The Variety Fox - from Australia

Christine Toyer from Australia, has been kind enough to share with us a variety of Rex Rabbits that is not currently established in the USA.  She has even included 3 color pictures of this gorgeous variety.

Fox Rexes are a breed (variety) of Rex rabbits which are classified in the "tan pattern" class for show purposes. The following description is taken from the BRC standard . Body colour to be either Black, Blue, Chocolate, or Lilac, and to go down the fur shaft as far as possible with the undercolour of the appropriate self colour (e.g.dark blue undercolour for Black Fox). Eye circles, inside of ears, underside of jaws and tail, belly and triangle behind ears to be white.Triangle to be as small as possible, white ticking on chest, flanks feet and rump desirable (to be considered an "added beauty") and to resemble the ticking in the normal Fox breed. Eye colour to match the appropriate self colour (e.g".lilac with a ruby glow "for the lilac fox). Black Foxes are probably the most commonly shown, followed by the Chocolate Fox, due mostly to the coat density being better usually in these colours,and the fact the Blue and Lilac colours are not as easy to find! None of them are shown as commonly as the self colours in any of the shows in my area, which is one of the reasons I have found them interesting.(It makes it a challenge.) My blue and lilac foxes have a funny story to how they came to be. My original pair of rexes were a Havana doe and a Blue Otter buck and were bred by Catherine Charteris from "Rabbits with Attitude" stud. She had been trying for several years to breed a Blue Fox Rex without success. Obviously the right Fox genes were carried by both of these bunnies though, as each time I put them together I get either Blue or Lilac Foxes in the litters among other colours such as Selfs and Otters. Breeding isn't always fair is it! (I've sent one back to her now of course). Funnily enough my favorite colours are the Otters , but the Fox Rexes are a nice sideline. Genetically for those interested, the Fox Rexes are very similar to the Otter Rexes, except that the yellow pigment has been removed by the action of the c(chd) gene, removing the distinct tan banding of the Otters. This also results that, even from the same litter, Foxes don't have as dense a colour as the Otters. This is more noticeable in the blacks than chocolates and lighter colours.

For example; Black Otter Rex at - B - C - D - E -

Black Fox at - B - c(chd) - D - E -

Chocolate Otter at - bb - C - D - E -

Chocolate Fox at - bb - c(chd) - D - E -

The Chocolate Fox Junior Doe pictured won Runner Up best junior in Show last week and beat the adults in her section for best in the Tan Pattern Rex section , so I was quite proud of her.

We welcome contact with other rex breeders ("addicts").

Christine & Neil Toyer   toyernp@bigpond.com

rexfox1s.jpg (7511 bytes) Chocolate Fox  doe 5 months old "Malvina Lake Cookie"
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rexfox2s.jpg (7148 bytes)Lilac Fox doe 9 months old "Malvina Lake Moonbeam"
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rexfox3s.jpg (7144 bytes)Chocolate Fox doe 5 months old "Malvina Lake Cookie" view 2
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2001 National Rex Rabbit Club

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