is there such thing as a siberian rabbit?

Question
hi my name is jazzie

i am a beginner in breeding rabbits and i would just like to know if ther really is such thing as a siberian rabbit. i ve heard that they are rare but i dont know if they even exist

thankyou for your time and if you have a picture of 1 can you please send it to me

thankyou

your faithfully

jazzie

Answer
Jazzie. Here is a 2 part answer to your question. First, there actually is a rare rabbit, found in England and called the Siberian rabbit. It is small and is black or brown, all over. It is, or usewd to be, exhibited for show. It is small, about 6 pounds. It was used to develop the "Alaska" Breed in the USA, which was an accepted ARBA breed for about 10 years, from 1970-1980 or so. Since it was a lot like the Havana breed that now exists, few people raised it and it eventually disappeared.

NOW, you are probably asking about the hoax or joke "Siberian" rabbit that we occasionally see that looks like a tiger striped rabbit. The photo that you have seen was a part of an advertising campaign about 8 years ago, but that 'made-up' picture has circulated for a long time. NO, there is no such rabbit, rare, common, or otherwise. I am sorry to disappoint you, but that coloration gene doesn't exist in rabbits, which is why we just don't have striped bunnies..Spots and patches, but no stripes. Don't let people fool you on this one, Jazzie. Good question, however, no such animal with tiger stripes. Best wishes, Steve