Lop rabbit

A number of rabbit breeds (listed below) are characterized by such lop ears.

Abnormalities in the skull of a half-lop rabbit were studied by Charles Darwin in 1868.

[citation needed] The head of a typical lop rabbit is said to resemble that of a male sheep in profile, thus the German term for a lop rabbit (Widder, meaning Aries [the ram]), the French term (bélier, meaning ram) and the Italian term (ariete, from Latin aries).

The ears of a lop rabbit prevent them hearing predators and maintaining a healthy body temperature.

Some lop-eared rabbits have been deliberately bred for exaggerated ear length.