Contents
- 1 rabbits
- 2 Information about rabbits
- 2.1 Size
- 2.2 The exterior
- 2.3 Domicile
- 2.4 Diet
- 2.5 Reproduction
- 2.6 The young ones
- 2.7 Adaptation to escape from enemies
- 3 facts about rabbits
rabbits
Rabbits (in English: Rabbits) are small animals that belong to mammals, they have distinctive long ears, and a short, thin tail, and there are more than thirty species of them around the world, and wild rabbits, also known as hares, belong to the same family to which they belong. Rabbits, which are the rabbit family (in English: Leporidae), where wild rabbits belong to the genus Lepus (in English: lepus), which is affiliated with the rabbit family, while ordinary rabbits include all the remaining races of this family.
Information about rabbits
the size
The size of some rabbits is equal to the size of the cat, while the size of some of them may reach the size of a small child, and there are some dwarf rabbits (in English: Pygmy Rabbits) that may be 20 cm long, and weigh less than approximately 405 g, while the length of large species reaches 50 cm, and weighs more than about 4.5 kg.
The largest breeds of rabbits, according to veterinarian Lianne MacLeod, are the Checkered Giant, which weighs more than 5 kg, the Flemish Giant weighs more than 5.9 kg, and the Giant Papillon, whose weight ranges from Between 5.9-6.3 kg, and the giant chinchilla (in English: Giant Chinchilla), which weighs between 5.4-7.2 kg.
Polish or servant rabbits (in English: Britannia Petite) weighing less than 1.1 kilograms, Dutch dwarf rabbits (in English: Netherland dwarf) weighing less than 1.1 kilograms, and dwarf hotots (in English: dwarf hotot) weighing less than 1.3 kilograms, rabbits Himalayan (in English: Himalayan), which weighs between 1.1 to 2 kilograms, is the smallest breed of rabbit.
outside look
Rabbits have long ears that may reach 6 centimeters in length, which is an adaptation to capture enemies from predators, and they also have strong, long hind legs, a short tail, and five toes on one foot, one of which is miniature, and they move on the tips of their fingers, and they have bodies that are full and oval in shape It is covered with long, soft fur, and its color ranges from shades of brown, gray, and yellow-orange.
habitat
Rabbits live in a variety of environments; Such as: deserts, tropical forests, and wetlands, and they are spread in mid-latitude regions in the western hemisphere, in Europe, and parts of central and southern Africa, Sumatra, the Indian subcontinent, and Japan.
Diet
Rabbits are herbivores, which do not eat meat at all, and they feed on herbs, shamrocks, and some cruciferous plants; Such as: broccoli and Brussels sprouts, as you may eat fruits, seeds, roots, shoots, and tree bark, according to the Animal Diversity Network (ADW).
reproduction
The female can mate with the male at any time during the year, and she becomes able to bear children at the age of five or six months, and her fertility continues for a period of four years after that, and the period of pregnancy in the female rabbit lasts 31 days, to give birth after giving birth a number ranging from 1-12 young Each time, she can get pregnant again only a few days after giving birth, and the breeder can feel the presence of the fetus in the mother’s belly by touching his side after two weeks of pregnancy, and it is good not to allow her to become pregnant again until four weeks after giving birth, to be repeated Pregnancy only six times during one year.
The reason for the female's ability to conceive is largely due to the fact that ovulation and the release of eggs in her ovaries occur as a result of sexual intercourse with the male, and not in the form of a regular cycle, and it is worth noting that she can undergo postpartum directly after childbirth.
little ones
Newborn rabbits are naked, helpless, and blind. Mothers take little care of their babies, and nurse their young only once a day, for only a few minutes; Therefore, rabbit milk is very rich in nutrients, and it is considered the richest compared to the milk of all other mammals. To compensate for the lack of attention, rabbits are usually weaned from breastfeeding after only one month of birth, and parents do not usually participate in caring for their offspring.
Adaptation to escape from enemies
Rabbits are highly social, and they live in large groups (in English: colonies), and they are more active during dusk and at dawn; As the dim light helps her at that time to hide from enemies, and her ability to run for long distances at high speeds, and her long ears, helps her to escape from them; The cottontail rabbit, for example, can run zigzag at speeds of up to 29 kilometers per hour, according to National Geographic.
The eyes of both hares and rabbits are located on either side of the head; This gives them a 360-degree field of vision around their bodies, and they are large enough to allow them to take in an ample amount of light in dim conditions during the dawn, dark hours, and dusk times when they are usually active.
Facts about rabbits
Some general facts about rabbits include:
- The Flemish rabbit, which reached a length of 129 centimeters and 22 kilograms, was considered the longest rabbit in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
- Rabbits are food for a wide range of mammals and birds; such as wolves, foxes, weasels, hawks, eagles, and owls; Because of its permanent abundance, it is an important part of many terrestrial food chains.
- Rabbits can greatly affect both domestic and cultivated plants, which can sometimes lead them to be considered a pest.
- Rabbits can transmit some diseases to humans, such as; tularemia or rabbit fever.
- The long ears of rabbits help get rid of excess heat in the body, by releasing it through the blood vessels in the ears.
