View source for Biology:Rabbit

{{Short description|Mammals of the family Leporidae}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| name = Rabbit
| auto = yes
| fossil_range = Late [[Earth:Eocene|Eocene]] – [[Earth:Holocene|Holocene]], {{Fossil range|53|0}}
| image = Oryctolagus cuniculus Rcdo.jpg
| image_alt     = A small brown rabbit sat on the dirt in a forest. Its ears are small and alert and the tip of its nose, part of its chest and one of its feet are white.
| image_caption = [[Biology:European rabbit|European rabbit]] (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'')
| parent = Leporidae
| subdivision_ranks = Included genera
| subdivision =
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|{{plainlist|
*''[[Biology:Pentalagus|Pentalagus]]''
*''[[Biology:Bunolagus|Bunolagus]]''
*''[[Biology:Nesolagus|Nesolagus]]''
*''[[Biology:Romerolagus|Romerolagus]]''
*''[[Biology:Brachylagus|Brachylagus]]''
*''[[Biology:Sylvilagus|Sylvilagus]]''
*''[[Biology:European rabbit|Oryctolagus]]''
*''[[Biology:Poelagus|Poelagus]]''
}}}}}}
'''Rabbits''', also known as '''bunnies''' or '''bunny rabbits''', are small [[Biology:Mammal|mammal]]s in the family [[Biology:Leporidae|Leporidae]] (which also includes the [[Biology:Hare|hare]]s), which is in the [[Biology:Order|order]] [[Biology:Lagomorpha|Lagomorpha]] (which also includes the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' is the [[Biology:European rabbit|European rabbit]], including its descendants, the world's 305 breeds<ref name="DAD-IS 2017">{{cite web|title=Data export|url=http://www.fao.org/dad-is/dataexport/en/|website=DAD-IS (Domestic Animal Diversity Information System)|publisher=FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)|access-date=30 March 2018|date=21 November 2017}}</ref> of [[Biology:Domestic rabbit|domestic rabbit]]. ''Sylvilagus'' includes 13 wild rabbit species, among them the seven types of [[Biology:Cottontail rabbit|cottontail]]. The European rabbit, which has been introduced on every continent except [[Earth:Antarctica|Antarctica]], is familiar throughout the world as a wild prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock and a pet. With its widespread effect on ecologies and cultures, in many areas of the world, the rabbit is a part of daily life – as food, clothing, a companion, and a source of artistic inspiration.

Although once considered [[Biology:Rodent|rodent]]s, lagomorphs like rabbits have been discovered to have diverged separately and earlier than their rodent cousins and have a number of traits rodents lack, like two extra incisors.

==Terminology and etymology==
A male rabbit is called a ''buck''; a female is called a ''doe''.  An older term for an adult rabbit used until the 18th century is ''coney'' (derived ultimately from the [[Social:Latin|Latin]] {{lang|la|cuniculus}}), while ''rabbit'' once referred only to the young animals.<ref name="Coney etymology">{{cite web|title=''coney''|url=https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=coney|website=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref> Another term for a young rabbit is ''bunny'', though this term is often applied informally (particularly by children) to rabbits generally, especially domestic ones. More recently, the term ''kit'' or ''kitten'' has been used to refer to a young rabbit.

A group of rabbits is known as a ''colony'' or ''nest'' (or, occasionally, a ''warren'', though this more commonly refers to where the rabbits live).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives | title=The Collective Noun Page | access-date=2008-01-30 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201105020/http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/ | archive-date=1 February 2008 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> A group of baby rabbits produced from a single mating is referred to as a ''litter''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/rabbits/breeding-and-reproduction-of-rabbits|title=Breeding and Reproduction of Rabbits|last=McClure, DVM PhD DACLAM|first=Diane|year=2018|website=Merck Veterinary Manual|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106120335/https://www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/rabbits/breeding-and-reproduction-of-rabbits|archive-date=6 January 2018|url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and a group of domestic rabbits living together is sometimes called a ''herd''.<ref name="usgs">{{cite web|url=http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/animals/names.htm|title=Common Questions: What Do You Call a Group of...?|work=archived copy of Animal Congregations, or What Do You Call a Group of.....?|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320071411/http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/animals/names.htm|archive-date=20 March 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref>

The word rabbit itself derives from the [[Social:Middle English|Middle English]] {{lang|enm|rabet}}, a borrowing from the Walloon {{lang|wa|robète}}, which was a diminutive of the French or [[Social:Middle Dutch|Middle Dutch]] {{lang|dum|robbe}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/rabbit#etymonline_v_3248 |title=rabbit |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=15 July 2021 }}</ref>

{{Anchor|Classifications|reason="Classifications" is the old section name, which was changed to "Taxonomy" on 24 February 2018}}

==Taxonomy==

Rabbits and hares were formerly classified in the order [[Biology:Rodent|Rodent]]ia (rodent) until 1912, when they were moved into a new order, [[Biology:Lagomorpha|Lagomorpha]] (which also includes pikas). Below are some of the genera and species of the rabbit.

<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" heights="200px" widths="200px">
File:BRACHYLAGUS IDAHOENSIS.jpg|alt=A small, round, dust-coloured rabbit with upright, close-set ears sat on the ground amidst dead branches.|''Brachylagus idahoensis''{{pb}}Pygmy rabbit
File:Sumatran Striped Rabbit Recontruction.jpg|alt=A model of a relatively large rabbit, with a slightly longer face and shorter, rounder ears, and fur patterned black and gold.|''Nesolagus netscheri''{{pb}}Sumatran Striped Rabbit{{pb}}{{small|(Model)}}
File:Oryctolagus cuniculus Tasmania 2.jpg|alt=A small, light-brown rabbit with upright ears sat on some grass.|''Oryctolagus cuniculus''{{pb}}European rabbit{{pb}}{{small|(Feral Tasmanian specimen)}}
File:Amami rabbit Stuffed specimen.jpg|alt=A taxidermy of a large rabbit with dark brown fur, small, thin ears and an elongated, rodent-like face.|''Pentalagus furnessi''{{pb}}Amami rabbit{{pb}}{{small|(Taxidermy specimen)}}
File:Taxidermied romerolagus diazi.JPG|alt=A taxidermy of a very small light-brown rabbit mid-gallop. Its features are equally small, appearing similar to a vole.|''Romerolagus diazi''{{pb}}Volcano rabbit{{pb}}{{small|(Taxidermy specimen)}}
File:Southern swamp rabbit baby.jpg|alt=A juvenile rabbit sat on a white person's hand; its fur is a light brown ticked heavily with dark brown. It is not quite large enough to fill the person's hand completely.|''Sylvilagus aquaticus''{{pb}}Swamp rabbit{{pb}}{{small|(Juvenile)}}
File:What's Up Doc.jpg|alt=A medium-sized rabbit with light brown fur ticked with grey, its ears large and upright. It stands on all fours on some sandy ground.|''Sylvilagus audubonii''{{pb}}Desert cottontail
File:Sylvilagus bachmani 01035t.JPG|alt=A light-brown rabbit sitting in a field, its body unusually large and squat, its limbs and head small, and its ears especially small|''Sylvilagus bachmani''{{pb}}Brush rabbit
File:Sylvilagus brasiliensis meridensis (Sylvilagus meridensis) - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria - Genoa, Italy - DSC02875.JPG|alt=A taxidermy of a small rabbit, its fur a warm brown ticked with a darker brown, its ears small and set back, its face closer to a vole's than a rabbit's |''Sylvilagus brasiliensis''{{pb}}Tapeti{{pb}}{{small|(Taxidermy specimen)}}
File:Eastern Cottontail.JPG|alt=A rabbit sitting upright in a field, turning to face the camera, its fur a light brown ticked with grey and dark brown, its ears upright |''Sylvilagus floridanus''{{pb}}Eastern cottontail
</gallery>

{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
* Order '''[[Biology:Lagomorpha|Lagomorpha]]'''
** Family '''[[Biology:Leporidae|Leporidae]]''' (in part)
* Genus ''[[Biology:Pygmy rabbit|Brachylagus]]''
** [[Biology:Pygmy rabbit|Pygmy rabbit]], ''Brachylagus idahoensis''
* Genus ''Bunolagus''
** Bushman rabbit, ''Bunolagus monticularis''
* Genus ''[[Biology:Hare|Lepus]]''{{efn|This genus is a hare, not a rabbit}}
* Genus ''[[Biology:Nesolagus|Nesolagus]]''
** [[Biology:Sumatran striped rabbit|Sumatran striped rabbit]], ''Nesolagus netscheri''
** [[Biology:Annamite striped rabbit|Annamite striped rabbit]], ''Nesolagus timminsi''
* Genus ''[[Biology:European rabbit|Oryctolagus]]''
** [[Biology:European rabbit|European rabbit]], ''Oryctolagus cuniculus''
* Genus ''[[Biology:Amami rabbit|Pentalagus]]''
** [[Biology:Amami rabbit|Amami rabbit/Ryūkyū rabbit]], ''Pentalagus furnessi''
* Genus ''Poelagus''
** Central African Rabbit, ''Poelagus marjorita''
* Genus ''[[Biology:Volcano rabbit|Romerolagus]]''
** [[Biology:Volcano rabbit|Volcano rabbit]], ''Romerolagus diazi''
* Genus ''[[Biology:Sylvilagus|Sylvilagus]]''
** [[Biology:Swamp rabbit|Swamp rabbit]], ''Sylvilagus aquaticus''
** [[Biology:Desert cottontail|Desert cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus audubonii''
** [[Biology:Brush rabbit|Brush rabbit]], ''Sylvilagus bachmani''
** Forest rabbit, ''Sylvilagus brasiliensis''
** [[Biology:Mexican cottontail|Mexican cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus cunicularis''
** [[Biology:Dice's cottontail|Dice's cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus dicei''
** [[Biology:Eastern cottontail|Eastern cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus floridanus''
** [[Biology:Tres Marias rabbit|Tres Marias rabbit]], ''Sylvilagus graysoni''
** [[Biology:Omilteme cottontail|Omilteme cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus insonus''
** San Jose brush rabbit, ''Sylvilagus mansuetus''
** [[Biology:Mountain cottontail|Mountain cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus nuttallii''
** [[Biology:Marsh rabbit|Marsh rabbit]], ''Sylvilagus palustris''
** [[Biology:New England cottontail|New England cottontail]], ''Sylvilagus transitionalis''
{{div col end}}

===Differences from hares===
{{Main|Biology:Hare}}
{{Multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = horizontal
| image1    = Meyer Zeit-Vertreib 2 Tafel 032.jpg
| width1    = 199
| caption1  = Hare{{pb}}{{small|Johann Daniel Meyer (1748)}}
| image2    = Meyer Zeit-Vertreib 1 Tafel 083.jpg
| width2    = 205
| caption2  = Rabbit{{pb}}{{small|Johann Daniel Meyer (1748)}}
}}

The term ''rabbit'' is typically used for all Leporidae species excluding the genus ''Lepus''. Members of that genus are instead known as hares or jackrabbits.

''Lepus'' species are precocial, born relatively mature and mobile with hair and good vision, while rabbit species are altricial, born hairless and blind. Hares & some rabbits live a relatively solitary life in a simple nest above the ground, while other rabbits live in social groups in [[Biology:Burrow|burrows]], which are grouped together to form [[Biology:Warren (burrow)|warrens]].  Hares are generally larger than rabbits, with ears that are more elongated, and with hind legs that are larger and longer. Descendants of the [[Biology:European rabbit|European rabbit]] are commonly bred as livestock and kept as pets, whereas no hares have been domesticated – the breed called the Belgian hare is actually a [[Biology:Domestic rabbit|domestic rabbit]] which has been selectively bred to resemble a hare.

===Domestication===
{{Main|Biology:Domestic rabbit}}

Rabbits have long been domesticated. The European rabbit has been widely kept as livestock, starting in [[History:Ancient Rome|ancient Rome]]. [[Biology:Selective breeding|Selective breeding]], which began in the Middle Ages, has generated a wide variety of rabbit breeds, of which many (since the early 19th century) are also kept as pets.<ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018">{{cite journal|last1=Irving-Pease|first1=Evan K.|last2=Frantz|first2=Laurent A.F.|last3=Sykes|first3=Naomi|last4=Callou|first4=Cécile|last5=Larson|first5=Greger|title=Rabbits and the Specious Origins of Domestication|journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution|volume=33|issue=3|pages=149–152|year=2018|issn=0169-5347|doi=10.1016/j.tree.2017.12.009|pmid=29454669|s2cid=3380288 |url=http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/34474}}</ref> Some [[Biology:Strain|strains]] of rabbit have been bred specifically as [[Biology:Animal testing|research subjects]].

As livestock, rabbits are bred for their meat and fur. The earliest breeds were important sources of meat, and so became larger than wild rabbits, but domestic rabbits in modern times range in size from dwarf to giant. Rabbit fur, prized for its softness, can be found in a broad range of coat colors and patterns, as well as lengths. The [[Biology:Angora rabbit|Angora rabbit]] breed, for example, was developed for its long, silky fur, which is often [[Physics:Hand spinning|hand-spun]] into yarn. Other domestic rabbit breeds have been developed primarily for the commercial fur trade, including the Rex, which has a short plush coat.

==Biology==
[[File:Set of wax models showing development of the rabbit heart, twentieth century (24226156252).jpg|thumb|left|Wax models showing the development of the rabbit heart]]

===Evolution===
Because the rabbit's [[Biology:Epiglottis|epiglottis]] is engaged over the soft palate except when swallowing, the rabbit is an [[Biology:Obligate nasal breathing|obligate nasal breather]]. Rabbits have two sets of incisor teeth, one behind the other. This way they can be distinguished from [[Biology:Rodent|rodent]]s, with which they are often confused.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Louise |title=How to Care for Your Rabbit |publisher=Kingdom Books |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-85279-167-4 |page=6 }}</ref>  Another difference is that for rabbits, all of their teeth continue to grow, where as for most rodents, only their incisors continue to grow.  [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|Carl Linnaeus]] originally grouped rabbits and rodents under the class [[Biology:Glires|Glires]]; later, they were separated as the scientific consensus is that many of their similarities were a result of [[Biology:Convergent evolution|convergent evolution]]. Recent DNA analysis and the discovery of a common ancestor has supported the view that they share a common lineage, so rabbits and rodents are now often grouped together in the superorder Glires.<ref>Katherine Quesenberry & James W. Carpenter, ''Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery'' (3rd ed. 2011).</ref>

===Morphology===
[[File:Cmglee Horniman rabbit skin skeleton.jpg|thumb|left|Skeleton of the rabbit]]
Since speed and agility are a rabbit's main defenses against predators (including the swift fox), rabbits have large hind leg bones and well-developed musculature. Though [[Biology:Plantigrade|plantigrade]] at rest, rabbits are on their toes while running, assuming a more [[Biology:Digitigrade|digitigrade]] posture. Rabbits use their strong claws for digging and (along with their teeth) for defense.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=d'Ovidio |first1=Dario |last2=Pierantoni |first2=Ludovica |last3=Noviello |first3=Emilio |last4=Pirrone |first4=Federica |title=Sex differences in human-directed social behavior in pet rabbits |journal=Journal of Veterinary Behavior |date=September 2016 |volume=15 |pages=37–42 |doi=10.1016/j.jveb.2016.08.072 }}</ref> Each front foot has four toes plus a dewclaw. Each hind foot has four toes (but no dewclaw).<ref name="van Praag">{{cite web |last1=van Praag |first1=Esther |year=2005 |title=Deformed claws in a rabbit, after traumatic fractures |url=http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Bone_diseases/Anomalies/Nail_kas_en.pdf |publisher=MediRabbit }}</ref>

[[File:Wild black Oryctologus cuniculus.jpg|thumb|upright|Melanistic coloring{{pb}}<small>''Oryctologus cuniculus''{{pb}}European rabbit (wild)</small>]]
Most wild rabbits (especially compared to hares) have relatively full, egg-shaped bodies. The soft coat of the wild rabbit is agouti in coloration (or, rarely, melanistic), which aids in [[Biology:Camouflage|camouflage]]. The tail of the rabbit (with the exception of the cottontail species) is dark on top and white below. Cottontails have white on the top of their tails.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica"/>

As a result of the position of the eyes in its skull, the rabbit has a field of vision that encompasses nearly 360 degrees, with just a small blind spot at the bridge of the nose.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/vision.html?1 |title=What do Rabbits See? |access-date=2013-08-09 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923185831/http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/vision.html?1 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Hind limb elements===
[[File:Rabbit hind limb skeleton.jpg|thumb|left|This image comes from a specimen in the [[Organization:Pacific Lutheran University|Pacific Lutheran University]] natural history collection. It displays all of the skeletal articulations of rabbit's hind limbs.]]
The anatomy of rabbits' hind limbs is structurally similar to that of other land mammals and contributes to their specialized form of locomotion. The bones of the hind limbs consist of long bones (the femur, tibia, fibula, and phalanges) as well as short bones (the tarsals). These bones are created through [[Biology:Endochondral ossification|endochondral ossification]] during development. Like most land mammals, the round head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum of the os coxae. The femur articulates with the tibia, but not the fibula, which is fused to the tibia. The tibia and fibula articulate with the tarsals of the pes, commonly called the foot. The hind limbs of the rabbit are longer than the front limbs. This allows them to produce their hopping form of locomotion. Longer hind limbs are more capable of producing faster speeds. [[Biology:Hare|Hare]]s, which have longer legs than [[Biology:Cottontail rabbit|cottontail rabbit]]s, are able to move considerably faster.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/practicalanatom00bensgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/practicalanatom00bensgoog/page/n5 1]|quote=rabbit skeletal anatomy.|title=Practical anatomy of the rabbit|last=Bensley|first=Benjamin Arthur|date=1910|publisher=The University Press}}</ref> Rabbits stay just on their toes when moving; this is called [[Biology:Digitigrade|digitigrade]] locomotion. The hind feet have four long toes that allow for this and are webbed to prevent them from spreading when hopping.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.merckvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/rabbits/description-and-physical-characteristics-of-rabbits#v34404688|title=Description and Physical Characteristics of Rabbits – All Other Pets – Merck Veterinary Manual|work=Merck Veterinary Manual|access-date=2018-05-11}}</ref> Rabbits do not have paw pads on their feet like most other animals that use digitigrade locomotion. Instead, they have coarse compressed hair that offers protection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.exoticpetvet.net/smanimal/rabanatomy.html|title=Rabbit Anatomy|last=D.A.B.V.P.|first=Margaret A. Wissman, D.V.M.|website=exoticpetvet.net|access-date=2018-05-11}}</ref>

====Musculature====
[[File:Lateral view of rabbit hind limb.jpg|thumb|The rabbit's hind limb (lateral view) includes muscles involved in the quadriceps and hamstrings.]]

Rabbits have muscled hind legs that allow for maximum force, maneuverability, and acceleration that is divided into three main parts: foot, thigh, and leg. The hind limbs of a rabbit are an exaggerated feature. They are much longer than the forelimbs, providing more force. Rabbits run on their toes to gain the optimal stride during locomotion. The force put out by the hind limbs is contributed by both the structural anatomy of the fusion tibia and fibula, and muscular features.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Susan |first1=Lumpkin |last2=Seidensticker |first2=John |date=2011 |title=Rabbits: the animal answer guide |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=9781421401263|location=Baltimore|oclc=794700391}}</ref> Bone formation and removal, from a cellular standpoint, is directly correlated to hind limb muscles. Action pressure from muscles creates force that is then distributed through the skeletal structures. Rabbits that generate less force, putting less stress on bones are more prone to osteoporosis due to bone [[Physics:Rarefaction|rarefaction]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Geiser |first1=Max |last2=Trueta |first2=Joseph |title=Muscle action, bone rarefaction and bone formation |journal=The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume |date=May 1958 |volume=40-B |issue=2 |pages=282–311 |doi=10.1302/0301-620X.40B2.282 |pmid=13539115 |doi-access=free }}</ref> In rabbits, the more fibers in a muscle, the more resistant to fatigue. For example, [[Biology:Hare|hare]]s have a greater resistance to fatigue than [[Biology:Cottontail rabbit|cottontails]]. The muscles of rabbit's hind limbs can be classified into four main categories: hamstrings, quadriceps, dorsiflexors, or plantar flexors. The quadriceps muscles are in charge of force production when jumping. Complementing these muscles are the hamstrings, which aid in short bursts of action. These muscles play off of one another in the same way as the plantar flexors and dorsiflexors, contributing to the generation and actions associated with force.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lieber |first1=Richard L. |last2=Blevins |first2=Field T. |title=Skeletal muscle architecture of the rabbit hindlimb: Functional implications of muscle design |journal=Journal of Morphology |date=January 1989 |volume=199 |issue=1 |pages=93–101 |doi=10.1002/jmor.1051990108 |pmid=2921772 |s2cid=25344889 }}</ref>

===Ears===
[[File:Anatomy and physiology of animals The ear.jpg|thumb|Anatomy of mammalian ear]]
[[File:Holland Lop Ears UpDown.png|thumb|A Holland Lop resting with one ear up and one ear down. Some rabbits can adjust their ears to hear distant sounds.]]
Within the order [[Biology:Lagomorpha|lagomorphs]], the ears are used to detect and avoid predators. In the family [[Biology:Leporidae|Leporidae]], the ears are typically longer than they are wide. For example, in [[Biology:Black-tailed jackrabbit|black tailed jack rabbits]], their long ears cover a greater surface area relative to their body size that allow them to detect predators from far away. In contrast with cottontail rabbits, their ears are smaller and shorter, requiring that predators be closer before they can detect them and flee. Evolution has favored rabbits having shorter ears, so the larger surface area does not cause them to lose heat in more temperate regions. The opposite can be seen in rabbits that live in hotter climates; possessing longer ears with a larger surface area helps with dispersion of heat. Since sound travels less well in arid as opposed to cooler air, longer ears may aid the organism in detecting predators sooner rather than later, in warmer temperatures.<ref name="Hall">{{Cite book|title=The Mammals of North America|last=Hall|first=E. Raymond |publisher=The Blackburn Press|year=2001|isbn=978-1930665354}}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2021}} Rabbits are characterized by shorter ears than hares.<ref name="Bensley 1910">{{Cite book|title=Practical anatomy of the rabbit|last=Bensley|first=Benjamin Arthur|publisher=The University Press|year=1910}}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2021}} Rabbits' ears are an important structure to aid [[Physics:Thermoregulation|thermoregulation]] as well as in detecting predators due to the way the outer, middle, and inner ear muscles coordinate with one another. The ear muscles also aid in maintaining balance and movement when fleeing predators.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Meyer|first=D. L.|date=1971|title=Single Unit Responses of Rabbit Ear-Muscles to Postural and Accelerative Stimulation|journal=Experimental Brain Research|volume=14|issue=2|pages=118–26|doi=10.1007/BF00234795|pmid=5016586|s2cid=6466476}}</ref>

====Outer ear====
The auricle, also known as the pinna, is a rabbit's outer ear.<ref name="Capello 2006">{{Cite journal|last=Capello|first=Vittorio|date=2006|title=Lateral Ear Canal Resection and Ablation in Pet Rabbits|url=http://www.ivis.org/proceedings/navc/2006/SAE/617.pdf?LA=1|journal=The North American Veterinary Conference|volume=20|pages=1711–1713}}</ref> The rabbit's pinnae represent a fair part of the body surface area. It is theorized that the ears aid in dispersion of heat at temperatures above {{convert|30|C|F|abbr=on }}, with rabbits in warmer climates having longer pinnae due to this. Another theory is that the ears function as shock absorbers that could aid and stabilize rabbits' vision when fleeing predators, but this has typically only been seen in hares.<ref name="Vella 2012">{{Cite book|title=Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery|last=Vella|first=David|publisher=Elsevier|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4160-6621-7}}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2021}} The rest of the outer ear has bent canals that lead to the [[Medicine:Eardrum|eardrum]] or [[Medicine:Eardrum|tympanic membrane]].<ref name="Parsons 2018">{{Cite journal|last=Parsons|first=Paige K.|date=2018|title=Rabbit Ears: A Structural Look: ...injury or disease, can send your rabbit into a spin|url=https://rabbit.org/journal/4-11/ear.html|journal=House Rabbit Society}}</ref>

====Middle ear====
The middle ear, separated by the outer eardrum in the back of the rabbit's skull, contains three bones: the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, collectively called [[Medicine:Ossicles|ossicles]], which act to decrease sound before it hits the inner ear; in general, the ossicles act as a barrier to the inner ear for sound energy.<ref name="Parsons 2018" />

====Inner ear====
Inner ear fluid, called [[Biology:Endolymph|endolymph]], receives the sound energy. After receiving the energy. The inner ear comprises two parts: the [[Medicine:Cochlea|cochlea]] that uses sound waves from the ossicles, and the vestibular apparatus that manages the rabbit's position in regard to movement. Within the cochlea a basilar membrane contains sensory hair structures that send nerve signals to the brain, allowing it to recognize different sound frequencies. Within the vestibular apparatus three semicircular canals help detect angular motion.<ref name="Parsons 2018" />

===Dewlaps===
[[File:Palomino rabbit with kit.jpg|thumb|A palomino rabbit displaying her dewlap beside a month-old kit]]
A [[Biology:Dewlap|dewlap]] is a longitudinal flap of [[Biology:Skin|skin]] or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or [[Medicine:Neck|neck]]. It is a secondary sex characteristic in rabbits, caused by the presence of female sex hormones. They develop with puberty. A female rabbit who has been [[Medicine:Neutering|neutered]] before reaching sexual maturity will not develop a dewlap, and even if a doe is neutered after developing a dewlap, the dewlap will gradually disappear over several months. This also aligns with the results of injecting male rabbits with female sex hormones, specifically the ones from pregnant women's [[Biology:Urine|urine]]. The male rabbits developed dewlaps, which then gradually disappeared once administration had ceased.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hu |first1=C.-k. |last2=Frazier |first2=C. N. |date=1938-02-01 |title=Relationship Between Female Sex Hormone and Dewlap in the Rabbit |url=http://ebm.sagepub.com/lookup/doi/10.3181/00379727-38-9761 |journal=Experimental Biology and Medicine |language=en |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=116–119 |doi=10.3181/00379727-38-9761 |s2cid=87987542 |issn=1535-3702}}</ref> (This is not the process of the [[Biology:Rabbit test|rabbit test]], a common way to test for human female pregnancy in the 20th century; the pregnancy test involved dissecting female rabbits after injection with urine to see if their ovaries had enlarged.)<ref>{{cite news|title=Dr Maurice Friedman 87 Dies Created Rabbit Pregnancy Test|last=Howe|first=Marvine|date=10 March 1991|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> While it is unclear exactly what function a dewlap performs, pregnant female rabbits will pluck fur from their dewlaps shortly before giving birth to line a nest for their young.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Vennen |first1=Kristine M. |date=2009-01-01 |journal=Manual of Exotic Pet Practice |pages=375–405 |editor-last=Mitchell |editor-first=Mark A. |place=Saint Louis |publisher=W.B. Saunders |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-141600119-5.50017-2 |isbn=978-1-4160-0119-5 |pmc=7152457 |last2=Mitchell |first2=Mark A. |title=Rabbits |editor2-last=Tully |editor2-first=Thomas N.}}</ref>

===Thermoregulation===
[[File:Domestic rabbit with large ears.jpg|thumb|The blood flow through the rabbit's large ears help with thermoregulation.]]
[[Physics:Thermoregulation|Thermoregulation]] is the process that an organism uses to maintain an optimal body temperature independent of external conditions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Romanovsky |first1=A. A. |title=Skin temperature: its role in thermoregulation |journal=Acta Physiologica |date=March 2014 |volume=210 |issue=3 |pages=498–507 |pmid=24716231 |pmc=4159593 |doi=10.1111/apha.12231 }}</ref> This process is carried out by the pinnae, which takes up most of the rabbit's body surface and contain a vascular network and arteriovenous shunts.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical, Medicine, and Surgery |last=Vella|first=David|publisher=Elsevier|year=2012|isbn=9781416066217}}{{page needed|date=March 2019}}</ref> In a rabbit, the optimal body temperature is around {{convert|38.5|-|40.0|C|F|abbr=on }}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fayez |first1=I |last2=Marai |first2=M |last3=Alnaimy |first3=A |last4=Habeeb |first4=M |chapter=Thermoregulation in rabbits |editor1-last=Baselga |editor1-first=M |editor2-last=Marai |editor2-first=I.F.M. |title=Rabbit production in hot climates |location=Zaragoza |publisher=CIHEAM |year=1994 |pages=33–41 |chapter-url=http://om.ciheam.org/article.php?IDPDF=95605277 }}</ref> If their body temperature exceeds or does not meet this optimal temperature, the rabbit must return to [[Homeostasis|homeostasis]]. Homeostasis of body temperature is maintained by the use of their large, highly vascularized ears that are able to change the amount of blood flow that passes through the ears.

===Respiratory system===
[[File:Dissected Rabbit Lungs.jpg|thumb|upright|Ventral view of dissected rabbit lungs with key structures labeled.]]

The rabbit's nasal cavity lies dorsal to the oral cavity, and the two compartments are separated by the hard and soft palate.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /> The nasal cavity itself is separated into a left and right side by a cartilage barrier, and it is covered in fine hairs that trap dust before it can enter the respiratory tract.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /><ref name="Smith 2019" />{{page needed|date=October 2019}} As the rabbit breathes, air flows in through the nostrils along the alar folds. From there, the air moves into the nasal cavity, also known as the nasopharynx, down through the trachea, through the larynx, and into the lungs.<ref name="Smith 2019">{{Cite book |title=A dissection guide & atlas to the rabbit |last=Smith |first=David G. |isbn=978-1617319372 |oclc=1084742187 |year = 2019|publisher=Morton }}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2021}}<ref name="Jekl 2012">{{Cite journal|last=Jekl|first=Vladimi|date=2012|title=Approach to Rabbit Respiratory Disease|url=https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=5328323&pid=11349&print=1|journal=WSAVA/FECAVA/BSAVA World Congress|quote=As obligate nasal breathers, rabbits with upper airway disease will attempt to breathe through their mouths, which prevents feeding and drinking and could be quickly fatal.}}</ref> The larynx functions as the rabbit's voice box, which enables it to produce a wide variety of sounds.<ref name="Smith 2019" />{{page needed|date=October 2019}} The trachea is a long tube embedded with cartilaginous rings that prevent the tube from collapsing as air moves in and out of the lungs. The trachea then splits into a left and right bronchus, which meet the lungs at a structure called the hilum. From there, the bronchi split into progressively more narrow and numerous branches. The bronchi branch into bronchioles, into respiratory bronchioles, and ultimately terminate at the alveolar ducts. The branching that is typically found in rabbit lungs is a clear example of monopodial branching, in which smaller branches divide out laterally from a larger central branch.<ref name="Autifi 2015" />

The structure of the rabbit's nasal and oral cavities necessitates breathing through the nose. This is due to the fact that the epiglottis is fixed to the backmost portion of the soft palate.<ref name="Jekl 2012" /> Within the oral cavity, a layer of tissue sits over the opening of the glottis, which blocks airflow from the oral cavity to the trachea.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011">{{Cite journal|last1=Johnson-Delaney|first1=Cathy A.|last2=Orosz|first2=Susan E.|year=2011|title=Rabbit Respiratory System: Clinical Anatomy, Physiology and Disease|journal=Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice|language=en|volume=14|issue=2|pages=257–266|doi=10.1016/j.cvex.2011.03.002|pmid=21601814}}</ref> The epiglottis functions to prevent the rabbit from aspirating on its food. Further, the presence of a soft and hard palate allow the rabbit to breathe through its nose while it feeds.<ref name="Smith 2019" />{{page needed|date=October 2019}}

[[File:Monopodial branching in Rabbit Lungs.jpg|thumb|Monopodial branching as seen in dissected rabbit lungs.]]

Rabbits' lungs are divided into four lobes: the cranial, middle, caudal, and accessory lobes. The right lung is made up of all four lobes, while the left lung only has two: the cranial and caudal lobes.<ref name="Autifi 2015">{{Cite journal|last1=Autifi|first1=Mohamed Abdul Haye|last2=El-Banna|first2=Ahmed Kamal|last3=Ebaid|first3=Ashraf El- Sayed|date=2015|title=Morphological Study of Rabbit Lung, Bronchial Tree, and Pulmonary Vessels Using Corrosion Cast Technique|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326010899|journal=Al-Azhar Assiut Medical Journal|volume=13|issue=3|pages=41–51}}</ref> To provide space for the heart, the left cranial lobe of the lungs is significantly smaller than that of the right.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /> The diaphragm is a muscular structure that lies caudal to the lungs and contracts to facilitate respiration.<ref name="Johnson-Delaney 2011" /><ref name="Jekl 2012" />

{{Anchor|title=Diet and eating habits|reason="Diet and eating habits" is the old section name, which was changed to "Digestion" on 24 February 2018}}

===Digestion===

Rabbits are [[Earth:Herbivore|herbivore]]s that feed by grazing on grass and hay, and other leafy plants. They do not naturally eat carrots or lettuce, contrary to common belief.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/diet/myths|title=Common rabbit diet myths|website=rspca.org.uk|access-date=2024-01-25}}</ref> Consequently, their diet contains large amounts of [[Chemistry:Cellulose|cellulose]], which is hard to digest. Rabbits solve this problem via a form of [[Biology:Hindgut fermentation|hindgut fermentation]]. They pass two distinct types of feces: hard droppings and soft black viscous pellets, the latter of which are known as cecotropes or "night droppings"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html|title=Rabbits: The Mystery of Poop|website=bio.miami.edu|access-date=2018-12-03}}</ref> and are immediately eaten (a behaviour known as ''cecotrophy''). Rabbits reingest their own droppings (rather than [[Biology:Ruminant|chewing the cud]] as do cows and numerous other herbivores) to digest their food further and extract sufficient nutrients.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oaktreevet.co.uk/Pages/leaflets/rabbit%20general.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623015452/http://www.oaktreevet.co.uk/Pages/leaflets/rabbit%20general.htm |archive-date=23 June 2012 |title=Information for Rabbit Owners&nbsp;— Oak Tree Veterinary Centre |publisher=Oaktreevet.co.uk |access-date=30 August 2010 }}</ref>

Rabbits graze heavily and rapidly for roughly the first half-hour of a grazing period (usually in the late afternoon), followed by about half an hour of more selective feeding.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-18 |title=Wild Rabbit & Hare Fact Sheet - Tiggywinkles |url=https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/wild-rabbit-hare-fact-sheet/ |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref> In this time, the rabbit will also excrete many hard fecal pellets, being waste pellets that will not be reingested. If the environment is relatively non-threatening, the rabbit will remain outdoors for many hours, grazing at intervals. The rabbit will reingest its soft, partially digested pellets in a process known as ''cecotrophy''; this is rarely observed, since the pellets are reingested as they are produced.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Varga |first=Molly |date=2014 |title=Rabbit Basic Science |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7158370/ |journal=Textbook of Rabbit Medicine |pages=3–108 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-7020-4979-8.00001-7 |pmc=7158370}}</ref>

Hard pellets are made up of hay-like fragments of plant cuticle and stalk, being the final waste product after redigestion of soft pellets. These are only released outside the burrow or form and are not reingested. Soft pellets are usually produced several hours after grazing, after the hard pellets have all been excreted. They are made up of micro-organisms and undigested plant cell walls, among other necessary nutrients.<ref name=":0" />

Rabbits are hindgut digesters. This means that most of their digestion takes place in their [[Biology:Large intestine|large intestine]] and [[Biology:Cecum|cecum]]. In rabbits, the cecum is about 10 times bigger than the stomach and it along with the large intestine makes up roughly 40% of the rabbit's digestive tract.<ref>"Feeding the Pet Rabbit"</ref> The unique musculature of the cecum allows the intestinal tract of the rabbit to separate fibrous material from more digestible material; the fibrous material is passed as feces, while the more nutritious material is encased in a mucous lining as a cecotrope. Cecotropes, sometimes called "night feces", are high in minerals, [[Chemistry:Vitamin|vitamin]]s and [[Biology:Protein|protein]]s that are necessary to the rabbit's health. Rabbits eat these to meet their nutritional requirements; the mucous coating allows the nutrients to pass through the acidic stomach for digestion in the intestines. This process allows rabbits to extract the necessary nutrients from their food.<ref>Dr. Byron de la Navarre's "Care of Rabbits" Susan A. Brown, DVM's "Overview of Common Rabbit Diseases: Diseases Related to Diet"</ref>

The chewed plant material collects in the large cecum, a secondary chamber between the large and small intestine containing large quantities of symbiotic bacteria that help with the digestion of cellulose and also produce certain B vitamins. The pellets are about 56% bacteria by dry weight, largely accounting for the pellets being 24.4% protein on average. The soft feces form here and contain up to five times the vitamins of hard feces. After being excreted, they are eaten whole by the rabbit and redigested in a special part of the stomach. The pellets remain intact for up to six hours in the stomach; the bacteria within continue to digest the plant carbohydrates. This double-digestion process enables rabbits to use nutrients that they may have missed during the first passage through the gut, as well as the nutrients formed by the microbial activity and thus ensures that maximum nutrition is derived from the food they eat.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |title=rabbit |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |location=Chicago |edition=Standard |year=2007 }}</ref> This process serves the same purpose in the rabbit as [[Biology:Ruminant|rumination]] does in cattle and sheep.<ref>''The Private Life of the Rabbit'', R. M. Lockley, 1964. Chapter 10.</ref> <!-- This reference is for the whole section, as written 30 July 2007 -->

[[File:Male rabbit genitalia.pdf|thumb|left|Dissected image of the male rabbit reproductive system with key structures labeled]]
Because rabbits cannot vomit,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bqz9-IUUwdcC&pg=PA359|page=359|title=The Experimental Animal in Biomedical Research: Care, Husbandry, and Well-Being-An Overview by Species, Volume 2|author=Bernard E. Rollin|publisher=CRC Press|date= 13 Mar 1995|isbn=9780849349829}}</ref> if buildup occurs within the intestines (due often to a diet with insufficient fibre),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.extension.org/pages/61402/the-digestive-system-of-the-rabbit|title=The Digestive System of the Rabbit|last=Karr-Lilienthal, Phd (University of Nebraska – Lincoln)|first=Lisa|date=4 November 2011|website=eXtension (a Part of the Cooperative Extension Service)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106120117/http://articles.extension.org/pages/61402/the-digestive-system-of-the-rabbit|archive-date=6 January 2018|url-status=live|access-date=5 January 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref> intestinal blockage can occur.<ref>{{cite web |title=Living with a House Rabbit |url=http://rabbitsinthehouse.org/?page_id=60 |access-date=21 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921095830/http://rabbitsinthehouse.org/?page_id=60 |archive-date=21 September 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Reproduction===
[[File:Male rabbit reproduction system.png|thumb|Diagram of the male rabbit reproductive system with main components labeled]]
The adult male reproductive system forms the same as most mammals with the seminiferous tubular compartment containing the [[Biology:Sertoli cell|Sertoli cell]]s and an adluminal compartment that contains the [[Biology:Leydig cell|Leydig cell]]s.<ref name="Foote 2000">{{Cite journal|last1=Foote|first1=Robert H|last2=Carney|first2=Edward W|year=2000|title=The rabbit as a model for reproductive and developmental toxicity studies|journal=Reproductive Toxicology|volume=14|issue=6|pages=477–493|doi=10.1016/s0890-6238(00)00101-5|pmid=11099874|issn=0890-6238}}</ref> The Leydig cells produce [[Chemistry:Testosterone|testosterone]], which maintains libido<ref name="Foote 2000" /> and creates secondary sex characteristics such as the genital tubercle and penis. The Sertoli cells triggers the production of [[Biology:Anti-Müllerian hormone|Anti-Müllerian duct hormone]], which absorbs the Müllerian duct. In an adult male rabbit, the sheath of the penis is cylinder-like and can be extruded as early as two months of age.<ref name="LafeberVet repro basics">{{cite web|url=https://lafeber.com/vet/rabbit-reproduction-basics/|title=Rabbit Reproduction Basics|date=2014-05-05|website=LafeberVet|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-06}}</ref> The scrotal sacs lay lateral to the penis and contain epididymal fat pads which protect the testes. Between 10 and 14 weeks, the testes descend and are able to retract into the pelvic cavity to thermoregulate.<ref name="LafeberVet repro basics" /> Furthermore, the secondary sex characteristics, such as the testes, are complex and secrete many compounds. These compounds include [[Chemistry:Fructose|fructose]], [[Chemistry:Citric acid|citric acid]], minerals, and a uniquely high amount of [[Biology:Catalase|catalase]].<ref name="Foote 2000" />

[[File:Female repro system labelled.JPG|thumb|Diagram of the female rabbit reproductive system with main components labeled.]]
The adult female reproductive tract is bipartite, which prevents an embryo from translocating between uteri.<ref>{{Cite book|date=1974|title=The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit|doi=10.1016/c2013-0-11681-9|isbn=9780127421506|last1=Weisbroth|first1=Steven H.|last2=Flatt|first2=Ronald E.|last3=Kraus|first3=Alan L.}}</ref> The two uterine horns communicate to two cervixes and forms one vaginal canal. Along with being bipartite, the female rabbit does not go through an estrus cycle, which causes mating [[Biology:Induced ovulation (animals)|induced ovulation]].<ref name="LafeberVet repro basics" />

The average female rabbit becomes sexually mature at three to eight months of age and can conceive at any time of the year for the duration of her life. Egg and sperm production can begin to decline after three years.<ref name="Foote 2000" /> During mating, the male rabbit will mount the female rabbit from behind and insert his penis into the female and make rapid pelvic hip thrusts. The encounter lasts only 20–40 seconds and after, the male will throw himself backwards off the female.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://florida4h.org/projects/rabbits/MarketRabbits/Activity8_Mating4.html|title=Understanding the Mating Process for Breeding Rabbits|website=florida4h.org|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref>

The rabbit gestation period is short and ranges from 28 to 36 days with an average period of 31 days. A longer gestation period will generally yield a smaller litter while shorter gestation periods will give birth to a larger litter. The size of a single litter can range from four to 12 kits allowing a female to deliver up to 60 new kits a year. After birth, the female can become pregnant again as early as the next day.<ref name="LafeberVet repro basics" />

After mating, in some species, hormonal changes will cause the doe to begin to dig a burrow for her nest about a week before giving birth. Between three days and a few hours before giving birth another series of hormonal changes will cause her to prepare the nest structure. The doe will first gather grass for a structure, and an elevation in [[Biology:Prolactin|prolactin]] shortly before birth will cause her fur to shed that the doe will then use to line the nest, providing insulation for the newborn kits.<ref name="stress">{{cite journal |last1=Benedek |first1=I |last2=Altbӓcker |first2=V |last3=Molnár |first3=T |date=2021 |title=Stress reactivity near birth affects nest building timing and offspring number and survival in the European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus''). |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=e0246258 |bibcode=2021PLoSO..1646258B |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0246258 |pmc=7845978 |pmid=33513198 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The mortality rates of embryos are high in rabbits and can be due to infection, trauma, poor nutrition and environmental stress so a high fertility rate is necessary to counter this.<ref name="LafeberVet repro basics" />

===Sleep===

Rabbits may appear to be crepuscular, but their natural inclination is toward nocturnal activity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jilge |first1=B |year=1991 |title=The rabbit: a diurnal or a nocturnal animal? |journal=Journal of Experimental Animal Science |volume=34 |issue=5–6 |pages=170–183 |pmid=1814463 }}</ref> In 2011, the average sleep time of a rabbit in captivity was calculated at 8.4 hours per day.<ref>"40 Winks?" Jennifer S. Holland, ''National Geographic'' Vol. 220, No. 1. July 2011.</ref> As with other prey animals, rabbits often sleep with their eyes open, so that sudden movements will awaken the rabbit to respond to potential danger.<ref>{{cite book |title=For The Love of Parsley. A Guide To Your Rabbit's Most Common Behaviours |publisher=Lulu |author=Wright, Samantha |year=2011 |pages=35–36 |isbn=978-1-4467-9111-0}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Rabbit diseases|Diseases|Immunity|reason="Rabbit diseases" is the old section name, which was changed to "Diseases" on 24 February 2018}}

===Diseases and immunity===

In addition to being at risk of disease from common pathogens such as ''[[Biology:Bordetella bronchiseptica|Bordetella bronchiseptica]]'' and ''[[Biology:Escherichia coli|Escherichia coli]]'', rabbits can contract the virulent, species-specific viruses [[Biology:Rabbit haemorrhagic disease|RHD]] ("rabbit hemorrhagic disease", a form of calicivirus)<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6508.htm |title=Australia's War Against Rabbits |author1=Cooke, Brian Douglas |publisher=CSIRO Publishing |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-643-09612-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607140214/http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6508.htm |archive-date=7 June 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> or [[Biology:Myxomatosis|myxomatosis]]. Among the parasites that infect rabbits are tapeworms (such as ''[[Biology:Taenia serialis|Taenia serialis]])'', external parasites (including fleas and mites), coccidia species, and ''[[Biology:Toxoplasma gondii|Toxoplasma gondii]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wood |first=Maggie |title=Parasites of Rabbits |url=http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/rabbitexpectations142.htm |work=Chicago Exotics, PC |access-date=8 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302084348/http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/rabbitexpectations142.htm |archive-date=2 March 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Boschert |first=Ken |title=Internal Parasites of Rabbits |url=http://netvet.wustl.edu/species/rabbits/rabparas.txt |work=Net Vet |access-date=8 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402055049/http://netvet.wustl.edu/species/rabbits/rabparas.txt |archive-date=2 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Domesticated rabbits with a diet lacking in high fiber sources, such as hay and grass, are susceptible to potentially lethal gastrointestinal stasis.<ref>{{cite web |last=Krempels |first=Dana |title=GastroIntestinal Stasis, The Silent Killer |url=http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html |work=Department of Biology at the University of Miami |access-date=21 September 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619101231/http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html |archive-date=19 June 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Rabbits and hares are almost never found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans.<ref name="CDCRabies">{{cite web |title=Rabies: Other Wild Animals |url=https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/other.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=20 December 2012 |date=15 November 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101220085305/http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/exposure/animals/other.html |archive-date=20 December 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

''[[Biology:Encephalitozoon cuniculi|Encephalitozoon cuniculi]]'', a microsporidial parasite, is capable of infecting many mammals, including rabbits.
<ref name="nat lib cuniculi">{{cite web|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7337189/|title=''Encephalitozoon cuniculi'' in pet rabbits: diagnosis and optimal management|access-date=2024-01-03|last=Latney|first=La’Toya}}</ref>

Rabbit immunity has significantly diverged from other [[Biology:Tetrapod|tetrapod]]s in the manner it employs [[Biology:Immunoglobulin light chain#In other animals|immunoglobulin light chains]].<ref name="immunoglobulin-light-chains">
   {{Unbulleted list citebundle
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | last1=Weber | first1=Justus | last2=Peng | first2=Haiyong | last3=Rader | first3=Christoph | title=From rabbit antibody repertoires to rabbit monoclonal antibodies | journal=Experimental & Molecular Medicine | publisher=[[Company:Nature Portfolio|Nature Portfolio]] | volume=49 | issue=3 | year=2017 | issn=2092-6413 | doi=10.1038/emm.2017.23 | pages=e305 | pmid=28336958 | pmc=5382564 | s2cid=4066391}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | last1=Mage | first1=Rose G. | last2=Lanning | first2=Dennis | last3=Knight | first3=Katherine L. | title=B cell and antibody repertoire development in rabbits: The requirement of gut-associated lymphoid tissues | journal=Developmental & Comparative Immunology | publisher=[[Company:Elsevier|Elsevier]] | volume=30 | issue=1–2 | year=2006 | issn=0145-305X | doi=10.1016/j.dci.2005.06.017 | pages=137–153 | pmid=16098588}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | last1=Conrath | first1=K.E. | last2=Wernery | first2=U. | last3=Muyldermans | first3=S. | last4=Nguyen | first4=V.K. | title=Emergence and evolution of functional heavy-chain antibodies in ''Camelidae'' | journal=Developmental & Comparative Immunology | publisher=[[Company:Elsevier|Elsevier]] | volume=27 | issue=2 | year=2003 | issn=0145-305X | doi=10.1016/s0145-305x(02)00071-x | pages=87–103 | pmid=12543123}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | last=Davis | first=Mark M. | title=Molecular Genetics of the T Cell-Receptor Beta Chain | journal=Annual Review of Immunology | publisher=Annual Reviews | volume=3 | issue=1 | year=1985 | issn=0732-0582 | doi=10.1146/annurev.iy.03.040185.002541 | pages=537–560 | pmid=3933533}}
   }}
</ref><ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015">{{cite journal | last1=Pinheiro | first1=Ana | last2=Neves | first2=Fabiana | last3=Lemos de Matos | first3=Ana | last4=Abrantes | first4=Joana | last5=van der Loo | first5=Wessel | last6=Mage | first6=Rose | last7=Esteves | first7=Pedro José | title=An overview of the lagomorph immune system and its genetic diversity | journal=[[Medicine:Immunogenetics|Immunogenetics]] | publisher=[[Company:Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] | volume=68 | issue=2 | date=2015-09-23 | issn=0093-7711 | doi=10.1007/s00251-015-0868-8 | pages=83–107 | pmid=26399242 | s2cid=18131774| doi-access=free }}</ref> In one case McCartney-Francis ''et al.'', 1984 discover a unique additional disulfide bond between [[Chemistry:Cysteine|Cys]] 80 in Vκ and Cys 171 in Cκ.<ref name="immunoglobulin-light-chains" /><ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015" /> They suggest that this may serve to stabilise rabbit antibodies.<ref name="immunoglobulin-light-chains" /><ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015" /> Meanwhile ''{{visible anchor|IGKC1}}'' shows high [[Chemistry:Amino acid|amino acid]] divergence between domesticated types and ferals derived from them.<ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015" /> This can be as high as 40%.<ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015" />

[[Biology:Rabbit hemorrhagic disease|Rabbit hemorrhagic disease]] (RHD) is caused by strains of [[Biology:Rabbit hemorrhagic disease|rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus]] (RHDV) including type 2 ([[Biology:Rabbit hemorrhagic disease|RHDV2]]).<ref name="RHDV2">{{cite web | title=Rabbit hemorrhagic disease | website=American Veterinary Medical Association | url=https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease | access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref> RHDV2 was detected for the first time in Washington state, US in May 2022 and then in August once in Washington and twice in Oregon.<ref name="washington-state">{{cite web | title=Deadly rabbit disease confirmed in Thurston County; vets urge vaccination | website=Washington State Department of Agriculture | date=2020-09-25 | url=https://agr.wa.gov/about-wsda/news-and-media-relations/news-releases?article=35585&culture=en-US | access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref>  Since then, it has spread to many states in the US.

==Ecology==
[[File:Rabbit 1hr old gnangarra.jpg|thumb|Rabbit kits one hour after birth]]
Rabbits are prey animals and are therefore constantly aware of their surroundings. For instance, in Mediterranean Europe, rabbits are the main prey of red foxes, badgers, and Iberian lynxes.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Fedriani, J. M. |author2=Palomares, F. |author3=Delibes, M. |year=1999 |title=Niche relations among three sympatric Mediterranean carnivores |jstor=4222449 |journal=Oecologia |volume=121 |issue=1 |pages=138–148 |url=http://www.uam.es/personal_pdi/ciencias/jonate/Ecologia/Tema%2023/Fedriani.pdf |doi=10.1007/s004420050915 |pmid=28307883 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190836/http://www.uam.es/personal_pdi/ciencias/jonate/Ecologia/Tema%2023/Fedriani.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all |citeseerx=10.1.1.587.7215 |bibcode=1999Oecol.121..138F |s2cid=39202154 }}</ref> If confronted by a potential threat, a rabbit may freeze and observe then warn others in the warren with powerful thumps on the ground. Rabbits have a remarkably wide field of vision, and a good deal of it is devoted to overhead scanning.<ref>Tynes, Valarie V. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=kPFW95tjKpQC&pg=PA70 Behavior of Exotic Pets] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506173801/https://books.google.com/books?id=kPFW95tjKpQC&lpg=PA70 |date=6 May 2016 }}''. Wiley Blackwell, 2010, p. 70.</ref> The doe (mother) is aware that she gives off scent which can attract predators, so she will stay away from the nest to avoid putting the kits (babies) in danger, returning the nest only a few times a day to feed the kits.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rabbitcaretips.com/how-to-keep-a-wild-baby-rabbit-alive/ |title=How To Keep A Wild Baby Rabbit Alive — Rabbit Care Tips |publisher=Rabbitcaretips.com |date=2021-02-24 |accessdate=2022-06-30}}</ref>

Rabbits survive predation by burrowing (some species), hopping away in a zig-zag motion, and, if captured, delivering powerful kicks with their hind legs. Their strong teeth allow them to bite to escape a struggle.<ref>Davis, Susan E. and DeMello, Margo ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCS5yfJ7NAEC&pg=PA27 Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural And Cultural History of A Misunderstood Creature] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506182606/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCS5yfJ7NAEC&lpg=PA27 |date=6 May 2016 }}''. Lantern Books, 2003, p. 27.</ref> The longest-lived rabbit on record, a domesticated [[Biology:European rabbit|European rabbit]] living in Tasmania, died at age 18.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Guinness World Records 2014|last=Glenday|first=Craig|year=2013|isbn=978-1-908843-15-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/page/043 043]|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7/page/043}}</ref> The lifespan of wild rabbits is much shorter; the average longevity of an [[Biology:Eastern cottontail|eastern cottontail]], for instance, is less than one year.<ref>[http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3375.htm Cottontail rabbit at Indiana Department of Natural Resources] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117151651/http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3375.htm |date=17 November 2016 }}</ref>

===Habitat and range===
[[File:Bunny rabbit at Alligator Bay, Beauvoir, France.jpg|thumb|Domestic rabbit photographed at Alligator Bay, Beauvoir, France.]]
Rabbit habitats include [[Earth:Meadow|meadow]]s, [[Biology:Woodland|woods]], forests, [[Earth:Grassland|grassland]]s, [[Earth:Desert|desert]]s and [[Earth:Wetland|wetland]]s.<ref name="Habitats1" /> While some rabbits live solitary lives, others live in groups, and the best known species, the [[Biology:European rabbit|European rabbit]], lives in [[Biology:Burrow|burrow]]s, or rabbit holes. A group of burrows is called a ''warren''.<ref name="Habitats1">{{cite web |url=http://courses.ttu.edu/thomas/classpet/1998/rabbit1/new_page_2.htm |title=Rabbit Habitats |access-date=7 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804053012/http://courses.ttu.edu/thomas/classpet/1998/rabbit1/new_page_2.htm |archive-date=4 August 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

More than half the world's rabbit population resides in North America.<ref name="Habitats1" /> They are also native to southwestern Europe, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, some islands of Japan, and in parts of Africa and South America. They are not naturally found in most of [[Earth:Eurasia|Eurasia]], where a number of species of [[Biology:Hare|hare]]s are present. Rabbits first entered South America relatively recently, as part of the [[Earth:Great American Interchange|Great American Interchange]]. Much of the continent has just one species of rabbit, the [[Biology:Tapeti|tapeti]], while most of South America's Southern Cone is without rabbits.

The European rabbit has been introduced to many places around the world.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica"/> A recent study found that "the (so-called) Chinese rabbits were introduced from Europe. Genetic diversity in Chinese rabbits was very low."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Long |first1=J.‐R. |last2=Qiu |first2=X.‐P. |last3=Zeng |first3=F.‐T. |last4=Tang |first4=L.‐M. |last5=Zhang |first5=Y.‐P. |title=Origin of rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') in China: evidence from mitochondrial DNA control region sequence analysis |journal=Animal Genetics |date=April 2003 |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=82–87 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2052.2003.00945.x |pmid=12648090}}</ref>

Rabbits have been launched into space orbit.<ref name=Beischer1962>{{cite journal |author1=Beischer, DE |author2=Fregly, AR |title=Animals and man in space. A chronology and annotated bibliography through the year 1960. |journal=US Naval School of Aviation Medicine |volume=ONR TR ACR-64 |issue=AD0272581 |year=1962 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/9288 |access-date=14 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811085105/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/9288 |archive-date=11 August 2015 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

===Environmental problems===
[[File:Rabbit fence Cobar October 1905.jpg|thumb|Impact of rabbit-proof fence, Cobar, New South Wales, 1905]]
Rabbits have been a source of environmental problems when introduced into the wild by humans. As a result of their appetites, and the rate at which they breed, feral rabbit depredation can be problematic for agriculture. Gassing ([[Biology:Fumigation|fumigation]] of warrens),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development |last2=Agriculture and Food Division |last3=Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) |title=Rabbit control: fumigation |url=https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/baits-poisons/rabbit-control-fumigation |website=agric.wa.gov.au |publisher=Government of Western Australia |access-date=25 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref> [[Earth:Rabbit-proof fence|barriers (fences)]], shooting, snaring, and ferreting have been used to control rabbit populations, but the most effective measures are diseases such as [[Biology:Myxomatosis|myxomatosis]] (''myxo'' or ''mixi'', colloquially) and [[Biology:Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus|calicivirus]]. In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with a [[Biology:Genetically modified virus|genetically modified virus]]. The virus was developed in Spain, and is beneficial to rabbit farmers. If it were to make its way into wild populations in areas such as Australia, it could create a population boom, as those diseases are the most serious threats to rabbit survival. Rabbits in Australia and New Zealand are considered to be such a pest that land owners are legally obliged to control them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/index.html |title=Feral animals in Australia&nbsp;— Invasive species |publisher=Environment.gov.au |date=1 February 2010 |access-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721222513/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/index.html |archive-date=21 July 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="rabbit laws in NZ">{{cite web |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/rabbits/7 |title=Rabbits&nbsp;— The role of government&nbsp;— Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand |publisher=Teara.govt.nz |date=1 March 2009 |access-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612101254/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/rabbits/7 |archive-date=12 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Rabbits are known to be able to catch fire and spread wildfires, but the efficiency and relevance of this method has been doubted by forest experts who contend that a rabbit on fire could move some meters.<ref>{{Cite news |title="Es cierto": Experto confirma que conejos y otros animales en llamas sí pueden propagar incendios |url=https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/ciencia-y-tecnologia/ciencia/2023/02/23/es-cierto-experto-confirma-que-conejos-y-otros-animales-en-llamas-si-pueden-propagar-incendios.shtml |last=Jerez |first=Sara |date=2023-02-23 |access-date=2023-02-23 |work=Radio Bío-Bío |language=Spanish}}</ref><ref name=delmar>{{Cite news |title=Experto forestal: "Los conejos no son un agente significativo de propagación de incendios" |url=https://www.eldesconcierto.cl/bienes-comunes/2023/02/23/experto-forestal-los-conejos-no-son-un-agente-significativo-de-propagacion-de-incendios.html |last=del Mar Parra |first=Maria |date=2023-02-23 |access-date=2023-02-23 |work=El Desconcierto |language=Spanish}}</ref> Knowledge on fire-spreading rabbits is based on anecdotes as there is no known scientific investigation on the subject.<ref name=delmar/>

==As food and clothing==
{{Main|Biology:Cuniculture}}
{{category see also|Rabbit dishes}}

In some areas, wild rabbits and hares are hunted for their meat, a lean source of high quality protein.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Rabbit_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp |title=Rabbit: From Farm to Table |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705212650/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Rabbit_from_Farm_to_Table/index.asp |archive-date=5 July 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In the wild, such hunting is accomplished with the aid of trained falcons, ferrets, or dogs, as well as with snares or other traps, and rifles. A caught rabbit may be dispatched with a sharp blow to the back of its head, a practice from which the term ''rabbit punch'' is derived.

Wild leporids comprise a small portion of global rabbit-meat consumption. Domesticated descendants of the European rabbit ''(Oryctolagus cuniculus)'' that are bred and kept as livestock (a practice called [[Biology:Cuniculture|cuniculture]]) account for the estimated 200 million tons of rabbit meat produced annually.<ref name=geng>Olivia Geng, [https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/06/13/french-rabbit-heads-the-newest-delicacy-in-chinese-cuisine French Rabbit Heads: The Newest Delicacy in Chinese Cuisine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714001053/https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/06/13/french-rabbit-heads-the-newest-delicacy-in-chinese-cuisine/ |date=14 July 2017 }}. The Wall Street Journal Blog, 13 June 2014</ref> Approximately 1.2&nbsp;billion rabbits are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL|title=FAOSTAT|website=FAO|access-date=2019-10-25}}</ref> In 1994, the countries with the highest consumption per capita of rabbit meat were Malta with {{convert|8.89|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, Italy with {{convert|5.71|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, and [[Place:Cyprus|Cyprus]] with {{convert|4.37|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, falling to {{convert|0.03|kg|lb|abbr=on|2}} in Japan. The figure for the United States was {{convert|0.14|kg|lb|abbr=on|2}} per capita. The largest producers of rabbit meat in 1994 were China, Russia, Italy, France, and Spain.<ref name="fao.org">[http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690e/t1690e03.htm FAO – The Rabbit – Husbandry, health and production.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423054344/http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690e/t1690e03.htm |date=23 April 2015 }}</ref> Rabbit meat was once a common commodity in Sydney, but declined after the [[Biology:Myxomatosis|myxomatosis]] virus was intentionally introduced to control the exploding population of [[Biology:Rabbits in Australia|feral rabbits in the area]].

In the United Kingdom, fresh rabbit is sold in butcher shops and markets, and some supermarkets sell frozen rabbit meat. At farmers markets there, including the famous Borough Market in London, rabbit carcasses are sometimes displayed hanging, unbutchered (in the traditional style), next to braces of [[Biology:Pheasant|pheasant]] or other small game. Rabbit meat is a feature of Moroccan cuisine, where it is cooked in a [[Engineering:Tajine|tajine]] with "raisins and grilled almonds added a few minutes before serving".<ref>'Traditional Moroccan Cooking, Recipes from Fez', by Madame Guinadeau. (Serif, London, 2003). {{ISBN|1-897959-43-5}}.</ref> In China, rabbit meat is particularly popular in Sichuan cuisine, with its stewed rabbit, spicy diced rabbit, BBQ-style rabbit, and even spicy rabbit heads, which have been compared to ''spicy duck neck''.<ref name=geng/> Rabbit meat is comparatively unpopular elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific.

An extremely rare infection associated with rabbits-as-food is [[Medicine:Tularemia|tularemia]] (also known as ''rabbit fever''), which may be contracted from an infected rabbit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://health.utah.gov/epi/fact_sheets/tularem.html |title=Tularemia (Rabbit fever) |publisher=Health.utah.gov |date=16 June 2003 |access-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526071651/http://health.utah.gov/epi/fact_sheets/tularem.html |archive-date=26 May 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Hunters are at higher risk for tularemia because of the potential for inhaling the bacteria during the skinning process.

In addition to their meat, rabbits are used for their wool, fur, and [[Biology:Fur|pelts]], as well as their nitrogen-rich manure and their high-protein milk.<ref name="HoudebineFan2009">{{cite book |last1=Houdebine |first1=Louis-Marie |last2=Fan |first2=Jianglin |title=Rabbit Biotechnology: Rabbit Genomics, Transgenesis, Cloning and Models |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYCC8FLbX2wC&pg=PA69 |access-date=26 February 2018 |date=1 June 2009 |publisher=シュプリンガー・ジャパン株式会社 |isbn=978-90-481-2226-4 |pages=68–72 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426101257/http://books.google.com/books?id=AYCC8FLbX2wC&pg=PA69 |archive-date=26 April 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Production industries have developed domesticated rabbit breeds (such as the well-known [[Biology:Angora rabbit|Angora rabbit]]) to efficiently fill these needs.

{{Anchor|In culture and literature|reason="In culture and literature" is the old section name, which was changed to "In art, literature, and culture" on 2 March 2018}}

==Behaviors==
''Binkies'' in rabbits are characterized by a sudden kick with their hind legs, shaking their head sideways (usually mid-air), and running around rapidly; usually called ''zooming''. Another term is ''half binky'', which is characterized by a shorter span sharp flick of its head, both types of binkies indicate happiness or excitement. All of which typically only last for around a second. A rabbit might do quick rapid multiple binkies in one session. It's thought to be a practice run in case they need to escape from danger.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Claire Speight RVN |date=2022-06-05 |title=Bunny binkies: Why rabbits binky and how to encourage it |url=https://www.petsradar.com/advice/bunny-binkies-why-rabbits-binky |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=PetsRadar |language=en}}</ref> Such behavior commonly occurs in domesticated rabbits living in a comfortable environment, e.g. in home.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Bryan |date=2021-02-24 |title=Why Do Rabbits Binky? |url=https://northamericannature.com/why-do-rabbits-binky/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=North American Nature |language=en-US}}</ref>

Rabbits mostly use full-body actions, like ''flopping'' to communicate emotion to other rabbits and humans. Rabbit displaying flopping in front of other rabbits can be meant as a non-aggressive insult.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Lou |date=2020-08-17 |title=Why Does My Rabbit Flop Over? Bunny Flopping Meaning! |url=https://www.rabbitcaretips.com/rabbit-flops-over/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Rabbit Care Tips |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Binkies, Nose Bonks and Flops {{!}} Rabbit Behavior |url=https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-behavior/binkies-nose-bonks-and-flops-bunny-behavior-explained/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=My House Rabbit |language=en-US}}</ref> Rabbits commonly smell the ground first, then tilt their head to the side with a subtle jerky movement in order to lie down to its side, which exposes their belly.

They may thump their hind feet on the ground to signal other rabbits that they're feeling threatened or that potential dangers are near their territory. Some domesticated rabbits might thump to get their owner's attention. Not all rabbits thump.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Do Rabbits Thump? – Lafeber Co. – Small Mammals |url=https://lafeber.com/mammals/why-do-rabbits-thump/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Both sexes of rabbits often rub their chin to objects or people with their [[Biology:Scent gland|scent gland]] located under the chin. This is the rabbit's way of marking their territory or possessions for other rabbits to recognize by depositing scent gland secretions, similar to what cats and dogs do. It might also serve as a reminder for the rabbit to return and investigate the object later, helping them navigate in the dark and to help them in their recollection of where they have been. Rabbits who have bonded will respect each other's smell that indicates territorial border.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Lou |date=2019-08-31 |title=Why is My Rabbit Chinning Everything? |url=https://www.rabbitcaretips.com/rabbit-rubs-chin-on-everything/ |access-date=2023-10-01 |website=Rabbit Care Tips |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hoffman |first1=Kurt L. |last2=Hernández Decasa |first2=D. M. |last3=Beyer Ruiz |first3=M. E. |last4=González-Mariscal |first4=Gabriela |date=2010-03-05 |title=Scent marking by the male domestic rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') is stimulated by an object's novelty and its specific visual or tactile characteristics |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432809006299 |journal=Behavioural Brain Research |volume=207 |issue=2 |pages=360–367 |doi=10.1016/j.bbr.2009.10.021 |issn=0166-4328}}</ref>

==In art, literature, and culture==
{{Main|Social:Rabbits and hares in art}}

Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth, and have long been associated with spring and Easter as the Easter Bunny. The species' role as a prey animal with few defenses evokes vulnerability and innocence, and in folklore and modern children's stories, rabbits often appear as sympathetic characters, able to connect easily with youth of all kinds (for example, the Velveteen Rabbit, or Thumper in ''Bambi'').

With its reputation as a prolific breeder, the rabbit juxtaposes sexuality with innocence, as in the Playboy Bunny. The rabbit (as a swift prey animal) is also known for its speed, agility, and endurance, symbolized (for example) by the marketing icons the Energizer Bunny and the Duracell Bunny.

===Folklore===

The rabbit often appears in folklore as the [[Social:Trickster|trickster]] [[Social:Archetype|archetype]], as he uses his cunning to outwit his enemies.

* In Aztec mythology, a pantheon of four hundred rabbit gods known as Centzon Totochtin, led by Ometochtli or Two Rabbit, represented fertility, parties, and drunkenness.
* In Central Africa, the common hare (''Kalulu''), is "inevitably described" as a trickster figure.<ref>Brian Morris, ''The Power of Animals: An Ethnography'', p. 177 (2000).</ref>
* In Chinese folklore, rabbits accompany Chang'e on the Moon. In the [[Place:Chinese New Year|Chinese New Year]], the [[Unsolved:Rabbit (zodiac)|zodiacal rabbit]] is one of the twelve celestial animals in the [[Unsolved:Chinese zodiac|Chinese zodiac]]. Note that the [[Unsolved:Chinese zodiac#Chinese zodiac in other countries|Vietnamese zodiac]] includes a [[Unsolved:Cat (zodiac)|zodiacal cat]] in place of the rabbit, possibly because rabbits did not inhabit Vietnam.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}} The most common explanation is that the ancient Vietnamese word for "rabbit" ''(mao)'' sounds like the Chinese word for "cat" (卯, ''mao)''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Year of the Cat OR Year of the Rabbit? |url=http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2011/02/year-of-the-cat-or-year-of-the-rabbit/ |website=nwasianweekly.com |access-date=27 February 2018 |date=2011-02-03}}</ref>
* In Japanese tradition, rabbits [[Unsolved:Moon rabbit|live on the Moon]] where they make mochi, the popular snack of mashed sticky rice. This comes from interpreting the pattern of dark patches on the moon as a rabbit standing on tiptoes on the left pounding on an usu, a Japanese mortar.
* In Jewish folklore, rabbits (shfanim שפנים) are associated with cowardice, a usage still current in contemporary Israeli spoken [[Social:Hebrew language|Hebrew]] (similar to the English colloquial use of "chicken" to denote cowardice).
* In Korean mythology, as in Japanese, rabbits live on the moon making rice cakes ("Tteok" in Korean).
* In Anishinaabe traditional beliefs, held by the Ojibwe and some other Native American peoples, [[Religion:Nanabozho|Nanabozho]], or Great Rabbit, is an important deity related to the creation of the world.
* A Vietnamese mythological story portrays the rabbit of innocence and youthfulness. The gods of the myth are shown to be hunting and killing rabbits to show off their power.
* [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]], Christianity, and Judaism have associations with an ancient circular motif called the ''[[Three hares|three rabbits]]'' (or "three hares"). Its meaning ranges from "peace and tranquility", to purity or the Holy Trinity, to [[Unsolved:Kabbalah#Levels of the soul|Kabbalistic levels of the soul]] or to the Jewish diaspora.  The tripartite symbol also appears in [[Three hares#Other uses and related designs|heraldry]] and even [[Three hares|tattoos]].

The rabbit as [[Social:Trickster|trickster]] is a part of American popular culture, as Br'er Rabbit (from African-American folktales and, later, Disney animation) and Bugs Bunny (the [[Engineering:Cartoon|cartoon]] character from Warner Bros.), for example.

Anthropomorphized rabbits have appeared in film and literature, in ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (the White Rabbit and the March Hare characters), in ''Watership Down'' (including the film and television adaptations), in ''Rabbit Hill'' (by Robert Lawson), and in the ''Peter Rabbit'' stories (by Beatrix Potter).  In the 1920s ''Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'' was a popular cartoon character.

A rabbit's foot may be carried as an amulet, believed to bring protection and good luck. This belief is found in many parts of the world, with the earliest use being recorded in Europe c. 600&nbsp;BC.<ref name="Ellis">{{cite book|last1=Ellis|first1=Bill|title=Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture|date=1 January 2004|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0813122892}}</ref>

On the Isle of Portland in Dorset, UK, the rabbit is said to be unlucky and even speaking the creature's name can cause upset among older island residents. This is thought to date back to early times in the local quarrying industry where (to save space) extracted stones that were not fit for sale were set aside in what became tall, unstable walls. The local rabbits' tendency to burrow there would weaken the walls and their collapse resulted in injuries or even death. Thus, invoking the name of the culprit became an unlucky act to be avoided. In the local culture to this day, the rabbit (when he has to be referred to) may instead be called a "long ears" or "underground mutton", so as not to risk bringing a downfall upon oneself.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wallace and Gromit spook island |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4318710.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=25 August 2022 |date=7 October 2005}}</ref> 

In other parts of Britain and in North America, invoking the rabbit's name may instead bring good luck. "[[Biology:Rabbit rabbit rabbit|Rabbit rabbit rabbit]]" is one variant of an [[Social:Apotropaic magic|apotropaic]] or talismanic superstition that involves saying or repeating the word "rabbit" (or "rabbits" or "white rabbits" or some combination thereof) out loud upon waking on the first day of each month, because doing so will ensure good fortune for the duration of that month.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mayntz |first=Melissa |date=2019-04-26 |title=On the 1st Of The Month Say "Rabbit Rabbit" for Good luck! |url=https://www.farmersalmanac.com/rabbit-rabbit-35150 |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=Farmers' Almanac – Plan Your Day. Grow Your Life. |language=en-US}}</ref>

The "rabbit test" is a term, first used in 1949, for the [[Biology:Rabbit test|Friedman test]], an early diagnostic tool for detecting a pregnancy in humans. It is a common misconception (or perhaps an [[Social:Urban legend|urban legend]]) that the test-rabbit would die if the woman was pregnant. This led to the phrase "the rabbit died" becoming a euphemism for a positive pregnancy test.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Friedman |first=Maurice |title=The Assay of Gonadotropic Extracts in the Post-Partum Rabbit11 |date=1 May 1939 |url=https://doi.org/10.1210/endo-24-5-617 |journal=Endocrinology |volume=24 |issue=5 |pages=617–625|doi=10.1210/endo-24-5-617 }}</ref>

<gallery widths="100px" heights="100px">
File:Syrischer Maler von 1354 001.jpg|<small>''Rabbit fools Elephant by showing the reflection of the moon''. Illustration (from 1354) of the ''[[Religion:Panchatantra|Panchatantra]]''</small>
File:Blason ville fr Corbenay (Haute-Saône).svg|<small>"[[Three hares|Three rabbits]]" motif, Coat of arms of Corbenay, France</small>
File:PeterRabbit8.jpg|<small>Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit</small>
File:United States Eighth Air Force in Britain, 1942-1945 FRE39.jpg|<small>WWII USAF pilot D. R. Emerson "with a rabbit's foot talisman, a gift from a New York girl friend"</small>
File:Taddeo Crivelli (Italian, died about 1479, active about 1451 - 1479) - Saint Jerome in the Desert - Google Art Project.jpg|<small>''Saint Jerome in the Desert'', by Taddeo Crivelli (died about 1479)<br />[Note rabbit being chased by a domesticated hound]</small>
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Biology:Animal track|Animal track]]
* [[Biology:Cuniculture|Cuniculture]]
* Dwarf rabbit
* Hare games
* Jackalope
* [[Medicine:Lethal dwarfism in rabbits|Lethal dwarfism in rabbits]]
* List of animal names
* List of rabbit breeds
* Lop rabbit
* Rabbits in the arts
* Rabbit show jumping
{{div col end}}

==References==
=== Notes ===
{{Noteslist}}

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Windling, Terri. {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20120503161949/http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/rrRabbits.html ''The Symbolism of Rabbits and Hares'']}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{EB1911 poster|Rabbit}}
* [http://www.arba.net/ American Rabbit Breeders Association] organization, which promotes all phases of rabbit keeping
* [http://www.rabbit.org/ House Rabbit Society] an activist organization that promotes keeping rabbits indoors

{{Taxonbar|from=Q9394}}

[[Category:Cosmopolitan mammals]]
[[Category:Extant Ypresian first appearances]]
[[Category:Leporidae| ]]
[[Category:Paraphyletic groups]]

{{Sourceattribution|Rabbit}}