While the Flemish Giant is the largest rabbit that we know today, there are several breeds that are now extinct and one still to be seen, that have contributed much in the making of the present day Flemish Giant rabbit.
The rabbit acquired the name Patagonian because of it’s size – based on the fact that Giants were thought to live in the South American country of Patagonia
“The Practical Rabbit Keeper” circa 1870, describes it as being rather large and not pretty. At this period of time there was great discussion that perhaps the Patagonian was just another name for the Flemish Giants. The main feature of this rabbit was its size and weight; some were said to be over "5 feet in length and weigh 20 pounds", which in any man’s language is a big rabbit. The ears were very long and heavy, hanging slightly at the tips and sometimes very “V”-shaped. The fur was a dark iron grey in color and had a mottled appearance; the head and ears much darker than the rest of the body.
The Swan Rabbit was another large rabbit, and was thought to be derived from the Patagonian – a mongrel which was most often seen on the Island of Man. The Norman Giant was a very popular rabbit in France in the 1870’s, and it too was described as being ugly. The coat color was a mixture of brown and grey. A refined version of this rabbit is still raised in Belgium.
It had very large ears in comparison to body size and, while they did not Lop over, they were often V-shaped. This rabbit is still raised in Spain today and is one of the most popular breeds to be seen in Spanish rabbitries.
It is possible that all these rabbits, with the exception of the Swan, played a part in the development of today’s Flemish Giant. It is possible that all these Giants helped to develop today’s Flemish Giant, or that selective breeding of all of them finally produced the counterpart of the Flemish Giant as we know it today.
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