Mr Pet Lover Logo

Lop type

English Lop

The English Lop is the breed that started the rabbit fancy, and it is defined by a single extraordinary feature: the longest ears of any rabbit breed, routinely 21 inches or more from tip to tip and occasionally far longer.

English Lop rabbit
English Lop — gallery 1 (Pexels)
English Lop — gallery 2 (Pexels)
English Lop — gallery 3 (Pexels)

Size

10-11 lb

Lifespan

8-11 years

Free-roam

3-4 hours free-roam

Experience

Rabbit-savvy planning

Is This Breed Right for Me?Compare English LopsCare Guide
By ·Updated
Not individually reviewed by a veterinarian. Editorial standards
This article is for general information only. Always consult your veterinarian for medical decisions about your pet.

Decision first

Is a English Lop right for you?

Start with fit before history or trivia. These are ownership signals, not guarantees about any individual rabbit.

Best suited for

  • Owners prepared for hay-first feeding, litter care, and daily supervised free-roam time.

Think carefully if

  • You need a pet with almost no daily feeding, litter, and health-monitoring routine.
  • You cannot keep up with grooming and preventive care.
  • You cannot access a rabbit-savvy veterinarian for routine and urgent care.

Conditional fit

Apartment living may be difficult unless the owner can provide a large exercise pen or safe room for daily movement.

Daily reality

English Lop commitment snapshot

Daily free-roam

3-4 hours free-roam

Match movement, enrichment, and rabbit-proofing to age, health, heat, and housing.

Coat care

Moderate

Grooming needs vary by coat, shedding, and lifestyle.

Health monitoring

Needs planning

Most rabbits need daily appetite, droppings, litter, teeth, ears, and behavior checks.

Structured facts

English Lop at a glance

The measurements and traits that most affect day-to-day life with this breed.

Origin

United Kingdom

Group

Lop

Weight

10-11 lb

Height

14-16 in

Lifespan

8-11 years

Temperament

calm | docile | gentle

View all characteristics and methodology

Lifestyle fit

Indoor housing
Needs caution
Child friendliness
Needs caution
Bonding potential
Individual match
Handling styleMost rabbits are safer and calmer when interaction happens close to the ground.
Floor-level preferred

Owner commitment

Free-roam time
3-4 hours free-roam
Grooming
Moderate
Litter routineClean litter supports hygiene and makes appetite or droppings changes visible.
Daily

Behavior

Sociability
Breed-specific
Energy
Moderate
Trainability
Moderate
Noise
Quiet

Environment and health

Dental monitoring
Routine priority
Heat sensitivity
Needs indoor climate control
Health risk
Needs planning
Vet type
Rabbit-savvy or exotics

Ratings combine structured breed data, visible breed fields, and editorial context. They are planning aids, not predictions for an individual rabbit.

Daily life

English Lop temperament and behavior

The English Lop is the breed that started the rabbit fancy, and it is defined by a single extraordinary feature: the longest ears of any rabbit breed, routinely 21 inches or more from tip to tip and occasionally far longer. Those ears are not just a curiosity — they are the entire care story. A prospective owner should understand before buying that the English Lop is essentially a 6-to-8-pound rabbit with a high-maintenance accessory permanently attached, and that the ears change everything about housing, handling, and health. They drag, so they must be kept off rough or dirty flooring and out from underfoot; the rabbit can step on or tear them, snag them on cage fittings, or develop infections where the long folds trap moisture and wax. The ears are also poorly suited to temperature extremes — they radiate heat and are vulnerable to frostbite at the tips in cold and to heat distress in summer. Temperament is the breed's saving grace: English Lops are calm, docile, and famously laid-back, often described as the couch potatoes of the rabbit world, which makes them affectionate and easy to handle when their ears are respected. None of that makes them a casual pet. They are prey animals that hide illness, they need a hay-first diet to manage their continuously growing teeth, they live 8 to 11 years, and they require an exotics vet plus routine ear inspection. The honest case for the English Lop is for an owner who genuinely wants to manage those famous ears every week — not just admire them — and will commit to a gentle, decade-long companion.

calm | docile | gentle

calm

A common English Lop temperament descriptor that should be interpreted alongside housing, gentle handling, diet, and health monitoring, and household fit.

docile

A common English Lop temperament descriptor that should be interpreted alongside housing, gentle handling, diet, and health monitoring, and household fit.

gentle

A common English Lop temperament descriptor that should be interpreted alongside housing, gentle handling, diet, and health monitoring, and household fit.

Owner note

Temperament labels are starting points, not guarantees. Meet the individual rabbit and ask about behavior history whenever possible.

Care essentials

How to care for a English Lop

What looking after one actually involves: diet, grooming, habitat, bonding and routine health.

DietAs needed
  • Unlimited grass hay — timothy, orchard, or meadow — is the foundation of an English Lop's diet: it should be the bulk of every day's food, and it is what keeps the gut moving and wears down teeth that grow for life. Add a measured daily pellet portion sized for a 4.5–5 kg rabbit, a rotating variety of washed leafy greens, and constant fresh water.
HousingAs needed
  • An English Lop rabbit needs room to run, not just a hutch: space to take several consecutive hops and to stand fully upright on its hind legs, with solid flooring rather than wire mesh, at least one hide, and a toilet corner cleaned daily. A larger breed at 4.5–5 kg needs proportionally more floor space and a heavier-duty setup than an average-sized rabbit.
ExerciseAs needed
  • Give an English Lop several hours of daily free-roaming time in a safe, rabbit-proofed space; confinement without it causes both muscle and bone problems. Even a calm English Lop needs the movement — tunnels, chews, and forage toys keep the time active rather than idle.
GroomingAs needed
  • An English Lop's coat is low-effort — brush weekly, daily while moulting — but the ears and teeth need attention: lop ears have bent, narrow canals that trap wax, so have a vet look inside at check-ups, watch for head-shaking or discharge, and check the rear daily for soiling, which draws flystrike in warm weather.
VeterinaryAs needed
  • Line up a rabbit-savvy vet before you need one and keep to twice-yearly checks. An English Lop that stops eating or stops passing droppings is a same-day emergency — call a rabbit-savvy vet that day, because gut slowdown (GI stasis) can turn life-threatening within hours. Lop breeds are overrepresented for both ear and dental disease, so ask the vet to otoscope the ear canals — early ear trouble in lops is often hidden — and to check the teeth. Ask about RVHD and myxomatosis vaccination for your area, and consider neutering for its health and behaviour benefits.

Health planning

English Lop health risks and screening

Every rabbit breed has individual health variation. Use this profile for planning and discuss diet, dental care, gut health, and urgent symptoms with a rabbit-savvy veterinarian.

Ear injuries — the English Lop's ears, the longest of any breed and often over 21 inches tip to tip, drag on the ground and are easily stepped on, torn, snagged on cage fittings, or scratched by the rabbit's own nails; prevent it with soft solid flooring, snag-free housing, routine nail trims, and never lifting the rabbit by its ears.
Ear infections and wax buildup — the long, heavy ear folds trap moisture, debris, and wax and reduce airflow, creating ideal conditions for bacterial infection and ear-canker mites; inspect and gently clean the ears weekly and watch for head-tilt, odor, persistent scratching, or discharge.
Frostbite and heat distress of the ears — because the ears are large, thin, and highly vascular they both lose heat fast in the cold (risking frostbitten tips) and struggle to regulate in the heat; keep the rabbit out of freezing drafts and below about 26°C/80°F, since it cannot sweat and the ears are its most exposed surface.
Dental malocclusion — a rabbit's teeth grow continuously, and without enough abrasive hay the molars and incisors overgrow or misalign, causing drooling, weight loss, and a dropped appetite; an unlimited grass-hay diet plus a yearly back-teeth check is the prevention.
GI stasis — the gut slows or stops, usually triggered by a low-fiber diet, dehydration, pain, or stress; in a rabbit it is a true emergency, so any English Lop that stops eating or passing droppings for 12 hours needs same-day veterinary care rather than overnight watching.

Ownership cost

How much does a English Lop cost?

Cost figures are structured so first-year and lifetime estimates do not conflict with the underlying line items.

Acquisition$40-$100
Adoption
Initial setup
Routine monthlyAbout $55/month
Routine annualAbout $660/year
First-year estimate$700-$760
Lifetime routine estimate$5,280-$7,260 routine costs

Currency: USD. Region: United States. Updated: . Typical ranges for this breed. Equipment, insurance, emergency veterinary care, boarding and training are NOT included: we hold no sourced figures for them, and estimating them would be a guess presented as data.

Responsible ownership

Finding a English Lop responsibly

What to ask a breeder or rescue is the same conversation for every breed, so we keep it in one place and keep it current.

The new pet checklist: what to ask, what to see, and what should stop you

Health documentation, meeting the parents or foster, contracts and return support, and the warning signs worth walking away from.

Original purpose

English Lop history

History is useful when it explains today's behavior, coat, exercise needs, and care style.

Read the breed history

The English Lop is widely regarded as the oldest breed of domestic fancy rabbit, developed in England in the early-to-mid 1800s, and it is sometimes called the 'King of the Fancy' because the modern rabbit-keeping hobby grew up around exhibiting it. Victorian breeders selected ever-longer ears as the prized show trait, and the breed's enormous ears made it a sensation at the early rabbit shows that gave rise to organized breeding standards. Every lop-eared breed that followed — including the French Lop, and through it the Holland Lop and Mini Lop — traces its lopped ears back to this foundational breed. The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes the English Lop today, but its real historical significance is as the original show rabbit, the breed whose dramatic ears launched the rabbit fancy as a hobby.

English Lop — gallery 1 (Pexels)

Lower-page context

English Lops in culture

Where the breed shows up in film, sport, work and folklore — the enjoyable part, once the practical questions are answered.

Fun facts

  • The English Lop has the longest ears of any rabbit breed, frequently exceeding 21 inches from tip to tip.
  • It is widely considered the oldest breed of domestic fancy rabbit and is nicknamed the 'King of the Fancy.'
  • Every other lop-eared breed — French Lop, Holland Lop, Mini Lop — traces its lopped ears back to the English Lop.
  • English Lops are often called the 'couch potatoes' of the rabbit world for their laid-back, easygoing nature.
  • The early Victorian rabbit shows that launched the organized rabbit fancy were built largely around exhibiting this breed's dramatic ears.

English Lop FAQs

How long are an English Lop's ears?

The English Lop has the longest ears of any rabbit breed, commonly measuring 21 inches or more from tip to tip across the span of both ears, and exceptional individuals have measured well beyond that. The ears are so long they typically drag on the ground. This is the breed's defining feature and also its main care challenge, since those ears need weekly inspection and protection from injury and infection.

Are English Lops fragile because of their ears?

The breed itself is hardy when housed properly, but the ears are genuinely vulnerable and require dedicated care. Because they drag, they can be stepped on, torn, or scratched, and the long folds trap moisture that invites infection. Provide soft solid flooring, snag-free housing, weekly ear checks and cleaning, and routine nail trims. Manage the ears well and the English Lop is a robust, easygoing rabbit; neglect them and problems follow quickly.

What causes ear problems in English Lops?

Two things: the ears' length and their weight. Length means they drag and get injured, snagged, or soiled, while the heavy folds trap moisture, wax, and debris and cut airflow, creating ideal conditions for bacterial ear infections and canker mites. Regular weekly cleaning and inspection prevent most issues, and any head-tilt, odor, or persistent scratching warrants a prompt visit to a rabbit-savvy vet.

Can English Lops live with other rabbits?

Yes, and most do better with company. English Lops are social animals that generally thrive in a neutered, bonded pair, which provides the steady companionship a busy household often cannot. Bonding should be done carefully with a compatible partner and only after both rabbits are neutered, which prevents fighting and unwanted litters. A solo English Lop can be content, but only with several hours of daily human interaction.

Are English Lops good pets for families?

Their calm, docile, laid-back temperament makes them one of the more handleable rabbit breeds, which suits gentle families. They are best described as family pets supervised by adults rather than children's pets, however: they are still prey animals with fragile spines, they dislike being picked up, and their dragging ears can be hurt by careless handling. Older, gentle children who interact at floor level are the best fit.

Explore More About English Lop

Dive deeper into everything English Lop — costs, care, and expert insights.

How Much Does a English Lop Cost?

Purchase price, monthly costs, and lifetime expenses

English Lop Care Guide

This guide gives you a practical plan for living with an [English...

Considering a guinea pig instead?

Browse Guinea Pigs