Rabbit Facts

Rabbit Facts

1. This planet has been populated with rabbits for at least three and a half million years. In Africa their footprints have been found fossilised in lava dust. In the wild, rabbits are found all over the world,

2. Rabbits originate from the western Mediterranean.

3. Rabbits inhabit every continent with the exception of Antarctica.

4. Long ears without black tips, long hind legs; sandy, less reddish than brown hare and smaller, with a bobbing gait, rather than the loping gait that hares have. 

5. Life span: 9-12 years (possibly longer) 

6. Normal body temperature: 100.5-104 F.

7. Rabbits are herbivores, so their physiology is closer to a horse or cow than to dogs or cats. If you keep the rabbit's digestive tract healthy, you keep the rabbit healthy. 

8. Rabbits are very social animals and in nature they live in groups. Like dogs and cats, they are affectionate and bond with people; therefore they should be kept indoors as part of the family .

9. The rabbit’s natural instinct is to be close to the ground and have access to a safe hiding place; this is because they are a prey species, which basically means that many other animals eat them. Thus it is not safe for rabbits to be left unsupervised with a dog or cat, or allowed outdoors in an unsecured enclosure. 

10. The random network of tunnels, dens and bolt holes is known as a warren. Tunnelling is undertaken predominantly by the female. The depth of the burrows depends on the nature of the soil and the height of the water table. Large warrens usually imply a high population of rabbits. Rabbits are normally nocturnal but will come out in daylight if undisturbed, especially during the long days of summer. 

11. The most dominant males, known as bucks, have priority of access to females, known as does. The male is called a buck and the female is a doe; a young rabbit is a kitten or kit.

12. The rabbit's long ears, which can be more than 10 cm (4 in) long, are probably an adaptation for detecting predators. They have large, powerful hind legs.

13. Rabbits are available in many colours and varieties. Some of the more common ones are Dutch, English and Netherland Dwarf. Dwarf lop eared rabbits are very popular because they are docile, intelligent and appealing to look at. Despite their name they can grow quite large but make ideal house rabbits.

14. Some of the true dwarf varieties have a reputation for being bad tempered. TheAngora has long soft fur that requires a lot of grooming and is therefore not suitable for many adults and definitely not for children.

15. Healthy rabbits are alert with bright eyes, dry nostrils and clean, shiny coats. 

16.  Rabbits are “lagomorphs” (not rodents) and they are related to hares and pikas.  

17.  A house rabbit pet can live up to 10 to 12 years and is a long-term commitment.  

18.  There are over 45 recognized breeds in the United States.  All domesticated rabbit breeds are descendants of European rabbits.  Cottontails are their cousins from the Americas.  The long haired Angora or Cashmere rabbit’s requires grooming on a daily basis.  However the Flemish Giant is extremely friendly as a family pet if you don’t mind having a rabbit the size of a miniature dog.  

19.  Rabbits can be litter box trained and it is much easier to train them after they have been neutered or spayed.

20.  A rabbit’s digestive system is similar to a horse and they require daily timothy or grass hay to prevent digestive problems.  Rabbits cannot vomit and hairballs can be fatal. 

21. Rabbits eat a wide range of plants including grasses, cereal crops, root vegetables and young shoots of meadow plants. They will eat tree bark especially when snow covers other food sources. 

22.  Rabbit teeth grow constantly and they will naturally gnaw wires, furniture legs, etc. so rooms in a house must be bunny-proofed where they are allowed to run. 

23.  Rabbits can mate as early as 3 months of age and gestation is 31 days with a litter size of 4 to 12 kits.

24.  When bunnies become adult rabbits they can exhibit aggressive and territorial behavior.  They will spray urine, mark territory with their feces, bite and grunt.  

25. .  Young bunnies should not be separated from their mother until they are 8 weeks old.

26. Domesticated rabbits are very social and do best as when adopted as bonded pairs.  

27. They can also bond with cats, dogs and guinea pigs with proper supervision and patience.  

28. Spaying and neutering prevents health problems for rabbits.  80% of females are prone to uterine cancer after 5 years of age if they are not altered.  Altering makes rabbits less aggressive and prevents overpopulation.  

29. Rabbits can become very affectionate pets that can enjoy being petted and quiet interaction with humans especially after altering.

30. Rabbits are raised for meat and pelts or for pets.

31. Rabbits are a very common animal.Two common rabbits are Cotton Tail and Jack Rabbit.

32. Rabbits can learn their names and simple words such as “No.”  

33. Most rabbits do not enjoy being picked up since they are ground dwellers by nature.  Many will scratch and kick violently to avoid being picked up.  

34. The skeleton of a rabbit especially the backbone is very fragile and can break easily when the rabbit is handled improperly or dropped.  Legs can break, too, if contact is made with a hard surface when a rabbit is struggling violently.

35. Rabbits require a solid floor in their cage instead of a wire grate since their feet are not padded like a dog or cat.  Your rabbit will need a good roomy hutch about 2m (length) x 1m (width) x 700mm (height) with two connecting compartments (this is ideal for a small breed rabbit).

36. Domesticated rabbits need exercise to stay healthy and time outside a cage to run. 

37. Rabbits have their own version of a purr.  They will grind their teeth softly when petted. 

38. Rabbits communicate through a variety of ways such as stomping a hind leg (thumping), grunting, honking/oinking softly, grooming each other, etc.    

39. Rabbits are nearsighted and have a blind spot right in front of them.    

40. Domesticated rabbits do not survive in the “wild” if they are abandoned.    

41. Rabbits are most active in the early morning and in the late evening.  

42. Rabbits are not Hares, but they are closely related.  Hares have fur when they are born and their eyes are open.  

43.Wild rabbits have a number of natural predators including dogs, raccoons, foxes, hawks and eagles.

44. Wild rabbits have powerful hind legs which helps them burrowing. A rabbit can run up to 35 miles per hour

45. China raises more rabbits for food than any other country.

46. Rabbits live in groups and when they are eating one stands guard; if danger is sensed the guard will stamp his feet and the rabbits will hide in their burrows.

47. Rabbits nurse their young one to two times per day, most often in the early morning hours. The mother rabbit’s milk is very rich and can sustain the babies for up to 24 hours at a time. 

48. Rabbits have two sorts of droppings: Hard fibrous pellets and soft faecal pellets.  The soft pellets are normally excreted at night and the rabbit eats them.  This is a normal part of a rabbit’s digestion and does not indicate ill health.

49. Rabbits are intelligent, affectionate and social animals that need daily interaction with humans or other Rabbits. Spayed or neutered rabbits tend to be healthier, live longer and are better companions.

50. Rabbits are susceptible to flystrike, in warm weather flies lay their eggs in the folds of skin around a rabbits neck or their anal area. Dirty bottoms are a magnet to flies with the resulting maggots burrowing into the rabbits skin and releasing toxins. Flystrike can kill a rabbit in just six hours.

Take good care of your rabbit.