Rabbit Breed Profiles: The Silver Fox

The third breed of rabbit developed in the United States, the Silver Fox, is a beautiful and unique breed that was created for both meat and for harvesting its unusual fur. Originally called the American Heavyweight Silver, the Silver Fox was recognized as a breed and approved back in 1925. Sadly, however, the Silver Fox is now a rare breed of rabbit, with its numbers dwindling enough to draw concern amongst rabbit fanciers.

The History of the Silver Fox

The American Heavyweight Silver rabbit was originally bred by Walter B. Garland of Ohio. While the mix that went into creating this unusual rabbit has remained a secret, it's known that Garland also raised the beautiful antique silvered Champagne d'Argents and another popular breed, called the Checkered Giant. Some suspect that the Champagne d'Argents were crossed with self (solid) colored rabbits to create the general type for the breed and the silver coloring, and then the Checkered Giants may have been used to increase the size of these beautiful rabbits. It's also speculated that the American Blue may have also been crossed into the mix, helping to improve upon the rabbit's meat production. This may also explain the appearance of the Silver Fox's blue variety.

Recognized and approved by the American Rabbit Breeder's Association in 1925, the breed's name would be changed 4 years later to the American Silver Fox. Over time, this would eventually become simply the Silver Fox.

While they were originally recognized in two varieties - black and blue, the blue Silver Fox were dropped from the ARBA Standard of Perfection during the 1970's, due to the declining number of them being exhibited. At this time, there were less than 20 dedicated breeders who were registered as members of the National Silver Fox Rabbit Club. Today, the Silver Fox is considered endangered and at risk of becoming extinct, though a few dedicated breeders are attempting to keep the breed alive.

The Silver Fox Appearance

The most striking feature of the Silver Fox is, of course, his fox-like coat. Unique to the breed, when their fur is brushed from tail to head, it will remain standing upright until it is brushed back down in the opposite direction. Unlike other breeds, the Fox possesses no natural flyback to his coat.

The Fox comes in two colors - black and blue. The black variety is a rich color that runs down to a slate blue, nearest the skin. The blue is a deep blue-gray in shade. Both varieties have dark toenails, brown or gray eyes (depending on variety) and a light ticking (or silvering) of white or silvery-gray hairs over the head that becomes more abundant and prominent when one reaches the Fox's ears and body. This fur is said to resemble that of a wild artic fox, hence the breed's name. Silver Fox babies are born either solid black or blue, and the silvering takes up to 4 months to complete, more and more silver hairs appearing until the coat finishes.

Silver Fox rabbits mature to be a compact and thickly-built 9-12 pounds. Like most commercial breeds, they have a gently arched back that ends in well-muscled and meaty hindquarters.

Is the Silver Fox Right for You?

While the Silver Fox is a large and intimidating-looking double-digit pounder, he is also considered to be the teddy bear of the commercial rabbits. Gentle and quiet, they are docile rabbits that enjoy a calm hand and soothing voice. Despite their large size, they are not an overly active rabbit and, therefore, do not require a great deal of space.

The downfalls of the Silver Fox are that they are considered "critical" on the endangered list and are, for this reason, somewhat difficult to find. When you do locate a reputable breeder, you may find that good quality Silver Fox are probably going to be somewhat pricey and difficult to obtain. Those who are looking for pet quality foxes are more likely to have better luck, provided they live near a breeder. For more information, contact the American Rabbit Breeder's Association or the National Silver Fox Rabbit Club, both of which are likely to have a list of breeders they can give you.

　

Sources:

The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA)

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC)

Rabbit Breeder for many years