The English Spot originated in Britain in the mid 19th century, became a very popular breed and much sought after as a household pet. The English Spot is a friendly, inquisitive rabbit with an engaging personality.
Origins
The English Spot originated in Britain in the mid 19th century and unusually for that time was intended as a fancy rather than a commercial breed from the outset. The English Spot was developed through selective breeding of non-pedigree stock bearing a resemblance to the Great Lorrainese (from which the Giant Papillon/Checkered Giant is derived). The English Spot became a very popular breed and much sought after as a household pet. It was exported to Europe around 1890, where it is known as the Papillon or English Butterfly, and to the United States around 1910.
Appearance
The English Spot is a medium sized breed with an average weight of around 2.5-3.5kg (6-8lbs).
English Spots have a medium build, with a long, arched body that shows the markings to best effect. The head is fairly broad and the ears sturdy and upright.
English Spots have a white coat with coloured markings. They have coloured ears, rings around the eyes, cheek flashes and a butterfly-shaped marking on the nose. A dorsal stripe (herringbone) runs down the spine from ears to tail, with a chain pattern of small spots running from hips to neck on each side.
Breeding well-marked English Spots is not straightforward. In most litters around half the young will have good markings, there are usually self-coloured (one plain colour) and partially marked young as well. Rabbits with partial markings are often called 'Charlies', this is thought to stem from the partial butterfly marking on the nose which looks like a 'Charlie Chaplin' moustache.
The English Spot has short hair and a soft, shiny coat.
Colour
Black, Blue, Grey, Chocolate, Tortoiseshell (also Gold and Lilac in the USA)
Temperament
The English Spot is a friendly, inquisitive rabbit with an engaging personality. They are lively and energetic and need plenty of exercise with space to run and jump. They can be very playful, often displaying some entertaining acrobatics. Their sweet nature means they are usually very good with children.
