticulously researched, making this title indispensable reading for all rabbit enthusiasts. COD "Certificate of Development" The COD process involves presenting the breed to the ARBA Standards committee at the organization's annual convention and show. This process requires that there be three successful presentations within five years in order for the breed to become recognized, and included in the ARBA Standard of Perfection. At this time there are several Certification of Development (COD) holders that try to get their variety officially recognized. In order to achieve this they must have 3 successful show presentations, this has to happen within 5 years. The current breed COD presenter is Theresa Mueller of Seattle, Washington. She made her first successful presentation at the 2010 ARBA Convention in Minneapolis, MN in November, 2010 in the varieties of REW, Black Tortoiseshell and Black. In November 2011, at the 88th ARBA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Mueller Lionhead presentation was assessed one fail in each variety (REW, Black Tortoiseshell and Black) due to disqualification of one junior animal in each variety having transitional wool on the flanks that exceeded the allowable maximum length. The ARBA Standards Committee then allowed Mueller to make a few changes to her proposed working breed standard, and also allowed the grouping all four varieties of Tortoiseshell (black, blue, chocolate and lilac) for her 2012 presentation. In October 2012, at the ARBA Convention in Wichita, Kansas, the Ruby-Eyed White (REW) and Black Tortoiseshell passed their next attempt at second presentation, therefore both varieties needed one more successful presentation at the ARBA Convention in October 2013 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for the breed to become recognized. The black variety did not pass, which ended Mueller's presentation process for that variety. In October 2013 the lionheads passed the evaluation by the standards committee in the colors of Ruby Eyed White and Tortoise. Those colors will are the only recognized colors, for now. Beginning with the 2014 ARBA convention in Ft.Worth, Texas other colors will begin the presentation process and attempt to also become accepted, show-able colors. As of February 1st, 2014 they have been eligible to show for Best in Show and receive legs of Grand Champion like any other of the accepted breeds. Despite the growing number of Lionhead breeders and excellent Lionheads crossing the unofficial show tables every year, the new breed turned out to be a hard sell to the ARBA. Eventually, however, certificates of development were issued. Lionheads finally passed their third showing at the 2013 ARBA convention, and have been eligible for competition at ARBA shows since February 2014. As of February 1, 2014, Lionheads have become officially recognized in the United States as the 48th rabbit breed of the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in the varieties of Tortoise (all 4 colors) and REW. This means that Lionheads in those varieties will be eligible to win legs of Grand Champion and compete with other breeds for Best In Show at ARBA sanctioned shows. They are also able to be registered with ARBA in REW and Tort, and receive certificates of Grand Champion. As of December 1, 2016 Chocolate and Seal were added to the list of recognized ARBA varieties. Per ARBA rules, show secretaries are not obligated to accept entries in any other variety except Tortoise, REW, Chocolate and Seal; however, most varieties on COD will most likely be allowed to be shown for exhibition, as may other colors that are not on COD. This means that they will be allowed to compete for Best of Variety (BOV) and Best Opposite Sex of Variety (BOSV), but will not be allowed to compete for legs of Grand Champion, Best of Breed (BOB), Best Opposite Sex (BOS) or Best In Show (BIS). Congratulations on the acceptance of the following new breed varieties at the 2016 ARBA National Convention in Del Mar, California: Lilac Havana, Chocolate & Seal Lionheads, Himalayan & Squirrel Mini Satins, and Blue New Zealand. Current Variety CODs: Chocolate, and Seal HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE PRESENTATION PROCESS AND WILL BE ADDED TO THE BREED STANDARD AS RECOGNIZED VARIETIES EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1, 2016. Sable Point and Siamese Sable will make their attempts at successful 3rd Presentation in Indy in 2017. BEW (Blue-eyed White) will be eligible to present in 2017. Black has recently been awarded a COD and will be eligible to begin the presentation process in 2018. Recognition in Europe? Strangely, the Lionhead rabbit is not a recognized breed in Europe nor has it been standardized anywhere. However there is an International Breeds Standard Confederation, otherwise known as The European Confederation of Rabbits, Pigeons and Poultry. (EE) Just like the BRC and the ARBA, the EE will oversee any new European breed and it must be breeding true to the original progenitor for at least four to five years before initial acceptance. Understanding how the hair genes work, will shed more light on their probable creation. Genes The gene that gives the lionhead its distinctive 'lion's mane' characteristic is a dominant gene, so breeding a pure-bred Lionhead with another rabbit will produce an animal with a the obvious mane and bib. This gene mutation phenomena is the most recent major gene mutation to happen in rabbits since the Satin gene occurred in 1932. From this mutation, breeders in Europe went on to develop this longer-haired breed of rabbit because of its striking mane and bib. Only a few Lionhead rabbit breeders have been given the official Certificate of Development, (COD). Development Appearance The Lionhead is a small rabbit, weighing around 1.3-1.7kg (3-3¾lbs). Lionhead rabbits have a compact, medium build with a short, broad and well-rounded body. The head is broad, slightly rounded and close-set on the body, with short, upright ears. Size: The Lionhead rabbit is a cobby, well rounded breed - Ring size C Weight: Adult Weight: Ideal 2.5 lbs to 3.5lbs Maximum 3.12 lbs Shape: The Lionhead rabbit has a small, compact body, short, cobby and well rounded, the shoulders and chest broad and well filled. The head should be bold, with good width between the eyes but not quite round from all sides, with a well-developed muzzle. There should be no visible neck. The hindquarters broad, deep and well rounded. Their legs are of medium length and they are of medium bone, not too fine with a stance to be high enough to show the full chest and mane. Ears: The Lionhead ears are not to exceed 3 inches (7.5cm) long. They are upright open ears, well covered, of good substance, but not furnished as an Angora. The ears should be balanced with the head and body. Eyes: The Lionhead rabbit should have bold and bright, eyes. The white coated lionheads should have red or blue eyes (the BEW not accepted by the ARBA). The eyes of any other color should be as per color standard. Self Varieties Ruby Eyed White Lionhead REW or Ruby Eyed White (Red Eyes) Pure white coat and undercoat. Notes: If the eyes are blue the rabbit is a BEW (Blue Eyed White). black lionhead rabbit Black (Brown Eyes) Rich uniform black color over entire body. Undercoat is dark slate blue. Lionheads may have a slight diffusion of the black color in their wool due to the nature of the wool itself. Newborns will be black on their entire body including belly and insides of the ears. Lionhead Rabbit Varieties The ARBA recognise the Lionhead breed in the following varieties: Tortoise - Black Blue Chocolate Lilac Ruby Eyed White - REW The BRC recognize all colors as long as they conform to a recognized color and pattern. The following color descriptions are based on the current breed standards, not all from the ARBA but will offer some guidance to the Lionhead colors and the way they can be seen on the breed, both in the adult rabbit and the kits. Included below are notes on how the colors can be faulted, i.e. if a rabbit does not meet certain color guidelines for that color variety then they are faulted or disqualified from show. Notes: Animals are faulted for having faded color, scattered white hairs, or a light under-color. blue lionhead rabbit Blue (Dark Blue/Grey Eyes) Rich uniform blue color over entire body. Undercoat is also blue. Lionheads may have a slight diffusion of the blue color in their wool due to the nature of the wool itself. Newborns will be blue on their entire body including belly and insides of the ears. Notes: Animals are faulted for having faded color, scattered white hairs, or a light under-color. Shaded Varieties sable point lionhead Sable Point (Brown Eyes) The nose, ears, feet, and tail are to be a rich sepia brown. The color of the points is to fade rapidly to a rich creamy body surface color, which has a creamy white under-color. Darker shading is permissible around the eyes. Newborns will almost look like REWs. Their points take a little bit to develop. Cold weather does affect their points and will make the points darker. Notes: Animals are faulted for having streaks, blotches, or smut on the body. Point color that is so light as to lose the contrast with the body color is to be faulted. Scattered white hairs are also a fault. Animals having a white underside of tail are disqualified. Siamese Sable (Brown Eyes) The surface color is to be a rich sepia brown on the head, ears, back, outside of legs, and top of the tail. The surface color will fade to a lighter sepia on the sides, chest, belly, inside of legs, and underside of the tail. The dark face color is to fade from the eyes to the jaws and all blending of color is to be gradual and free from blotched or streaks. The under-color will be slightly lighter than the surface color. Newborns will NOT be the dark rich color of the adults. They will be a light brown mocha color. Almost a silvery color with a brown tinge. Notes: Animals are faulted that have streaks, blotched, or poor color blending. Scattered white hairs, or lack of darker color in the loin area is a fault. Tortoise (Brown Eyes) On adults the points (ears and face) will be very visible in a dark brown. The undercoat will be lighter than the surface. Newborns will be orange on their back and head with dark flanks and dark insides and outsides of the ears. With the exception of the dark ears they will look like orange babies. Notes: Animals with a white belly or underside of tail are disqualified. Agouti Varieties The Agouti variety has banded hair shafts. The best way to tell is if you can see the rings caused by the banded hair shaft when you blow into the fur. Chestnut (Brown Eyes) The surface color on the top and sides of the body is to be a light brown, ticked with jet black. The intermediate band is to be a well defined orange over a dark slate-blue under-color. The chest is to be a light brown over a dark slate-blue under-color. The under-color of the belly is to be slate-blue. The top of the tail is to be black, sparsely ticked with light brown, over a dark slate-blue under-color. The nape of the neck is to be orange, with the ears laced in black. Newborns will have very dark bodies and will look similar to black newborns. The insides of the ears will be cream colored (black babies have dark ears inside and out). The first few days they will have pink underbellies. A week or so later they will have pearl white underbellies and tops of the feet. Notes: Faults are given to animals that are too light or too dark in surface color, or too light in the color of the intermediary band or under=color. White toenails are a disqualification. Chinchilla or Silver Agouti (Grey, Blue or Light Brown/Grey Eyes) The fur should look silver with black ticking. Blue undercoat. The ears should be black laced. When you blow into the fur you should see prominent rings. This is caused by the banded hair shaft of an agouti. The rings should be off white and slate gray. Inside of the ears, feet, ring around eyes and nose should be pearl white. Underside of the tail and belly should be white or silver. Notes: Animals are disqualified with extreme dark or light color, brown patches of color, or extreme brownish tinge in ring color. Animals without black lacing on ears are also disqualified. Opal (Dark Blue/Grey Eyes) The surface color on the top and sides of the body is to be blue mingled with fawn. The intermediary band is to be fawn over a medium slate-blue under-color. The chest is to be fawn over a medium slate-blue under-color. The under-color of the belly is to be slate blue. The top of the tail is to be blue, sparsely ticked with fawn, over a medium slate-blue under-color. The nape of the neck is to be fawn. Newborns will be mostly blue expect for their bellies and the inside of the ears which will be a pearl white. Notes: Animals that have light color on the surface will be faulted, in the intermediary band, or in the under-color. Other Color Varieties Orange Lionhead rabbit Orange (Brown Eyes) Orange coat with cream undercoat. Back of the ears should also be the same color orange. Inside of the ears, ring around the eyes and nose, belly and chest should be cream. Underside of tail and around genitals should be white. Newborns will be orange on their back and head with dark flanks - they will look similar to a tortoise at birth. The insides of the ears will be white and outsides of the ears will be orange - not dark colored. Notes: Faults include any smut (darker hairs) in the coat. UK Colors All colors found in other rabbit breeds are recognized in the UK, commonly; Agouti, Black, Blue, Butterfly, Chestnut, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Fawn, Fox, Lilac, Lynx, Opal, Orange, Otter, Sable Marten, Sable Point, Siamese Sable, Siamese Smoke Pearl, Silver Martin, Squirrel, Smoke Pearl Marten, Steel, Tan, Tortoiseshell, White (red or blue-eyed) Bi colors (white and one other color), Tri colors (white and 2 other colors) and various other shadings also apply. Fur Type / Coat Coat Lionheads have a normal rollback, dense coat of medium length over the saddle, and some have "transitional wool" on their flanks. The coat should be even all over yet some Lionheads have noticeably longer wool on the cheeks and chest, often with a finer flank line of slightly longer fur running down the length of the rabbit to the tail extending in a line to the groin. A small amount of extended fur around the flanks is permissible on under five months exhibits. Mane/Chest Lionheads have soft, medium length hair on their body, with a 'mane' of soft wool, 5-7cm (2-3inch) long, standing up in a fringe around the head and extending to a 'bib' on the chest. The mane of the Lionhead rabbit is of soft wool thick, with a crimping effect and at least 2"-3" (5cm-7.5cm) in length, forming a full circle around the head, standing up in a fringe around the head and extending to a 'bib' on the chest running into a "V" at the back of the neck. The mane should be between 5.0cm – 7.5cm (2-3in) in length extending to a ‘V’ at the back of the neck, falling into a fringe around the head, creating a "wool cap", with longer fur on the chest to form a bib. The quality of mane between Lionhead Rabbits varies a great deal. At the present time it makes no difference if they are purebred or crossbred. Some will have very dense manes, while others will carry a very long mane but it very thin in density. Some adults are loosing all but a wispy mane. Some adults loose their mane when they molt but then grow them back. Mane Genes The mane gene is dominant, therefore, both parents do not need a mane to pass it on to offspring; however, one parent must have a mane. It cannot be "carried". There are two genes involved – 'M' and 'm'. The mane seems to be a simple dominate gene with 100% of the offspring from maned rabbits (carrying two mane gene -2XM) bred with non-maned rabbits having a mane. These offspring are referred to as F1 generation crosses. It is impossible to tell the difference between purebred and hybrid bunnies as both type- those carrying heavy angora type wool all over their bodies or those with manes only – occur in both purebred and hybrid litters, and often as siblings. Mane Types Typically, the mane is thick, woolly and soft with evident "crimping". Depending on the pair of genes a Lionhead rabbit gets (one from each parent), it can have a double mane (two mane genes) or a single mane (one mane gene). A Lionhead rabbit can have a maximum of two mane genes. The only way to tell if a rabbit is single mane or double mane is when they are first born, past that many things contribute to how much mane they actually end up having including chewing on the mane by themselves or others and mats. single maned lionhead rabbit Single Maned Single mane Lionhead rabbits only have one copy of the gene responsible for creating a mane on a rabbit, called the mane gene. Single mane Lionheads typically do not hold a mane for their entire lifetime. They have a mane that can be around its head, ears, chin and sometimes on the chest and rump. The mane may be wispy and thin and may disappear on some rabbits altogether as they mature. The genotype for the single mane is Mm. Typically their mane wool diminishes as they get older. Single maned Lionheads are usually the product of a purebred double mane Lionhead being bred to a rabbit of another breed (process called hybridization), in order to strengthen a particular characteristic or introduce a particular color into the Lionhead breeding program. Kits born from single manes or hybridization with double manes that do not have manes are called "no maned" because they did not get a copy of the mane gene. Without a mane gene, a rabbit will not have a mane nor will they be able to produce a kit with a mane, unless bred to a rabbit with either a single or double mane. Double maned lionhead rabbit Double Maned Double maned Lionheads have two copies of the mane gene. They typically have a thick mane of wool encircling the head and sometimes have wool on their flanks that some refer to as a "skirt". The geno-type for a double maned Lionhead is MM. A double maned Lionhead is the product of either two single maned Lionheads (will have single manes in the litter) or two double maned Lionheads. Two double maned Lionheads will only be able to produce double maned Lionheads when bred together. Many double-maned Lionheads have excessive fur on the flanks and some can develop tufts on the tips of the ears, these are considered a fault in the show standard. Double-maned lionhead kits are easily recognizable. They are sometimes informally referred to as "gremlins", because of their appearance. Compared to a single maned kit, there is a large difference. "Gremlins" tend to have a V shape on the back, where the fur starts to grow. BREEDING LIONHEAD RABBITS LIONHEAD RABBITS seem to be very easy to breed and most do not appear to have any difficulty kindling. Doe's have about 3-9 kits per litter (Litter size seems to be tied to overall size of the doe with small does under 3 pounds having smaller litters). Most are very good mothers with abundant milk supplies. Breeding Lionheads true to the breed standard is not simple. As double-maned rabbits often develop too much fur, and single-maned rabbits usually lose some of their mane in adulthood, breeding the ideal Lionhead is complex. Babies: Baby Lionheads tend to have longer fur in the vent area, similar to some lop-eared breeds. Therefore they tend to paste up more than other breeds. It is important to check babies that are 2-5 weeks old on a regular basis to prevent infection due to pasting up. If they do paste up, wash the vent area by putting under a light stream of lukewarm water until all material can be loosened and removed. You may also want to put some antibiotic ointment in the area. Many carry wool all over their bodies at first, with most starting to shed it out at about 6-7 weeks, until only a skirt remains. In most young Lionheads, somewhere near 10 weeks this wool will also begin to disappear and should be gone by 16 weeks of age. Some bunnies are born with so much wool on their bodies that they resemble a baby Angora. Some Lionheads never shed out the underwool in the coat to degree that will allow them to shown under the American Standard. Some Lionhead Rabbits carry the wool/mane down their face between their eyes (which is very undesirable under the Purposed Working Standard), and they all seem to have wool on their cheeks (which is allowed under the Purposed Working Standard.) Lifespan Average lifespan of the Lionhead rabbit is 7 to 9 years but as with any of the domestic rabbit breeds, the age is dependent on their care and more importantly, their diet. Personality Temperament The Lionhead rabbit is a breed that is relatively new and still in the development process. Their temperaments can differ between breeders depending on the parent breeds used to produce each line. Lionheads are generally good-natured rabbits, although lively and often timid. Gentleness and understanding are needed to win their trust and bring out the best in their personality. They can be quite outgoing and sociable and will thrive on attention. They are usually energetic, active and playful, and despite their small size, need plenty of space to run and play. They are quite timid when you compare them with some of the other small breeds like the Netherland dwarf but with all rabbits giving them the right king of gentle attention, along with gentleness and understanding will help them gain your trust. Lionheads need experienced handling since they can easily be frightened and because of this, may become aggressive. For these reasons they are not generally recommended with children. Some Lionheads may have a more skittish, or even aggressive nature. The Lionhead is a recent breed and still under development in many countries, temperament can vary quite a bit depending on the breeds used to develop each line. If you intend to buy a Lionhead rabbit, buy from a reputable breeder or rescue centre and observe the rabbit's temperament. When buying a Lionhead rabbit, also enquire as to any hereditary dental concerns. Training Generally Lionheads are easy to train as they are very smart creatures. They can comprehend certain orders like come, and play, eat etc and will respond to their own name. They are also very easy to litter box train and for that reason make very good house rabbits and home companions. Purpose The Lionhead rabbit was originally created as a show breed but has become a very popular domestic pet rabbit. Breed Status The Lionhead rabbit received official breed status with the ARBA in February 2014. Because it is still a relatively new breed there are still some colours and varieties that have yet to be officially approved and are still under development. It has been a recognised breed with the BRC in the UK since 2002. The Lionhead rabbit is overall, a relatively new breed and there will be certain differences in some varieties for some time until the breed develops a 'true' breed status. Lionheads have also been put to Dwarf Lops to create a Dwarf Lion Lops or mini lion lops. Rabbit Care & Handling Grooming The longer wool of the Lionhead's 'mane' needs to be combed once a week to prevent matting and daily grooming is necessary during moult. Young rabbits (2-4 months old) : Young Lionhead Rabbits have a little extra fur/wool on their bodies, particularly on the lower hindquarters area. This body wool will molt out by about 4 months old, and it is important to make sure they have adequate fiber in their dies as they molt this out to prevent wool block. Regular grooming at this stage is important so the Lionhead doesn't ingest to much of their own shedding wool causing a wood block in the intestines. Once they reach adulthood they do not require extensive grooming in the way that other wool breeds do. Older rabbits (4 months and up) : If your Lionhead Rabbit carries excess wool/fur on their body, particularly on the lower hindquarters area, most likely it is a double mane gene Lionhead. These require you to maintain extra fiber in their diet to prevent wool block. Some people feel the double mane gene Lionhead Rabbit will not be showable as adults due to the excess fur/wool, regardless they play an important roll in breeding. Grooming the mane (all ages); The Lionhead Rabbit mane can become felted similar to other wooled breeds, so it needs to be carefully brushed out periodically. Since the wool of the mane is similar to the English Angora wool, it can be pulled out if combed or brushed too vigorously, so it is important to be both patient and gentle. Top Tip The odd chunk of fresh pineapple in their diet, especially during shedding, is a great solution to possible hairball problems, as the acidic nature and other compounds in the pineapple helps to break down any hair that might be caught in the gut. (It acts a bit like drain unblocker!) Teeth Like all rabbits, the Lionhead can develop dental problems and this breed may be more prone to dental disease than other breeds and have more risk of developing hairballs, leading to digestive problems, both of which can be potentially fatal conditions. Their teeth should be checked regularly for signs of overgrowth and their diet should include fibrous vegetables that will help keep their teeth down. Enamel spurs and overgrown molars can prevent them from eating properly and can cause abscess injuries in the mouth so it’s vital that the teeth are kept in good order. Weight Avoid overfeeding. An overweight bunny can find it difficult to groom themselves and if fur is allowed to become soiled with urine or faeces it can attract flies. These flies lay eggs in the fur and the maggots can burrow into the rabbit’s flesh, causing painful open wounds that will require veterinary attention. Disease Vaccines All rabbits should be vaccinated against Viral Haemorrhagic Disease and Myxomatosis and should be treated regularly for fleas, ticks and worms. It’s also worth considering spaying any non-breeding females in order to prevent uterine cancer, which is common in all female rabbits. Outdoors If your rabbit is going to live outdoors their house must be large enough for them to hop at least 3 decent sized hops (surprisingly this can be up to 6 foot for this breed) and be tall enough for them to stand upright on their hind legs. It should be completely weather and waterproof and positioned out of direct sun and wind. The hutch should have shavings and straw on the floor and should also provide a covered area where the rabbit can nest. The hutch must be cleaned out completely once a week and droppings must be taken out every day. A hutch or house should not be the ONLY area where they live. Regardless of whether your Lionhead is going to live indoors or outside, They should have access to a LARGE exercise area when they are at their most active - early morning and late evening. A very large run or secure area of garden will allow them the opportunity to stretch their legs and indulge in their love of exploration. Indoors If they are to live inside, and Lionheads are very suited to indoor life, they can be easily taught how to use a litter tray. They must be provided with an area where they can retire to, hide away and relax completely. A dog crate or indoor cage is ideal but if they are given free run of the house (like cats and dogs are afforded the luxury of, so why not rabbits?) then they will usually find their favourite place, usually under a bed or behind a sofa etc. Just make sure all wires, cables and anything precious are out of the way and off the floor. Be aware that the rabbit could be near your feet, as they love being close to you, and take care not to step on them when you are moving around. Diet This should include good quality hay, rabbit pellets and lots of fibrous green leaves and vegetables like kale, cabbage, carrot tops and dandelions with constant access to fresh, clean drinking water. Handling It’s also worth making sure you know how to pick up and hold your rabbit correctly. Rabbits can struggle and panic if they’re held incorrectly. They’re stronger than they look and can injure their backs if they fall incorrectly or can give you a nasty scratch in their efforts to escape. Clubs & Organizations NLRC - National Lionhead Rabbit club is an organisation for all Lionhead rabbits enthusiasts within the UK. Its prime objective is to encourage the keeping, breeding, exhibiting and development of the Lionhead Rabbit through out the United Kingdom. NALRC - The North American Lionhead Rabbit Club is the official ARBA Chartered National Breed club for the Lionhead rabbit. A place where all people interested in every aspect of the Lionhead rabbit could come together to share information regarding the breeding, keeping and showing of this breed. LionheadRabbit.com - Is an online Lionhead rabbit community that brings together people who have a large interest in this special rabbit. It is free to join and they have a popular Facebook page. http://www.justrabbits.com/lionhead-rabbit.html www.lilymoonlionheads.com https://lionheadrabbit.com/about-lionhead/history/ http://www.lionhead.us/aboutlionheads/ http://www.raising-rabbits.com/lionhead-rabbits.html http://www.rabbitmatters.com/lionhead-rabbit.html http://www.bunnyhugga.com/a-to-z/breeds/lionhead.html https://lionheadrabbit.com/ http://rabbitagroworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/brief-history-of-lionhead-rabbit.html http://www.lionheadrabbitclub.co.uk/lionhead-history.html http://www.lionhead.us/aboutlionheads/standards.htm Cuter than cute, softer than soft, these twelve bouncing bunnies are pictures of pure innocence and charm. Twelve bright and detailed photographs celebrate the world of "bunny hood". The large format features big daily grids with ample room for jotting appointments, reminders, and birthdays. Also included are six bonus months of July through December 2017, moon phases, and U.S. and international holidays. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/03/tibetan-folk-tales-wolf-fox-and-rabbit.html How the Wolf, the Fox and the Rabbit Committed a Crime When an evil man gets mad at his enemy, he beats his horse on the head. Tibetan Proverb. ONCE upon a time a wolf, a fox and a rabbit were walking along the road together when they met a wizard carrying a pack on his back. The rabbit said to the rest of them, "I'll go limping along in front of this fellow and he will put his load down and try to catch me, and you two slip around behind him, and when he puts his things down, you get them." Sure enough, the man put his pack down, picked up some rocks and started after the rabbit in hot haste, while the wolf and the fox got his load and ran off with it. He came back pretty soon, when he found he couldn't catch the rabbit, and found his things were all gone. In great grief he started down the road, wondering what he would do and how he was going to live. Meanwhile the wolf, the fox and the rabbit met in a chosen place and opened the pack to see what was in it. There were a pair of Tibetan boots with many layers in the soles, which made them very heavy, a cymbal with a tongue or clapper, an idol of tsamba and some bread. The rabbit acted as divider and said to the wolf, "You have to walk a lot, so you take the heavy boots." And the wolf took the boots. To the fox he said, "You have a lot of children; you take the bell for them to play with, and I'll take the food." The wolf put on the boots and started out to hunt a sheep. The boots were so heavy he fell on the ice and couldn't get up, and the shepherd found him and killed him. The fox took the bell and went in to his children ringing it, Da lang, da lang, da lang, and thought it would please them, but instead it scared them all to death. So the rabbit ate up the idol of tsamba and all the bread and got the best of that bargain. Word of the week: Harem © Copyrighted
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