Do you know that all domestic rabbits came from one common ancestor - the European wild rabbit? At the moment, it is found in Western Europe and in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. Man domesticated a wild rabbit. They tried to breed him in a variety of conditions: they were fed differently, the selection was also different. As a result, man managed to create many cultural breeds of the animal.
Of course, in the eighth century, domestic rabbits were the same color as wild ones. But among them brownish, yellow, blue, white and black individuals have already begun to occur. Color changed as a result of a mutation. And then the animals developed significant differences in body weight, hair type and ear length.
I wonder what a ram rabbit looks like? A common feature of this species are long drooping ears and a humpbacked "lamb" head. This breed is characterized by a dense physique. But there are exceptions: the English ram, for example, has a long and slender body.
Decorative rabbit breeds were bred exclusively for home keeping. There are a lot of dwarf breeds now. But fold animals are especially fond of kids and adults. They have funny little hanging ears. In fact, lop-eared sheep rabbits resemble tiny touching lambs.
For this breed, the ideal weight is from 1300 to 2000 grams. These cute babies have a dense, “compact” body with rounded hips, a short neck and thick, strong legs. A wide forehead and flattened cheeks are located on a flattened muzzle. And, of course, the rabbit of the ram breed has long ears, which delights the owners of furry pets. On average, the length of his ears ranges from 24 to 28 cm. Such a rabbit lives for about 14 years.
The lop-eared rabbit of the ram breed is distinguished by a peace-loving character and an unpretentious disposition. These animals are friendly, very playful and funny. But their females are more sociable and energetic than males.
And French ram rabbits were bred in 1850. It was believed that they came from the crossing of German giants with fold rabbits. As a result, a large-eared ram appeared. French rabbits are found mainly in agouti colors. They are a great breed. This species also has beautiful fur.
French rams are quite friendly and calm. But they are not suitable for living near small children. This animal is large. Its minimum weight is 5 kg, and the maximum has not yet been established. It requires too much space for movement. Such rodents are unsuitable for cage, but can live perfectly in the house as a pet.
The domestic rabbit of the ram breed has been known to people for several hundred years. With two or one drooping ear, it is represented in old images. Charles Darwin described lop-eared rabbits in 1858. He wrote that an animal needs ears to catch a sound or its direction. But under the auspices of humans, rabbits stop using this organ. And this sign is reinforced with each generation.