Why are rabbits called bunnies? Why do they have fur? Why do bunnies have puffball tails? Why do rabbits have eyes on the sides of their heads? Why do rabbits hop? Our guest is Margo DeMello, professor of anthrozoology at Carroll College in Montana. She’s also a rabbit rescuer and rehabilitator who is currently caring for 12 rabbits in her home!
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- Rabbits, along with hares and pikas, are part of a group of animals called lagomorphs. Domesticated rabbits are a species known as the European rabbit, oryctolagus cuniculus.
- Rabbits have two sets of top front teeth, one set in front of the other. All rabbit teeth grow continuously, kind of like how human fingernails keep growing. They keep their teeth a manageable length because the teeth are ground down by chewing and chomping their fibrous food.
- Rabbits are altricial [al-TRISH-ull], meaning they are born hairless and helpless.They are even blind and deaf at first, so they have to be cared for by their mother until they’re able to survive on their own. They’re ready to move out of the nest and live on their own after about a month.
- Rabbit babies are called kits!
- While it’s gross to think about, rabbits eat their poop! They actually have two different kinds of poop. One kind is high in vitamins and soft, and is designed to be eaten, while the other kind is considered a waste product and left alone.
- Rabbits are social animals that prefer to live in groups in big burrows underground. They often bond by grooming each other.
- Rabbits’ eyes are on the sides of their heads, giving them almost 360-degree vision. Their eyesight evolved that way to allow them to see predators creeping up behind them. But they do have a blind spot right in front of their noses.
- Rabbits are crepuscular [cruh-PUSS-cue-lurr], which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. They probably developed this behavior to avoid times when the predators that hunt them are more active (daytime or nighttime).
- Rabbits don’t have to hop; they can actually walk as well. Walking uses four legs moving at different times. Hopping uses the muscular bad legs at the same time. Those back legs are also used for digging.
- Rabbits eat a lot of fiber and their digestive systems work best when they are munching all the time.
