A Few Facts About The Lionhead Bunny
The Lionhead bunny is an interesting little critter. It is so-named because of the wool mane that grows around its face, similar to the mane on a male lion. Not all Lionhead bunny rabbits resemble lions, which if anything makes them all the more interesting, as the "mane” on their heads can take on a number of shapes and sizes.
Some of these Lionheads, when viewed from the front, have mane growing on most parts of their face and look more like small toy dogs. Others could easily pass as dust mops, while sill others have nicely defined manes, whether they resemble that of the lion or not. Because of all the differences, establishing a standard for the breed has often been a bit of a challenge. Generally, the closer the mane appears to resemble that of a lion the better, although that's not a strict requirement for show purposes. Too much woolly mane however can be a reason for disqualification.
The Lionhead bunny is fairly new to the United States, introduced just over ten years ago, and the breed is not yet fully recognized by the American Rabbit Association. The breed has been established and recognized in the United Kingdom for quite some time.
Crossbreed Or Mutation? - The origins of the Lionhead are somewhat cloudy. For a time it was believed it was the result of cross breeding between fur-bearing and wool-bearing rabbits, and there may have been some cross breeding involved at one pint in time. The generally accepted theory today is that the Lionhead bunny is a mutation, and as such cannot be duplicated by any amount of cross breeding.
The Lionhead bunny carries a gene that results in a mane. Genes come in pairs, which means that some Lionheads carry one mane-producing gene, and others carry two. Those that carry only a single gene often lose their manes over a period of time or at least the manes become smaller with time. Those Lionheads who carry two mane-producing genes tend to keep their manes. A Lionhead can be crossbred with another breed. As long as one parent has a mane gene, the offspring can have manes, though all might not. A rabbit without at least one mane gene can never have a mane.
Breeding of Lionheads hasn't simply stopped with trying to produce rabbits with manes. There is a lot of activity going on in attempts to gain better control over the look or type of main that a bunny will exhibit. For those who want to show their Lionheads, it's important that the manes on their bunnies will conform to the standards currently in place. Complicating the picture somewhat is that some Lionheads are born with full manes while others are born without manes but develop them later. Some are even born completely covered with wool, where the wool on the body is eventually replaced with fur, but the wool about the head remains.
One Gene Or Two - Some breeders are convinced that to produce bunnies that are most apt to meet show standards, only bunnies with both mane genes should be bred. Others argue, that since only one gene is needed to produce a mane, it's better to cross breed Lionheads with bunnies having no mane gene, thereby strengthening the breed and having a bit more control over what the mane's appearance will be. All babies born to such a union will have at least one mane gene, and in theory should be capable of having a mane.
Should you decide to purchase a Lionhead bunny from a breeder, and they make great pets, see the animal first or at least a picture of it. Although it's bound to be adorable, you might be in for a surprise, albeit a pleasant one, unless you're specific about what characteristics you expect in the mane.