Think you know a thing or two about rabbits? Check out the following fun facts about bunnies:
Rabbits are not rodents
Rabbits are lagomorphs. Other lagomorphs include hares and pikas.
Rabbits can live to be 16 years old
A well-cared-for house rabbit that has been spayed or neutered early in life has a life expectancy of 8 to 12 years. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest bunny in the world is sixteen.
A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing
Never ever. And if they are miss-aligned, it can cause problems.
Rabbits are Social and Intelligent
They prefer to live in pairs or groups, and are known to play tricks on each other and their humans.
Rabbit acrobatics are called ‘binkies’
When happy, rabbits are capable of giant leaps, kicks, and twists in midair. This happy leap is known as a ‘binky‘.
Rabbits often purr
Like cats, happy rabbits purr when content and relaxed. The sound comes from teeth chattering softly.
The gestation period of a rabbit is 28-31 days
A rabbit can get pregnant almost immediately following giving birth, so a momma rabbit can have more babies within a month of her previous litter while still nursing her first litter.
The average rabbit litter size is 5
While the average rabbit litter size may be 5, there is a huge variation and can ranges from 1-14 kits.
A group of wild rabbits is called a Herd
Rabbits are very social creatures that always choose to live in groups when given the chance. A warren is the name given to the place where a herd lives. Some people also call a group of rabbits a colony. There is a rumor that a group of rabbits is called “a fluffle,” but this is an internet hoax.
A rabbit can have up to 800 offspring a year
A single pair of rabbits and their subsequent offspring can produce a colony of over 1,300 rabbits within 18 months.
Rabbits are crepuscular
This means they are most active at dusk and dawn when other animals’ vision is poor.
Rabbits have a blind spot in front of their nose
Rabbits have a blind spot under their chin and in front of their nose. A rabbit’s eyes are located on the sides of their head, about 30 degrees of their field of vision overlaps, with 10 degrees in front of them being a blind spot where they cannot see.
Rabbits eat their own poop
Though it may seem strange and gross, all healthy rabbits eat their own poop and digest it a second time. It is called “coprophagy” and is completely normal for rabbits.