About the breed
A rare native breed named after its colour pattern
The Croatian Big Singed rabbit is one of Croatia's few native domestic-animal breeds and the only domestic rabbit breed Croatia has developed. The name comes from the "singed" (opaljeni) colour pattern: the original variety has a darker base colour (black, brown or blue) with white markings around the eyes, nostrils, cheeks, ear rims, on the nape, belly, front toes and the inner side of the hind legs. The photos on this page show the white-based ("bijelo opaljeni") variety — a light, almost white body with darker, greyish-black "singed" points on the ears and muzzle — specifically named within the breed as the Veliki bijeloopaljeni kunić.
Origin in Duga Resa
The first singed rabbits appeared in Duga Resa, then in Yugoslavia, in the early 1980s, through crossing larger rabbits and later fixing the colour pattern through targeted selection. The breed was officially recognised in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, and after Croatia's independence, since it originated there and continued to be bred mostly in that country, it was renamed Croatian. Sources do not name a specific breeder or give a more precise reason for the breed's creation, so we do not present that as a confirmed fact.
Colour varieties
Besides the white-based variety shown in the photos, the breed also includes the originally described darker varieties with a black, brown or blue base colour and white markings. In the late 1990s, crossing the white-singed and blue varieties produced a red-singed variety, which entered the European (EE) standard in 2018. A black-singed variety is reportedly in development over the past decade, though details are not publicly available.
Size and build
An adult weighs between 3.5 and 5.5 kg. The body is sturdy, cylindrical and well-muscled, typical of a meat breed, but despite its considerable weight it is described as not resembling giant rabbit breeds. We found no precise figures for body length, eye colour or ear length in publicly available sources, so we do not state them here as confirmed facts.
Recognition and documentation
The breed is officially overseen by the Croatian Federation of Breeders of Pigeons, Poultry, Rabbits, Birds and Guinea Pigs (HSUGPKPZ), which lists it as breed number 23. Despite this, Croatia's state registry of protected native and endangered breeds (the Gene Bank under the Ministry of Agriculture), which otherwise covers several cattle, sheep, goat, pig, horse, donkey, dog and poultry breeds, does not include rabbits at all — so the breed has no official state status as a protected native breed, and is recognised only by the breeders' federation. It is one of only a handful of such Croatian breeds: a 2023 expert article even asked whether the Big Singed rabbit is Croatia's only rabbit breed at all — the answer was no, since HSUGPKPZ has since also standardised a second Croatian breed, the Croatian dwarf lop rex rabbit.
Temperament and care
No reliable, breed-specific information on temperament could be found in publicly available sources, so general guidance for larger meat-type rabbit breeds applies here instead of unsupported claims: it needs enough space to move, regular hay, a balanced diet, and careful, experienced handling given its greater body weight. The same applies to expected lifespan — since no breed-specific source was found, it makes sense to rely on general ranges for larger domestic rabbits.
Who the breed suits
Given its rarity, thin documentation and limited availability outside specialist Croatian breeders, the Croatian Big Singed rabbit is not a breed for the average beginner, but rather for experienced breeders and fans of rare native breeds who care about preserving this particular piece of Croatian heritage.
Temperament
sturdy, calm, reserved, adaptable
Suitable for
experienced keepers, fans of rare native breeds
Living environment
a large outdoor pen or shed sized for a meat breed
Grooming
hay and daily exercise; breed-specific care data has not yet been published
Pros & cons
Advantages
native Croatian breed with a clear origin story, sturdy and well-muscled meat-type body, distinctive singed colour pattern
Things to consider
very rare breed with little published temperament data, not listed on Croatia's state native-breed registry, hard to source outside specialist breeders
Notes
The breed is NOT listed on Croatia's state registry of protected native and endangered breeds (the Gene Bank); it is recognised only by the HSUGPKPZ breeders' federation. Data on lifespan, exact body length and temperament for this breed were not found in publicly available sources, so the numeric figures given (other than weight) are general estimates for comparable large meat-type rabbit breeds, not confirmed facts for this specific breed.
