do you have rabbit facts ? 🐰 .
For one it’s not often known that Rabbits and Hares are separate species, while hares are under the genus Leporidae, rabbits fall under many different genera like sylvilagus, pentalagus, etc.
I know how cute people find paw pads and they often assume rabbits and hares have them but they don’t. The bottoms of their feet are soft with fur which reduces friction allowing them to run much faster, reminds me of a quote from a good book I read as a child “All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you-“ (Richard Adam’s, Watership Down). Truly a great story, I won’t stray from the topic however.
Lagomorpha is the order shared by rabbits and hares however, there one other creature that shares it and that’s the Pika from the ochotonidae family. (They’re the closest living relatives to the leporidae family)
These next few facts you’d probably need to know if you ever want to keep a few rabbits as pets.
Putting a rabbit on its back triggers a trait called tonic immobility-or trancing-. Rabbits go into this state when they feel defenseless, it is a terrifying experience for them even if they seem completely frozen they are aware. It is extremely unhealthy for a rabbit to be on their back unless they rolled into the position themselves.
This next trait is actually something shares between rabbits, hares, and guinea pigs. It may sound gross, but it’s quite interesting. They produce a unique type of feces called cecotropes. And they eat them, yes they eat their own feces. Leporidaes have a very fragile digestive system so this process allows them to further break down their food to be eaten again. When you research it for Guinea pigs though it’s most commonly said it’s just to get all the nutrients they missed the first time around.
Rabbits and Hares are very clean creatures, especially domesticated rabbits. They clean themselves with their saliva which is why they’re often described to smell fresh and odorless. They’re self cleanliness is rivals only by cats.
I hope you enjoyed what I know, I like to think even with extensive knowledge I’m learning everyday!