black rabbit shedding white fur

Question
We have a black rabbit that lives in a pen outdoors.  She has started shedding white fur!  Is this normal?  Thanks

Answer
Dear Beth,

The hair shaft of a black-furred bunny is not usually black all the way down.  In most rabbits, the tip of the hair shaft is black, but the lower parts of the shaft are light gray, or even paler.  

What you are probably seeing is the lower part of the hair shafts in the shed fur.  If you pick up a bit, you'll see the black tips.  

Also, shed fur tends to have become faded over the course of it's tenure on the rabbit, so this can contribute to the paler appearance of the shed fur.

Hope that helps.

Dana