AMAZING FUN & INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT RABBITS

AMAZING FUN & INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT RABBITS

Rabbits are great companions, especially when they have the freedom and opportunity to show their wonderful personalities! If you are looking for a big-eared buddy, look no further than your local shelter where there are often adoptable rabbits.

In the meantime, here are amazing and fun things you might not know about these hilarious herbivores.

• To express happiness, bunnies will sometimes jump around and flick their heads and feet. That adorable behavior is known within the rabbit community as a “binky.”
• Like deer, a female rabbit is called a “doe” and a male rabbit is called a “buck.”
• A bunny’s big ears aren’t just for listening! They also help regulate the rabbit’s body temperatures. The ears’ blood vessels swell when it’s hot out, and contract when it’s cold.
• AND those amazing ears can also be rotated almost a full circle to 270 degrees.
• To some, rabbits might seem like quiet pets, but they’re actually capable of making a lot of sounds, including growling, screeching, chattering their teeth, and even honking softly! Talk about adorable!
• Rabbits need large cages or exercise pens kept indoors for health, safety and socialization purposes! And, they need plenty of daily supervised time outside of their cages or pens to play and exercise. Be sure to bunny-proof your home and do not leave them unattended during this time.
• Rabbits can hop and BOY can they also jump! In fact, rabbits can jump to impressive heights and distances….a little over 3 feet high and a whopping 10 feet long!
• Because their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads, bunnies can see an almost perfect 360 degrees. In the wild, this helps them know when a predator is near. Their one blind spot is right in front of their little twitchy noses! How funny is that?
• Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box which makes cleaning their cages a lot easier.
• Most rabbits have a “sweet tooth” and are crazy about fruit! But just like any other treat, moderation is key!
• The Guinness World Record for the largest rabbit is held by a 55-pound British pet rabbit named Ralph. He eats $90 of food a week!
• Bunnies can be very affectionate and bond closely with their owners. Some will even come when called.
• Rabbits love to play and require mental stimulation just like dogs and cats. The good news is, lots of things you have around the house make for great toys….balls of paper, paper towel rolls and more can entertain your bunny.
• Bunnies have an average lifespan of five to 10 years, but the oldest living rabbit broke the Guinness World Record at the ripe old age of 17.
• When a rabbit is feeling submissive he will make himself appear as small as possible by crouching down.
• Rabbits are social creatures and most want other rabbits around for companionship so consider adopting a bonded pair! If you already have a rabbit but want to add another to your brood, talk to your vet or the shelter about the best way to introduce bunnies to each other.

• Baby bunnies are commonly referred to as kittens.
• A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing (this is why rabbits love to chew).
• Female rabbits are referred to as does.
• Male rabbits are referred to as bucks.
• The backbone of a rabbit is very fragile and can break easily when handled improperly or if a rabbit is dropped on its back.
• Domestic rabbits are born without fur.
• Rabbits are generally the most active during the evening and early morning.
• When rabbits grind their teeth it can sound like a purr.
• Rabbits are nearsighted.
• Rabbits are classified as mammals.
• Rabbits are not rodents but can resemble them in appearance.
• The largest number of kittens every born in a litter is 24!
• A rabbit has five toenails on its front two paws and four toenails on its back two feet,for a total of 18.
• The longest rabbit ears ever recorded measured 79cm long.
• The world’s heaviest rabbit is Darius at 22kg.
• Hundreds of years ago, rabbits were often released on deserted islands in hopes of giving shipwrecked sailors a reliable food source.
• There are over 150 recognised rabbit coat colours and varieties.
• The current world record for a rabbit long jump is three metres.
• The current world record for the rabbit high jump is one metre.
• A rabbit will eat its own cecotropes (night droppings)- they are a valuable source of protein.
• In ancient Egypt, rabbits were used as sport for dog racing.
• Rabbits were an important home meat supply during World War II.
• There are around 180 different rabbit breeds worldwide.
• Rabbits can be litter trained.
• A pet rabbit can live as long as 10 years.
• Rabbits need hay to assist the digestive system and prevent fur balls in their stomach.
• Rabbit droppings make an excellent garden fertiliser.
• Rabbits can jump 90cm and higher.
• When rabbits are happy, they will jump and twist. This is called a binky.
• Predators can literally scare a rabbit to death.
• Rabbit whiskers are as wide as the body (so they can feel their way in tunnels and not get stuck).
• Rabbits’ noses twitch 20 to 120 times per minute (faster when excited or stressed and slower when relaxed or sleeping).
• Rabbits can’t see directly in front of their nose but can see behind them (to keep an eye out for danger approaching).
• Rabbits lick each other and humans as a sign of affection (the ‘top bunny’ will request grooming from subordinates).
• Rabbits shed hair when you hold them and they are stressed (a defence mechanism, to wriggle free from a predator’s grip).
• Rabbits can sleep with their eyes open (a useful trick but disconcerting for us).
• A female rabbit is called a “doe” and a male rabbit is called a “buck.” Baby rabbits can be called a “kit” or “kitten.”
• Spaying female rabbits helps ensure a longer, healthier life.
• A group of rabbits is often referred to as a “herd.” A herd of rabbits lives in a warren.
• More than half of the world’s rabbit species live in North America.
• A baby rabbit is born with its eyes closed, but they open around two weeks of age. Rabbits are also born without fur.
• Rabbits cannot vomit.
• Rabbits can see behind them, but have a blind spot in front of their face.
• Rabbits produce two types of droppings: fecal pellets and cecotropes. Cecotropes are packed with nutrients essential to keeping rabbits in good health.
• Rabbits can be trained, including being trained to use a litter box.
• When rabbits are happy they can jump and twist. This is commonly called a “binky.”
• Some rabbit breeds can jump over three feet in height and nine feet in length.
• Rabbits have 28 teeth.
• There are 47 types of rabbits recognized by the ARBA. The most popular breeds include the Californian, New Zealand, Mini Rex, Mini Lop, Angora and Palomino.
• A neutered rabbit kept indoors with proper care may have a life span of eight to 12 years. Spaying female rabbits help ensure they have a longer, healthier life.
• A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing, which is why it is very important to provide chews and treats for them to keep their teeth from becoming overgrown.
• Rabbits can suffer from heat stroke; however they only sweat through the pads on their feet. Always make sure you monitor your rabbit’s environmental temperatures, especially in the warmer months of summer.
• A rabbit takes approximately 18 naps per day.
• Rabbits are not rodents. They are lagomorphs.
• They originally come from the Mediterranean (Spain, Portugal, parts of North Africa).
• Rabbits were domesticated by the Romans approximately 300BC. They were mainly used for meat and fur and weren’t held as pets until the early 20th century.
• The word “Hispania” (Spain) may have been derived from the Phoenician-Punic for “island of the rabbit”.
• Rabbits and hares are two different species and cannot reproduce with each other.
• Rabbit droppings make the best natural fertilizer.
• Rabbits have 28 teeth that never stop growing. They grow approximately 47inches/150cm per year.
• Rabbits can see almost 360 degrees and tend to be farsighted. In case you want to sneak up on a rabbit: they can see what’s going on behind them, but have a blind spot in the front. In this video you will notice that Bunny is unable to see which holes have treats in them. Instead, he uses his sense of smell to find them.
• Rabbits have limited color vision, but can likely perceive red and green.
• A male rabbit is called a buck, a female is a doe, and a baby is a kit/kitten.
• A rabbit can run between 25-45miles per hour.
• Rabbit babies are born naked and blind.
• Angora rabbits are sheared several times a year (like a sheep).
• The biggest rabbit breed is the ‘German Giant’. It generally weighs between 16-20lbs.
• The smallest is the Netherland Dwarf. It weighs under 2.5lbs.
• There are more than 300 different breeds of rabbits worldwide. 47 are recognized in the US.
• The whiskers of a rabbit are as long as its body is wide. This helps to figure out whether or not it will fit through a tight space.
• Rabbits can swim, but besides from a few exceptions don’t like to do it (please don’t test this one).
• On average wild rabbits live only 1-2 years, while domestic rabbits can live for as long as 10-12 years.
• China is the world’s leader in rabbit meat production.
• Rabbits cannot vomit. They don’t have enough muscles in their stomach.
• Rabbits cannot sweat. They release heat over their body surface, especially the ears.
• Rabbits are among the Top 10 most popular pets in the US.
• A rabbit’s heart beats approximately 150-200 times per minute. An adult human’s heart beats between 60-70 times per minute.
• Even in the wild, rabbits do not hibernate.
• Rabbits have 5 toes on each front paw and 4 toes on each hind paw, so 18 total.

 Health

• Rabbits generally are not heavy animals but the heaviest rabbit was ‘Darius’ who weighed a massive 22.6 kg.
• Rabbits need to be spayed and neutered, as it is essential for them to maintain their good health.
• Rabbits require 4 good hours of exercise a day, as they can suffer from osteoporosis if they don’t get enough exercise.
• Rabbits can suffer from heat stroke, so always make sure you provide them shade and plenty of water.

Behaviour

• Rabbits cannot vomit at all, they can gag on food but are unable to vomit.
• Rabbits clean and groom themselves every day.
• Rabbits that are in the wild can be destructive and destroy around $600 million word of crops each and every year.
• Rabbits get very happy and then they do, they will jump and twist around, which is called ‘binky’.
• Rabbits can actually be toilet trained to ensure that they either go in a litter box or outside, etc.

Social

• Rabbits have a LOT of species and there are over 45 recognized breeds of rabbits in the world.
• Rabbits are extremely social animals and love interacting with other animals and rabbits.
• Rabbits that are found in a group are called a ‘herd’ and their house in the wild is called a ‘warren’.

Super Powers

• Rabbits have a great coat to keep them warm, which is why they can only sweat out of the pads on their feet.
• Rabbits have got the ability to purr when they are happy and comfortable (similar to a cat)
• Rabbits have got long and very sensitive ears. Their ears can turn all the way around.
• Rabbits can jump very long distances but the world record for the longest rabbit jump was 3 meters.
• Rabbits droppings are some of the best garden fertilizer, so instead of throwing it out, put it on the garden.
• Rabbits have got 3 different scent glands which are the chin, anal and inguinal glands.
• Rabbits can jump very high but the world record for the highest rabbit jump was just over 1 meter.
• Rabbits ears do more than give good hearing, they also assist the rabbit to regulate their body temperature.
• Rabbits are an animal that can see behind themselves but have got a blind spot right in front of their face.
• Rabbits are extremely good at digging holes in the ground, so always ensure you look out for them.
• Rabbits have large kits and the largest ever recorded kit was a litter of 24!
• Rabbits have strong teeth that actually never stop growing from when they are born.
• Rabbits chew up to 120 times a minute and they have got over 17,000 taste buds inside their mouth.

Diet

• Rabbits are thursty creatures and a 2 kg rabbit can drink just as much as a 9 kg dog.
• Rabbits actually require hay to assist their digestive system and proven fur balls in their stomach (so provide hay).

Caring

• Rabbits have a very delicate and fragile backbone, so always take care when patting them or picking them up.
• Rabbits that are pets (domesticated) tend to live much older than rabbits in the wild.
• Rabbits have got an average litter size of 4 – 8 kits.

Habitat

• Rabbits are abundant in the wild and as pets. Over half of the worlds rabbit population actually live in North America.
• Rabbits that are kept as a pet (domesticated) actually cannot mate with a wild rabbit.

Lifestyle

• Rabbits care weaned (separated from their parents) around the age of 8 weeks (55 days).
• Rabbits are generally most active in the mornings and in the evenings, so give them as much attention during these times.
• Rabbits that are born as pets (domesticated) are born with fur and wild rabbits are actually born without fur.
• Rabbits are not rodents like rats, mice, etc but are actually lagomorphs.
• Rabbits are great pets and a domesticated rabbit can live as long as 10 years.
• Rabbits have babies just as humans and they are called a ‘kit’ or a ‘kitten’.
• Rabbits do not hibernate (sleep for long periods of time)
• Rabbits can start breeding at a very young age and can start as early as the age of 3 – 4 months old.
• Rabbits really do live up to the phrase ‘breeding like rabbits’, as they can produce between 20 – 40 babies a year.

Interesting

• Rabbits that are born as pets (domesticated) are born with their eyes closed for up to 2 weeks (unlike wild rabbits).
• Rabbits are the generally the third most popular pets in the world (directly after Dogs and Cats)
• Rabbits can be seen eating their own droppings as night, this is because they are a valuable source of protein.
• Rabbits do not have equal fingers and toes, they have 5 toenails on the front 2 paws and only 4 toenails on the back 2 feet.
• Rabbits have got a strong jaw and generally only show 2 teeth but actually have 28 teeth in total.
• Rabbits have long ears and longest ears ever to be recorded measured up to be a massive 79 cm long.
• Rabbits and hares are completely different animals but can actually interbreed with each other.
• Rabbits have different names. A male rabbit is called a ‘buck’ and a female rabbit is called a ‘doe’.
• Rabbits have different species and can weigh between 1 kg and can grow up to 5 kg.
• Rabbits through history have always been used as a symbol of fertility (largely due to their ability to reproduce).

Compiled  & Shared by- This paper is a compilation of groupwork provided by the Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)

 Image-Courtesy-Google

 Reference-On Request.

How to take Care of Pet Rabbits at Home

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