American Chinchilla

Country of origin

United States of America

Clinical relevance

Flagged as a breed with clinical relevance.

As harvested

American Chinchilla, United States of America (Rabbit)

Also known as

Heavyweight Chinchilla

Breed information: The American Chinchilla rabbit took the world by storm as the ideal fur rabbit, which so greatly resembled the South American Chinchilla lanigera. The original Chinchillas were rather small at 5 to 7 ½ pounds, and American breeders set out to produce a larger animal that would be better suited for meat and pelts. Through selective breeding for larger size, fine bones, and a good dress-out percentage, a breed standard was issued for the Heavyweight Chinchilla. The Heavyweight Chinchilla was renamed the American Chinchilla. Comments: The Livestock Conservancy provided text and photos.