I grew up with rabbits. I’ve had four in my lifetime. My first, Kit-ho, was a Himalayan Dwarf—all white, black nose, black ears, black paws, black tail—and my best friend in the entire universe. Since then I’ve had lops and dwarf rabbits of various varities.
Picking a rabbit for the first time can be a daunting task. So it seemed like a good resource to point out this brochure from the AVMA.
With more than 60 rabbit breeds in existence, rabbits can vary widely in size and appearance. A common rabbit breed in the United States is the Dutch rabbit which is often black and white or brown and white. Dwarf rabbits tend to be smaller, and the lop variety have ears that hang down instead of being erect. Angora rabbits have long hair and require regular grooming.
If you are a first-time owner, acquiring a single rabbit is probably best. If you choose a male (buck) rabbit, you will want to have him neutered to prevent territorial marking with urine. Both male and female rabbits are tame and affectionate when well socialized.
Link (English PDF), via The American Veterinary Medical Association.