Thursday, March 18, 2010
   
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Rabbits

Subject Index - Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  1. Rabbits are mammals that belong to the Lagomorph order that also includes hares and pikas (Lagomorph means 'hare-shaped'). Rabbits are not rodents.  There are over 45 different breeds of rabbits.  They are similar to rodents in that they have incisor teeth that continually grow. Rabbits form the Family Leporidae under which there are over 50 species.

  2. A male rabbit is called buck and a female one is called doe. A baby rabbit is called kitten or a kit.  Rabbits can mate when they are 3 months old and can have babies when they are 6 months old. The gestation period of a rabbit is only 30 days.  They can produce 20 to 40 babies a year.  After birth, all the baby rabbits are known as a litter. The size of the litter is usually between 4 to 8 kits.  Babies are born blind and without fur.  Babies open their eyes at about 10 days.  Kits get weaned at between 6 to 8 weeks.  Rabbits feed their babies only for about 5 minutes a day.  Domestic rabbits can't breed with the wild ones.

  3. Rabbits are herbivores (plant eating) mammals.  The eat vegetables, tree bark and herbs.  A rabbit's diet is very important. The wrong food can kill a rabbit.  A 4 pound rabbit will drink as much water as a 20 pound dog.

  4. Rabbits are social, loving and interactive animals.  They live in groups called herds in a home called a warren.  The average lifespan of a rabbit is between 8 to 10 years.

  5. Rabbits weigh between 2 to 11 pounds.  Rabbits have a very good memory.  Rabbits have long sensitive ears, which can turn in any direction and can also help in regulating their temperature. Rabbits can make various sounds. Rabbits have large eyes and a blind spot right in front of their face. Rabbits can see behind themselves without rotating their heads. Rabbits have 28 teeth, which keep on growing continuously throughout its life.  Rabbits chew 120 times a minute and have over 17,000 taste buds in their mouth.  Rabbits love to chew.

  6. Rabbits are crepuscular, that is they are most active at dawn and dusk.  When rabbits are happy, they perform a series of jumps, twists and runs, which is termed as binky. Rabbits require at least four hours exercise a day. They can suffer from osteoporosis if they don't get enough exercise.

  7. Rabbits can jump as long as 36 inches and higher and can run about 35 miles an hour.

  8. The predators of the rabbit are coyote, fox and wolves.  A predator can literally scare a rabbit to death.

  9. Rabbits can't vomit, and they are very susceptible to over-heating and can suffer from a heat stroke.  The only place a rabbit sweats is on the pads of its feet.

  10. Rabbits don't like being picked up.  Rabbits clean, or groom, themselves.  They do not hibernate.

 

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Breeds of Rabbits

  Fast Facts Resources
Wikipedia
House Rabbit Society
RabbitWeb