Fun Florida White Rabbit Facts For Kids

The Florida white rabbit is a breed of rabbit that was first bred in Florida by a breeder named Orville Miliken. This breed was mainly bred for commercial purposes, for its meat and fur, but it soon made its way into households as pets. These rabbits are amazing pets as they are friendly, playful, and love to be around people.

As their name would suggest, these rabbits are plain white with no markings or patterns on the body. They have red albino eyes too! Compared to other breeds of rabbits, these rabbits have a rounder body with a shorter neck, they have a well-developed body with thick upright ears. Their white fur has a good density and great texture!

In general, albino rabbits are very rare in the wild and are only found as pets. This is because they are bred specifically for the pet trade. Albino rabbits lack melanin and are sensitive to sunlight so wild forests are not an ideal place for them to live.

These rabbits have a social temperament and are curious and docile in nature. If you like learning about rabbits check out our facts about the Rhinelander rabbit and swamp rabbit too.

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What type of animal is a Florida white rabbit?

The Florida white rabbit breed is a rabbit that originated in Florida, United States as a lab animal. It serves as a show rabbit, meat rabbit, and pet rabbit. These rabbits are one of the most popular pets in the United States (after the famous Labrador Retrievers of course!) due to their easy-going nature.

What class of animal does a Florida white rabbit belong to?

The Florida white rabbit belongs to the mammal class of animals. Having mammary glands to feed their young, three ear bones, a fur coat, and a neocortex (region of the brain) all classify these animals as mammals. In their range, these herbivorous animals control populations of plant communities by grazing.

How many Florida white rabbits are there in the world?

The total population of the Florida white rabbit cannot be stated due to a lack of data. It can be said, however, that these rabbit breeds have a high population throughout the United States as they are popular animals to keep. They are great pets that can be trained as show rabbits, farmed for meat, or even play a role as a pet! Due to this multifunctionality, breeders of Florida white rabbits breed them all year round.

Where does a Florida white rabbit live?

The Florida white rabbit is not a wild animal so not much is known about their wild habitat, but in rare instances, these rabbits can live in grasslands and meadows with other mammals, like the black-footed ferret.

What is a Florida white rabbit's habitat?

The Florida white rabbit is a domestic animal which means they cannot survive long in the wild. These rabbits require temperate or tropical conditions to thrive in. In domestic habitat as pets, it is recommended to give them plenty of room to roam around as they are curious animals. They should also be provided with a clean cage that has hay or aspen wood shavings as the base of the cage.

Who do Florida white rabbits live with?

The Florida white rabbit is a docile rabbit breed and can adapt to various living conditions. These rabbits thrive as pets and can live with other pets like guinea pigs or other rabbits. This rabbit breed also gets along well with its own breed on farms and with breeders. In the wild, rabbits live in a social group in burrows or warrens.

How long does a Florida white rabbit live?

The Florida white rabbit breed has a lifespan of between five and eight years if provided with the proper care and a healthy diet. This rabbit breed can be affected by health issues like vitamin D deficiency as a result of staying indoors throughout their lives. Another health issue that can hamper the body type of this rabbit is GI stasis, a  deadly condition where the digestive system stops functioning completely.

How do they reproduce?

Rabbits can breed all year round, and the Florida white rabbit is no exception. Both male and female Florida white rabbits become sexually mature when they are seven to eight months old.  When in heat, these rabbits signal their readiness to mate by marking other animals or inanimate objects with an odoriferous substance that is secreted from the chin gland, this process is known as chinning.

After mating, the gestation period of this rabbit breed, much like other rabbits, is usually 30 days. Females give birth to between six and eight babies.

What is their conservation status?

The Florida white rabbit breed is currently Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List. This rabbit breed can be found all over the United States thanks to breeders and farmers who breed them to either sell as pets or for the consumption of their meat. The Florida white rabbit breed is not close to being endangered or near extinction and with breeders and farmers showing no sign of stopping the breeding of these adorable animals, they will thankfully continue to exist!

What do Florida white rabbits look like?

The Florida white rabbit breed is relatively small in size in comparison to other rabbits. This breed of rabbits has a compact body with a relatively short neck. They are fine-boned with a well-developed body and thick ears that are small and stand upright but can fall on either side of the body. Their back, shoulders, and hindquarters are muscular and they are white in color.

* Please note that this is an image of a white rabbit, not a Florida white rabbit specifically, if you have an image of a Florida white rabbit please let us know at [email protected]

How cute are they?

Florida white rabbits are super cute animals! Their amazing white coat of fur, small size, and floppy ears make them one of the cutest animals.

How do they communicate?

The Florida white rabbit is normally silent. They are, however, capable of loud screams and squeaks when they are injured or scared. This breed of rabbits communicates amongst themselves using visual, tactile, chemical, and acoustic methods. They thump their hindlimbs on the ground to warn others of dangers and leave scent cues to mark their locations.

How big is a Florida white rabbit?

The average length of a Florida white rabbit is unknown. These rabbits are small in size in comparison to other rabbit breeds.

How fast can a Florida white rabbit run?

Florida white rabbits can run at a speed of 30-40 mph (48.2-64.3 kph)!

How much does a Florida white rabbit weigh?

Florida white rabbits, with their small size and solid body, reach an average weight of 4-6 lb (1.8-2.7 kg) as adults.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male Florida whites are called bucks and female Florida whites are called does.

What would you call a baby Florida white rabbit?

Baby Florida whites are called kittens. Kittens are born naked and blind making them completely helpless. Mother rabbits take good care of their kitten and they nurse their kittens with their extremely rich milk.

What do they eat?

Florida white rabbits need a good diet that consists of high-quality pellets to provide extra minerals and vitamins alongside fresh vegetables.

Are they friendly?

Florida white rabbits are extremely friendly and are a curious breed of animal. They love to explore and hop around! They also can show signs of laziness when they are tired.

Would they make a good pet?

The Florida white rabbit is an amazing pet for all ages! They are a calm and docile breed. They are easy-going, have a friendly temperament and are easy to handle. They will make a great pet for families that have kids, and even novice pet owners as well!

Did you know...

The Florida white rabbit is albino in nature.

Florida whites have a good meat-to-bone ratio so they are used in domestic farms for their meat.

Florida white rabbits are often confused with their cousins, the New Zealand white rabbit since they both have a similar physical appearance. They can, however, be easily differentiated by their weight as the New Zealand white rabbit weighs 4.4-6.6 lb (2-3 kg), making them heavier than Florida whites.

Florida whites have won many shows at national and international events!

These rabbits can achieve a maximum jump distance of 36 in (91.4 cm)!

White bunnies like these Florida whites are more common in households and farms than in the wild, they are not rare.

Keeping Florida white rabbits

The price of these rabbits will depend on the breeders that sell them. It can range from $25 to more than $100, with the most expensive ones having a better coat of fur and a more muscular body. It can cost around $145 each month to care for a pet rabbit.

The Florida white rabbit is a small breed of rabbit and hence it will not require a large habitat to stay in. A cage that is 24 x 36 in (60.9 x 91.4 cm) is enough for them to comfortably stretch, hop and sit up in. These rabbits are chewers, so keeping a chew toy in the cage is recommended and to avoid harm to their soft feet you will need to layer the base of the cage with hay or rabbit-friendly bedding. This should be replaced regularly to keep the cage fresh and safe from bugs or parasites.

What are Florida white rabbits bred for?

The Florida white rabbit was first bred by a rabbit breeder in Florida called Judge Orville Miliken. Miliken wanted to breed a high-quality rabbit that was a jack of all trades, meaning it should be a good show rabbit, a meat rabbit, and a good family pet.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these European rabbit facts and Russian bear dog facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Florida white rabbit coloring pages.

* Please note that the main image is of a white rabbit, not a Florida white rabbit specifically, if you have an image of a Florida white rabbit please let us know at [email protected]