The American Chinchilla Rabbit originated in France and is most commonly breed for the utilization of meat consumption. They are not related to Chinchillas even though they have the name Chinchilla. Chinchillas and rabbit belongs to completely different genus.

They became popular at the turn of the century in the Americas for their fur coat and the surplus of meat this breed provides. Breeders usually breed these rabbits for commercial use pertaining to the meat and fur of the rabbit. Breeders commonly nickname these rabbits as the Heavyweight Chinchilla Rabbit. Even though they are mainly for commercial use they can also be a household pet rabbit.

The American Chinchilla rabbit is known to mature fast, which is another reason they are for commercial use. Usually the rabbits grow very fast reaching full maturity at just six pounds. Like the deer, the male rabbits are called bucks and the female are does.

Facts about the American Chinchilla Rabbit

All rabbits are known for impeccable eyes sight and the chinchilla hold true to this stereotype. They also have keen hearing and great senses of smell. Probably one of the coolest aspects of rabbits is that they have almost a 360 degree vision largely due to the placement of the eyes on the very far side of the head. They can easily see predators or someone sneaking up behind them due to this cool vision feature.
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How long do these rabbits live?

They have a lifespan of anywhere from seven to ten years depending on the care of the rabbit.

Appearance of the American Chinchilla Rabbit

• weighs on average of 9lbs to 12lbs
• compact body
• short neck
• broad head
• short erect ears
• multicolor grey chinchilla coats of fur, with tips of white fur
• undercoat can be a light shade of blue
• ears are generally laced with a black strip of fur
• slight curve in their backbone and elongated body shape
• can run or hop up to 40mph
• 28 teeth

Disposition of the American Chinchilla

• docile and very sweet in nature
• known to make very good pets
• love to be cuddled
• usually enjoy a lot of petting or playing

Feeding Habits

• herbivores
• enjoy pellet food, grass, and lettuce
• limit sugar intake or fruit consumption –have intolerance to high amounts of sugar
• alphalpha is great to feed the babies for nutritional growth due to high calorie content
• once adult or reaching a mature rabbit weight it is smart to switch to oats or hay to maintain proper body weight
• even though they like grass avoid giving them yard clippings grass is sometimes sprayed with contaminants

Often shown in fairs or rabbit shows these rabbits are very versatile for anything from commercial breeding, meat consumption, or pet owning. They are easy to take care of and make great household pets due to their sweet nature and low maintenance needs.