British Miniature Lop (Miniature Lop) is a relatively new breed of rabbits. They were developed by mating the smaller Dutch lop(holland lop) in the Netherlands in 1970. Unlike the holland lop or the English miniature lop, the American Mini lop (Mini lop) is an ancient rabbit breed dating back hundreds of years existed before. So do you know the origin of their names? Let's take a look with the editor below.

Mini Lop

British Mini Lop

The origin of the British Mini Lop is definitely attributed to a Dutch rabbit breeder, Adrinn de Cock. From 1949 to 1950, he began to successfully mate a huge French Lop (French Lop) with a small Netherland Dwarf (Netherland Dwarf), and Breed 6 young rabbits. But disappointingly, these 6 young rabbits did not carry the characteristics of lop-eared rabbits. In 1952, he selected 1 female rabbit and a fawn-colored English Lop (English Lop) among the 6 young rabbits (French lop and Dutch dwarf mixed blood) Mated and bred 5 young rabbits (French pygmy, Dutch pygmy and English pygmy mix). Among the five young rabbits, one had lop ears, two had erect ears, and the other two had semi-lobed ears. In the same year, he selected one of the five young rabbits (French, Dutch, and English) for another mating with 1 of the first batch (French and Dutch). . Then repeated mating and breeding, and in the past 9 years, he successfully bred the first batch of relatively small Dutch lop rabbits in history. In 1964, the Dutch lop rabbit was first available to the world and was certified by the Dutch Rabbit Council at the same time. At that time, the average weight of the Dutch lop rabbit was 2-2.5 kg.

In 1970, the Dutch Lop Breeding Association, headed by Adrinn de Cock and composed of twelve members, was established in the Netherlands. The number one goal of the Dutch Lop Breeding Association at the time was to breed lop rabbits that were smaller than the Dutch lop (lop-eared rabbits under 1.5 kg). It took them more than ten years to use selective breeding methods to repeatedly mate the smallest Dutch lop rabbit in the rabbit group, and finally successfully cultivated a small Dutch lop rabbit under 1.5 kg.

1969-1970, the Little Holland Lop was introduced to England by George Scott. In just one year, George Scott bred the world's smallest lop-eared rabbit breed and named this new breed: British Miniature Lop. At that time, the first British Miniature Lop bred by George Scott, the average weight was only 1.36 kg.

August 1, 1994, the British Miniature Lop was finally recognized by the British Rabbit Association. The British Rabbit Association stipulates that the maximum weight of a purebred British Miniature Lop must not exceed 1.6kg. The British Mini Lop is now one of the most popular rabbit breeds in British society.

The British Miniature Lop has not been recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association for the time being. ARBA believes that mini lops are simply Dutch lops that are smaller in size and weight. (This reason is up for debate, same example: Lion Rabbit is not recognized by ARBA).

The British Miniature Lop, often referred to as the Mini Lop in the UK. It is worth reminding here that the Mini Lop in the UK and the Mini Lop in the US are not the same breed at all. The American Mini Lop/Binny Lop (Mini Lop) is known as the Dwarf Lop in the UK.

American Mini Lops

The origin of the American Mini Lops is attributed to a group of monks in Central Europe. The German and French history museums recorded that the wild American Mini Lop was domesticated and selectively bred by this group of Central European monks as early as 1194. These early American mini lops were named Patagonia or Andalusian lops by the Germans. At that time, the early American Mini Lop was a kind of meat rabbit.

In 1869, in Darwin's second book Variations of Animals and Plants under Domestication, with indisputable facts and rigorous scientific assertions, he further elaborated on his large lop-eared rabbit. The Evolutionary Perspective.

In 1840, rabbit exhibitions became popular throughout Europe, but breeders also began to worry about the problem of breeding space. In 1954, German breeder Erhard Diener began experimental breeding, comparing the slightly smaller American Mini Lop. In 1957, the small American Mini Lop was first boarded, certified by the Central Association of German Rabbit Breeder's. However, it wasn't until 1964 that the American Mini Lop was officially certified for the first time. At the time, the American Mini Lop was the smallest lop-eared rabbit breed in the world, which is where the American Mini Lop got its name from. The English Lop is the largest breed of lop-eared rabbits in the world. Other large lop-eared rabbit breeds are French Lop and German Lop.

In 1964, Mr. Herschbach, an American, bought three American Mini Lops at the Rabbit Exhibition of the Center of the German Rabbit Breeders Association and brought them back to the United States. After 10 years of selective breeding, Mr. Herschbach, for the first time, brought the American Mini Lop to the stage of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. But it wasn't until 1980 that the American Mini Lop was first confirmed in the United States, and was named Mini Lop. As the smallest lop-eared rabbit breed at the time, the American Mini Lop was popular throughout the United States. Within a year, the American Mini Lop Rabbit was purchased by more than 500 people from the American Rabbit Breeders Association.

In 1981, the American Mini Lop Association was formally established.

At the same time that the American Mini Lop Association was formally established, a smaller breed of lop-eared rabbits - the holland lop (holland lop) and a smaller British mini-lop rabbit bred a few years later (miniature lop), also subsequently breeding certified. As a result, the American Mini Lop (mini lop) is no longer the smallest and most miniature lop-eared rabbit.

In the late 1980s, the American mini lop was introduced back to Europe. But at that time, the British miniature lop was certified by the British Rabbit Association as the smallest lop-eared rabbit in the UK. So, the American mini lop, was renamed Dwarf Lop in Europe.

UK VS US

British Miniature Lop = 'smaller size' Holland Lop

Dwarf Lop = American Miniature Lop/Binnettrap Ear Rabbit (Mini Lop )