Objective To identify and compare melanin distribution in iris and skin tissues of rabbits from four breeds including WHBE rabbit. Methods Ferrous sulphate staining was performed for iris and skin tissue of rabbits from different breeds. Results It showed dark green staining in both iris stroma and iris pigment epithelium of WHBE rabbit, while light green staining was observed in its follicles. Conclusion The results of histologic evaluations provide some clues to the future research on mechanism of WHBE rabbit phenotype mutation.