rabbit breed lifespan?

Question
I'm confused about which breeds live longer. In a book I read that larger breeds tend to live longer than small breeds, however, at a pet expo I attended, the Wisconsin House Rabbit Society chapter manager told me that in his experience netherland dwarfs live longer(14+ years) than large rabbit breeds such as Flemish Giants(9+ years). Which is true?
Also, what about rex rabbits? do they tend to live long in they're well taken care as indoor pets?

Answer
Dear Nando,

I have to agree with the Wisconsin folks.  I've found that dwarf bunnies live longer, with dwarf/Dutch hybrids being the champions of longevity.

You can't really tag a particular breed with a most likely lifespan.  The average is about 8-10 years with good care, but that's expanding all the time as rabbit medicine progresses to the same level as cat/dog medicine.

It's true that the giant breeds have shorter lifespans than others, possibly for the same reasons that dogs such as Great Danes and Mastiffs live shorter lives than normal sized dogs:  their organs just aren't up to the task of maintaining such a large body.  But when I say *giant* I mean rabbits 14 lbs. and over.  Big bunnies (up to 10-11 lbs.) can live as long as medium sized rabbits (such as Rexes).  A lot depends on genetics of the particular bunny, husbandry, and good old-fashioned luck.

Hope that helps!

Dana