Rabbits make great pets because they are fairly easy care for and because they are friendly, cute and good with children. But the rabbit has some interesting anatomical and physiological features. Current taxonomy for the domestic rabbit is:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Lagomorpha
- Family: Leporidae
- Genus: Oryctolagus cuniculus
- Species: O. cuniculus
Interesting Rabbit Facts – Anatomy and Physiology
The rabbit’s skeleton is light in relation to its body size compared with other animals. Their bones are delicate so handling the rabbit properly is important. When scared, rabbits tend to ‘kick out’ and if they struggle too much, they can actually damage their spines.
Their large ears are used to regulate body temperature, similar to other mammals, (read Why Do Related Mammals Have Different Sized Ears?). They have large veins and a good blood supply in their ears, which is why veterinarians take blood samples from the ears, as opposed to the neck like in dogs and cats.
Rabbits have chisel-shaped incisors for gnawing as well as flat teeth for grinding. They have two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw, a large pair and a smaller pair directly behind them, and one pair of incisors in the lower jaw. These teeth are called ‘open-rooted’ teeth which means they grow continuously throughout the rabbit’s life. Sometimes owners will need to take their rabbit to the clinic to have the veterinarian file these teeth down. Owners can also try giving pieces of wood, which acts as both rabbit enrichment and helps file down the teeth.
Domestic Rabbit Quick Facts – Anatomy and Physiology
- Rabbits usually live between 5-10 years.
- Gestation for the female rabbit is approximately one month.
- Rabbits have an average litter size of 4-10 kittens (baby rabbits).
- Rabbits have no footpads. Their feet are actually covered with fur.
- Female rabbits have a large fold of skin under their chin called a dewlap from which they pluck fur from to line their nest.
- The rabbit’s digestive tract is designed so it can digest large amounts of fiber.
- Rabbits are unusual in that they can’t vomit.
Other Interesting Rabbit Facts
The fatal rabbit disease Myxomatosis which is transmitted by blood sucking parasites, was introduced in Australia and Belgium in the 1950s as a way of controlling feral rabbits, which are considered a pest.
Rabbits practice coprophagia (read, Why Does My Dog Eat Poo?), which is where they eat feces. Rabbits pass two different types of feces, the dry pellets during the day, but at night they pass caecal pellets. These are mucus covered and dark in color. The rabbits will often eat these caecal pellets directly from the anus. They then pass through the digestive system a second time ensuring the rabbit gets all the nutrients from its food.
For more information about rabbit health care, read Rabbits as Pets, Sexing Rabbits and Rabbit Neutering and Common Rabbit Illnesses.
Resource and further reading:
Lane, D & Cooper, B, 1995, Veterinary Nursing, ed. Elsevier Science, Oxford, Eng.
Responsible Rabbit Ownership, Petalia.
Roberta Goli - Roberta has a Bachelor of Science Degree (Zoology), has worked with animals for over 10 years and enjoys writing short stories and flash ...
