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One of the oldest and hardiest domestic rabbit breeds, instantly known by its white saddle…
English Spot
A slender, athletic marked breed with a butterfly nose, an eye circle, a herringbone spine stripe and a chain of spots down each side. One of the most active rabbits kept, and bred to be seen running.
Lifespan5-9 years
Typical priceSee guide
Weight2.3-3.6 kg
Height30-38 cm
Breed groupFancy
Kennel Club recognisedNo
Also calledEnglish, English Butterfly, Spot
We do not have enough English Spot adverts yet to publish a price range from our own data. The figures in the price section below are an editorial estimate.
Pros
- Energetic, curious and genuinely entertaining to watch
- Healthy, with no exaggerated features
- Short coat requiring almost no grooming
- Friendly and sociable when well handled
Cons
- Needs far more space and exercise than most pet rabbits
- Too busy to suit somebody wanting a placid lap rabbit
- Markings are very hard to breed, so good ones are expensive
- Can be nervy if under-handled as a kit
English Spot characteristics
Scores are editorial, and describe the breed in general. Individual animals vary, and how a dog is bred and raised matters more than its breed.
Health tests to ask for
Ask to see the certificates, with the parents' registered names on them. "Parents health tested" in an advert means nothing on its own.
- Dental check - incisor and molar alignment
- RHDV1, RHDV2 and myxomatosis vaccination record
- Parents seen, and seen handled
- Bottom checked for soiling and flystrike risk
- Ears checked for mites
What is an English Spot?
A medium rabbit of 2.3-3.6kg, slender and long-legged, with a distinctive set of markings: a butterfly-shaped mark across the nose, a circle round each eye, coloured ears, a herringbone stripe down the spine, a cheek spot and a chain of spots along each flank.
They are a "running breed", shown in motion rather than posed, because the markings are judged on a moving animal.
History and origins
Developed in England in the mid-19th century, one of the oldest fancy breeds, and closely related to the continental Checkered Giant and the Rhinelander. Victorian fanciers competed on the precision and symmetry of the chain.
The markings come from a gene that does not breed true: mating two marked rabbits produces marked, solid and "charlie" (under-marked) offspring in roughly a 2:1:1 ratio, so only about half of any litter is show-marked.
Appearance and size
2.3-3.6kg, 30-38cm. Slim, arched and fine-boned, with long legs that hold the body clear of the ground - a posture bred deliberately so the flank chain shows when it moves. Upright ears.
Black, blue, chocolate, grey, gold, lilac and tortoiseshell markings on white.
Temperament and personality
Lively, inquisitive and busy. English Spots are among the most active rabbits kept as pets - they run, explore and investigate constantly, and they are more interested in their surroundings than in sitting still.
Well-handled they are friendly and sociable. Under-handled they can be nervy, and the breed does need early, regular contact.
Intelligence and trainability
Bright and quick. They litter-train well, learn routines fast and do genuinely well at rabbit agility, which suits the athleticism. Food-motivated and responsive to clicker work.
They are also very good at getting out of things, so enclosures need proper fastenings.
Children and other pets
Good with supervised older children who understand that this is a rabbit to watch and play with rather than to hold. They dislike being restrained more than the placid breeds do.
Keep in a neutered pair. Never with a guinea pig.
Health problems
Few inherited problems - a normal skull, upright ears, a short coat and no exaggeration anywhere.
Breeding two marked rabbits produces some "charlie" offspring, which are under-marked and can have reduced gut nerve development, so a breeder should be pairing a marked rabbit to a solid one rather than marked to marked.
Otherwise the universal list: gut stasis, an emergency within hours; dental disease; myxomatosis and RHDV1/RHDV2, vaccine-preventable; flystrike May to October; E. cuniculi.
Five to nine years.
Daily care routine
Hay, water, litter, back-end check twice daily in warm weather, and - more than with most breeds - time and space out of the enclosure. A confined English Spot is a frustrated one.
Nails every six to eight weeks, annual vaccination.
Grooming and coat care
A weekly brush, more in a moult. Nothing else. Never bathe.
Exercise needs
The highest of the common pet breeds. The 3m x 2m x 1m minimum is genuinely a minimum here, and they want length to run rather than just area. Daily time in a large secure space is not optional, and agility-style obstacles are well used.
Feeding and diet
85% hay, unlimited. Daily leafy greens and a measured eggcup of single-component pellets. No muesli. They burn more energy than a placid breed, so condition-score rather than feeding by a fixed chart.
Price
£40-£120, with well-marked show animals at the top. The markings are difficult, so a perfectly healthy under-marked or solid rabbit from the same litter costs much less and makes an identical pet.
Setup £300-£600; running costs £600-£1,000 a year for a pair.
Buying advice
Ask whether the parents were marked-to-solid or marked-to-marked. The first is the responsible pairing.
Ask how much the kits have been handled, because this is a breed where under-socialisation shows. Watch one move - a healthy English Spot is springy and busy.
Do not pay a premium for markings unless you intend to show. Check teeth, ears and back end, do not buy under eight weeks, and ask for the vaccination record.
English Spots available now
No English Spots are advertised at the moment. Save this search and an email goes out when one is listed.
Breeds like the English Spot
All rabbit breedsA shortlist rarely has one name on it. These sit closest to the English Spot on size, coat and temperament, and each one has a full guide.
Worth reading before you buy
All adviceGoing to see a English Spot? Take the rabbit checklist with you. It is the questions worth asking while you are stood in somebody's kitchen, rather than on the drive home.
