20 Fascinating Facts About Rabbits
“Rabbits are intelligent, social, very clean…
1. Rabbits are not the same species as hares, which, among other characteristics, are larger & less social.
2. Rabbits, hares pikas, a mouselike burrowing animal, belong to the order of lagomorphs. They were classified as rodents until 1912.
3. You probably know a doe as a female deer, but it’s also true …that a doe is a rabbit, a female rabbit. And, just like deer, a male rabbit is called a buck.
4. Rabbits are most similar to horses, according to MSPCA-Angell, which notes, ‘They have similar eyes, teeth, & ears (those belonging to many prey animals), as well as a similar diet & behavior…’
5. Rabbits are born blind & spend their first few days in a nest lined with grass & their mother’s fur…
6. …Does are pregnant for 30 days & may have a litter of 4 to 12 babies, called kits — short for kittens. Bunnies can start reproducing as young as 4 months old, & they can have 800 children, grandchildren, & great-grandchildren during their lifetimes.
7. …another good reason to spay or neuter pet rabbits is because it will make them live longer. Rabbits that have been sterilized can live 10 to 12 years — up to 4 years longer than those that haven’t undergone the procedure…
8. Scary fact: A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing. Fortunately, they’re naturally kept short by the normal wear & tear of chewing. Lots & lots of chewing, that is — about 120 times a minute.
9. Like cats, rabbits can be trained to use a litter box.
10. Also like cats, rabbits will groom themselves — as well as any rabbit they’re bonded with — as often as 5 times a day.
11. Bunnies don’t have the ability to vomit, so it’s critical to only feed them healthy, appropriate food like hay, grass, & vegetables. They also can’t cough up hairballs after all that grooming, so it’s important to regularly brush their coats to prevent shedding.
12. Rabbits eat their poop. Icky, yes, but they have to do it. They need to digest some of their food twice, so they eat their soft ‘cecotropes’, or nutrient-packed droppings. What’s commonly known as ‘rabbit pellets’ comes out after their 2nd round of digestion.
13. Happy rabbits will do what’s called a ‘binky’: They’ll jump in the air & spin around, kind of like a bunny Baryshnikov.
14. Happy rabbits will also ‘purr’, making a chattering noise with their teeth.
15. Rabbits are crepuscular…they’re the most active in the early morning & early evening. This makes them good pets for working people.
16. Rabbits need about 4 hours of exercise & playtime a day to keep them happy & help prevent osteoporosis.
17. Just like TV antennas used to be called ‘rabbit ears’, real rabbit ears serve as a kind of antenna. They can pick up sounds from every direction & are capable of hearing from 2 directions at the same time.
18. In the wild, rabbits live in burrows called warrens. One warren in Europe contained 450 rabbits & 2,000 entrances, according to the RSPCA.
19. After cats & dogs, rabbits are the 3rd most popular pet in the United States…
20. It’s not a good idea to give bunnies — … or any live animals — as Easter gifts.”
Laura Goldman
March 31, 2018
Care2.com
Cute Critter Pic
Weekly Chuckle
No comments:
Post a Comment