The Netherland Dwarf is the smallest of the domestic rabbits. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA)34 accepts a weight range of 1.1–3.5 lb (0.50–1.59 kg), but 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) is the maximum allowed by the British Rabbit Council (BRC).5 The small stature of the Netherland Dwarf was initially the result of the dwarfing gene: dw. Its short neck and rounded face are additional features of neoteny.
Many small rabbit breeds have the dwarfing gene, but the Polish and the Britannia Petite are among those that do not. They have attained their small stature solely through selective breeding of successively smaller generations (a process called dwarfing).
Some small rabbits (often mixed breeds) are a false dwarf, a rabbit that did not inherit the dwarfing gene.
One of the smallest species of wild rabbit is the Marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris), an excellent swimmer6 that weighs 2.2–2.6 lb (1.00–1.18 kg).
The following table includes rabbit breeds currently recognized by ARBA78 or by the BRC9 that have a maximum weight of 4 lb (1.8 kg). Also included is a small breed from Germany, the Teddy Dwarf.10
Hu, Dou (May 2014). Identification and analysis of the dwarf mutation in domestic rabbits (Master's Thesis) [Identifiering och karaktärisering av dvärg mutationen hos tamkaninen] (PDF) (Thesis). Examensarbete. Vol. 444. Uppsala: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences - Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics. pp. 1–26. Retrieved 19 February 2018. https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/6908/11/hu_d_140622.pdf ↩
Fiorello, Christine V.; German, R.Z. (February 1997). "Heterochrony within species: craniofacial growth in giant, standard, and dwarf rabbits". Evolution. 51 (1): 250–261. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1997.tb02406.x. PMID 28568789. S2CID 205780205. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1558-5646.1997.tb02406.x ↩
Standard of Perfection 2016-2020. American Rabbit Breeders Association. 2015. ASIN B018GVBJK4. /wiki/ASIN_(identifier) ↩
"ARBA Recognized Breeds". American Rabbit Breeders Association. Retrieved 19 February 2018. https://arba.net/ ↩
"Breed Standards 2016-2020" (PDF). British Rabbit Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180121125834/http://www.thebrc.org/Mono%20Breed%20Standards%20Book%20APRIL%202017%20small.pdf ↩
Compton, Gail (29 September 2012). "Swimming Rabbit Surfaces". No. Lifestyle. The St Augustine [Florida] Record. Retrieved 22 February 2018. http://www.staugustine.com/living/garden/2012-09-28/swimming-rabbit-surfaces ↩
"Herzlich Willkommen auf den Webseiten des Teddykaninchen-Clubs". Teddykaninchen Club. Retrieved 22 February 2018. http://www.teddykaninchen-club.de/home_index.html ↩