No matter what sort of animal we’re talking about, there is always something mysterious, majestic and beautiful about all black fur or feathers. And rabbits are no different.
Most rabbits have a calm, serene disposition, and when their velvety for is as black as night it combines to give them a downright regal air.
Whether you want a rabbit as a pet, want to take your chances on the show circuit, or just want to raise rabbits as livestock for meat, fur, or both, there’s bound to be a beautiful black breed that is just perfect for you.
Keep reading and I’ll tell you about these black rabbit breeds…
1. Lionhead
The Lionhead rabbit easily earns its name thanks to the distinctive mane of hair surrounding its head, looking very much like the mane of a male lion!
This relatively new breed was developed in Belgium, and the rabbits are predominantly kept as pets and for show because of their unique appearance.
While the breed is known for a glossy black coat, they also come in a variety of other colors including white, blue, and chocolate.
An interesting fact about Lionheads is that they may have a ‘double mane’ gene, which means they can have two overlapping manes!
Looks magnificent, but I can assure you that will add up to a lot of brush care for your bunny!
2. Alaska Rabbit
The Alaska rabbit, despite its name, originated in Germany, not Alaska. They were initially bred for their fur, which is uniformly satin black and has a beautiful luster to it.
However, they also make good pets due to their calm demeanor. The Alaska rabbit also only comes in one color assuming it’s a purebred: black.
Despite coming back from the brink of extinction and being relatively common today, the Alaska rabbit is not particularly popular as a pet, or as a utilitarian breed for meat or fur.
3. Silver Fox
The Silver Fox rabbit is a versatile breed, known for its meat production and its dense, beautiful fur, which is highly sought after in the fur industry.
That’s because it is said to be almost identical in color and texture to the actual, Arctic-dwelling silver fox.
This breed is unique because its fur stands straight up when stroked backward, and then falls back into place.
While they are named for their silver-black color, they also come in other tones of blue and chocolate.
Because of their considerable beauty, Silver Fox rabbits are also very popular with rabbit fanciers and that rabbit shows.
They’re also remarkably friendly and gentle, making them great pets. Truly a rabbit that can do it all!
4. American Fuzzy Lop
The American Fuzzy Lop is a small rabbit breed that is highly popular as a pet and show animal due to its adorable good looks and quirky, playful personality.
They are also known for their soft, wooly coat and were in fact originally bred for their wool, which is similar to that of the Angora rabbit.
They come in many colors, including black, but also white, blue, brown and more. Before you commit to one of these rabbits, you should know that they are extremely energetic and require lots of exercise every day or else they will develop behavioral issues.
Also, because of their high energy and tiny size, they might not be the best pet for families with little kids.
5. Flemish Giant
The Flemish Giant is one of the oldest and largest rabbit breeds, often weighing up to a whopping 20 pounds! Truly immense!
These gentle giants were originally bred as livestock for meat and fur, but their incredibly gentle disposition has made them popular pets as well, with many turning into minor internet celebrities as they pose next to the family dog and their owners.
They come in many different colors, including black (of course), but also blue, fawn, light gray, steel gray, sandy, and white.
6. Havana
Hailing from Holland, not Cuba, Havana rabbits are nonetheless named in allusion to that long sequestered country.
Specifically, it’s said that their dark fur looks very much like the tobacco leaves of the famous Cuban cigars! Havana rabbits are known for this dark, luxurious, and chinchilla-like fur.
Though they were first indeed bred as fur-bearing stock for the fur industry, their sweet natures and fancy looks have made them popular pets and show animals.
Havana rabbits come in three colors besides black: blue, chocolate, and broken, the latter being a mingled or interrupted primary color with white.
7. French Lop
Lots of domestic rabbit breeds were developed in France, and in case, you couldn’t tell the French Lop is one such rabbit.
French lops are a large breed of rabbit known for their floppy ears and robust physique. They were initially bred for meat but are now commonly kept as pets due to their friendly and playful personalities.
They come in a wide variety of colors, not just black, and are known to need lots of room to themselves. Perhaps not the best breed for confined spaces and apartment dwellers.
8. Satin
Satin rabbits are named for their uniquely delightful fur, which has a high sheen and incredible softness that lends this breed their name.
The black variety is especially magnificent, with a pearlescent sheen that makes them one-of-a-kind among rabbits!
The Satin rabbit, despite its incredible good looks, was actually originally bred for its fur and meat, and only later recognized for its show qualities.
In fact, the Satin was developed as an accident from a breeding experiment underway on Havana rabbits.
Like most black rabbits, Satins are not just all-black, all the time; there can be found in white and other colors as well.
9. New Zealand
New Zealand rabbits are the single most popular breed for meat production around the world due to their very large size and astounding growth rate.
Many specimens can attain a full 14 pounds in just 2 months! They’re also commonly used in laboratories for research specimens, kinda sad!
The New Zealand breed exhibits considerable variation in both maximum size and in color; while they’re most commonly white, they can regularly be found in partial- or all-black, red, and other colors and patterns.
10. Polish
Tiny, diminutive and adorable, the Polish is known for its quirks: small, pointy ears and erratic behavior. Although friendly and good pets, especially in confined spaces, they have a reputation as being nippy and unpredictable.
Not so great for new or nervous rabbit owners! Originally an all-white breed, in the years since their introduction a variety of colors were introduced, including all-black, blue, chocolate, and white.
Despite their tiny, typical weight of 4 pounds they have a reputation for being active and energetic, so make sure you have plenty of time to play with them if you want to invest in one!
11. Rex
An impressively large European breed created in the early 20th century, Rex rabbits are known both for their size and strength and also for their plush, velvety fur.
Their fur, which is prized for making many products, gets its quality from a distinctive black undercoat which might be topped by contrasting color hairs.
These big, handsome bunnies come in a wide range of colors, including jet black, and are known to be intelligent and easy to train, making them a favorite pet and show rabbit for fanciers.
Good pets, and healthy, but they need plenty of room to run and lots of engagement or else they might grow stressed from boredom.
12. Beveren
The Beveren is one of the oldest and, today, rarest rabbit breeds. Originating from Belgium, they were initially bred for their fur and sometimes for meat.
Known for their large size and dense coat, which comes in either blue, black, and white. Despite their great size and stocky build, Beverens are known for their curious and playful personality, and also for their willfulness.
This makes them a handful for first time owners, and one not suited for keeping cooped up; these rabbits, more than most other domestic breeds, really need spaces outside to play in and explore.
13. Jersey Wooly
Jersey Wooly is a small rabbit breed known for, of course, its wooly coat! They look more like sheep than rabbits, but despite this impressive fur, the Jersey Wooly is wonderfully easy to care for, in stark contrast to other frizzy-fur rabbits like Angoras.
These petite rabbits are typically only kept as pets or used for show due to their friendly personalities and distinctive appearance; they are too small to offer much meat, though their unique coats do have some special merit for textiles.
Jersey Woolies likewise come in wide variety of colors, not just black. One of these cuties might be a perfect pet for you, especially if you don’t want to fuss with much haircare.
14. Satin Angora
The Satin Angora is a truly unique rabbit: combining the lengthy coat of the Angora with the incomparable sheen and softness of the Satin.
What’s more, they have short fur on their head and faces, giving them a manicured look like no other rabbit. As you might expect, their fur is highly prized in the textile industry.
Calm and friendly, they make a fine pet, but the maintenance requirements of their coat will make caring for them a part-time job, and taking them outside will leave them a dirty mess!
Satin Angoras, like most rabbits on our list, come in other colors than black.
15. Mini Lop
Probably the single most adorable bunny on our list, the Mini Lop is a small rabbit breed known for its floppy ears, round, expressive face, and round body covered in downy, fluffy fur.
For most of us, this is the very picture of what a precious, sweet rabbit looks like! Mini Lops are typically kept as pets due to their docility, which borders on laziness.
There’s nothing these rabbits love more than lounging around relaxing with their pals and with their humans!
Mini Lops come in a huge array of colors, including black, gray, tan, buff and more. But be cautious of these little squirts.
Their tiny bodies are often much smaller than the outline of their fur suggests, and they have a knack for slipping through bars and grates because of it!
16. Netherland Dwarf
The Netherland Dwarf is one of the very smallest rabbit breeds, nearly the smallest all-black rabbit on our list, weighing in at less than 2 1/2 pounds fully grown.
They are obvious pets due to their small size and cute appearance, looking like a precious baby rabbit for their whole lives. But, you might be surprised to learn that these pint-sized rabbits are quite spunky!
They’re known for being active and alert, and require more playtime than other pet rabbits of any size. Netherland Dwarfs can be found in a variety of colors besides black, including gray, white, and tan, and broken.
Despite their small size, they’re also prolific breeders and may produce litters comparable to bigger breeds!
17. English Lop
English Lops are known to be the progenitors of all other lop-eared rabbits today. Known for their extremely long ears, which can reach lengths of over two feet!
A heritage breed originally developed for meat, they are now kept as pets and show rabbits. English Lops come in a variety of colors, including black, and are known for their laid-back personalities.
Notably, English Lops that are all-black will still have pink inner ears, producing a delightful contrast that gives these rabbits an almost sporty look.
18. Mini-Rex
Mini-Rex rabbits are nothing more than a smaller variety of the full-size Rex above. Similarly known for their plush, velvety fur and also for their small size and much lankier build.
They were bred as an experiment to produce the same plush fur as their larger cousins, but in a rabbit that would grow to a size suitable for harvesting in a shorter period of time.
Also like their larger relatives, their sweet, calm nature and high intelligence also makes them popular pets. While Mini Rex rabbits are indeed found with all black fur, this is actually kind of a rare color for them.
19. French Angora
French Angoras are large rabbits known for, like all Angora breeds, their long, fluffy, wooly fur. But the French Angora was specially selected for its short-haired face which makes management and grooming much simpler.
Originally bred for their wool, used throughout the textile industry, they also make excellent pet rabbits.
French Angoras come in many colors, including black, and all will require regular, intensive grooming to keep that fabulous wool in good condition.
20. Holland Lop
Another lop-earned breed, Holland Lops are small rabbits with plump, round bodies and those floppy ears we all love.
Descended from the French Lop above, they were bred as pets and show rabbits, and their tiny size-rarely more than 4 pounds- and friendliness makes them a favorite the world over.
Holland Lops come in many more colors than just black, including broken, gray, white, and more.
21. Mini Satin
The Mini Satin is, as the name suggests, a smaller variety of the Satin rabbit, and like its larger cousin, famous for shiny, satin-like fur.
They were bred not for their fur but to maximize their appeal as pets and show rabbits, an endeavor which has paid off splendidly since the 1970s when they were created.
As befitting their specialized nature as an appealing pet rabbit, Mini Satins come in a huge range of colors, including black, gray, tan, fawn, broken, and more.
These surprisingly active rabbits do best with plenty of playtime and also love to be petted by their humans.
22. English Angora
Another long-hair breed, the English Angora is known for their long, fluffy wool which requires constant grooming to prevent matting.
But unlike the other Angora varieties on our list, the English Angora produces the longest, and also the most wool. Their wool is incredibly dense, thick and long, and is highly coveted for spinning into yarn.
23. Britannia Petite
The Britannia Petite is one of the smallest rabbit breeds around, and the smallest black rabbit on our list. Routinely weighing 2 1/4 pounds or less when full grown, they’re often kept as pets or show rabbits.
However, many erstwhile owners don’t account for their incredible energy levels which can make them a handful. Britannia Petites are usually broken in color, but solid colors to include black are fairly common.
Tom has lived and worked on farms and homesteads from the Carolinas to Kentucky and beyond. He is passionate about helping people prepare for tough times by embracing lifestyles of self-sufficiency.