Rabbits

baby rabbit

bunny, kit or kitten.

adult female rabbit

doe

Coprophagia

eating of feces

Lop ears

floppy, hanging ears- can cause infection and worsen hearing

Angora Rabbit

- Breed for soft angora wool - rabbit wool may be removed by: shearing, combing and plucking- hair gets spiky, does not hurt.

Poo eaters

- Rabbits eat their own poop to regain nutrients. - two types of pellets; hard, dry pellets and cecotropes, clusters.

kindling

- bunnies are born blind and hairless: altricial - domestic rabbits retain some of the genetic imprints of their wild European ancestors.

Hares vs. Rabbits

- look similar, completely different breeds. - cannot breed with each other. -Both are members of the same order of mammals, known as lagomorpha, but there are significant differences in physical appearance, behavior, and lifestyle.

Cecotropes

- produced in part of the digestive system called the cecum. Are consumed. -"night feces" released in the night - nutrient rich and re-ingested so that more nutrients are absorbed. -Twice the protein, half the fiber of their hard fecal pellets.

Darius, flemish giant

- worlds biggest rabbit, until jeff - Darius measures 4 ft. 4 in long and weighs 49 pounds. - flemish giants are very large.

habitats

-Live almost everywhere. More than half the world's population resides in North America. -Meadows, tundra, forests, grasslands, deserts, and wetlands. -Live in groups. - Best known species, European rabbit, lives in underground burrows connected by a network of tunnels.

Mother-young

-Mother rabbits instinctually sense that staying with their offspring would call a predator's attention to the nest. -Adult rabbits have a scent, while babies do not yet have a strong scent. -Most mothers watch infant from a safe distance, suspect predators will find babies if they find her.

Warren and exits

-a group of burrows. -must have two entrances/exits

Percentage diet

80% grass/hay, 5% healthy treats, 5% healthy pellets, 10% vegetbales.

ARBA

American Rabbit Breeders Association -sets all official breed standards, 49 unique rabbit breeds. - within many of these breeds, there are also several varieties (coat and eye color variations)

adult male rabbit

Buck

Why bunnies are used for famous brands, exapmles

Bunnies are reconizable, brands see them as a way to brand themselves, cute. Ex. Easter bunny

Uses

Cuniculture- breed for meat, wool clothing, companions, therapy, breeding, feed studies, animal testing, show, agility.

Diet

Grain, grass, carrots, other fruits and vegetables, hay and alphalpha, apples, and lettuce.

Rabbit island

Japan, no predators, very high population, not enough food, rely on tourists.

Breeds

There are 49 currently recognized rabbit breeds

Hay

Used to better digest food, moves food along, keeps it from getting stuck.

life expectancy

Wild: 2-3 years Domestic: around 10 years

group of rabbits

a herd

Partuition (Birth)

kindling- to have babies -1-14 babies at a time, average: about 6 gestation period: 31-33 days- a liter a month