The Californian rabbit is recognized by a white body with dark ears, nose, feet, and tail.
The breed was developed in California in the early twentieth century by George S. West, who began a breeding program in the 1920s. The goal was to produce a useful meat rabbit with a dense coat and desirable body type.
Californian rabbits have a temperature-sensitive color pattern called Himalayan coloration. Dark pigment develops on cooler parts of the body, such as the ears, extremities, and nose. This is why young rabbits and rabbits kept in different temperatures may show changing intensity of markings.
The Californian is sometimes confused with the Himalayan rabbit because both have pointed dark markings. The Californian is generally a larger commercial breed, while the Himalayan has a distinct breed history and body standard.