See Also

Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the order Lagomorpha Lagomorpha

The Lagomorphs, order [i] Lagomorpha, are an order of mammal [i]s of which there are two fa ... 

 of the family Family

A family consists of a domestic group [i] of people , typically affiliated by birth or marriage, ... 

 Leporidae Leporidae

Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbit [i]s and hare [i]s which form the family [i] ... 

, found in many parts of the world. They are sometimes affectionately known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, especially by children Child

A child.Precise definitions vary; is the offspring, of any age, of two people.The American Heritage Dict... 

. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European Rabbit European Rabbit

The European Rabbit is a species of rabbit [i] native to southern Europe [i]. ... 

 , cottontail rabbit Cottontail rabbit

The cottontail rabbits are 16 lagomorph [i] species [i] in the genus [i] Sylvilagus, found in ... 

s , and the Amami Rabbit Amami Rabbit

The Amami Rabbit, or Amami no Kuro Usagi, also known as the Ryukyu Rabbit, is a primitive dark-fur... 

 . There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with cottontails, pikas and hares make up the Order Lagomorpha. Rabbits generally live for about 4-10 years.

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Timeline

1859   Thomas Austin takes 24 rabbits and 5 hare Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporid [i]s belonging to the genus [i] Lepus. ... 

s to Australia Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere [i] c ... 

 in order to release them there as a game. They will multiply exponentially.

1920   In Emeryville, California Emeryville, California

Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California [i], in the United States [i]. ... 

, the first dog racing Dog racing

Dog racing is both a gambling [i] event as well as a fund-raising event, depending on the breed and loca ... 

 track to employ an imitation rabbit opens.



Encyclopedia

Rabbits are small mammals in the order Lagomorpha Lagomorpha

The Lagomorphs, order [i] Lagomorpha, are an order of mammal [i]s of which there are two fa ... 

 of the family Family

A family consists of a domestic group [i] of people , typically affiliated by birth or marriage, ... 

 Leporidae Leporidae

Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbit [i]s and hare [i]s which form the family [i] ... 

, found in many parts of the world. They are sometimes affectionately known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, especially by children Child

A child.Precise definitions vary; is the offspring, of any age, of two people.The American Heritage Dict... 

. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European Rabbit European Rabbit

The European Rabbit is a species of rabbit [i] native to southern Europe [i]. ... 

 , cottontail rabbit Cottontail rabbit

The cottontail rabbits are 16 lagomorph [i] species [i] in the genus [i] Sylvilagus, found in ... 

s , and the Amami Rabbit Amami Rabbit

The Amami Rabbit, or Amami no Kuro Usagi, also known as the Ryukyu Rabbit, is a primitive dark-fur... 

 . There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with cottontails, pikas and hares make up the Order Lagomorpha. Rabbits generally live for about 4-10 years.

Hares

Rabbits are clearly distinguished from the related hare Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporid [i]s belonging to the genus [i] Lepus. ... 

s in that rabbits are altricial, having young that are born blind Blindness

[i] or [[psychological]... 

 and hairless Hair

Hair is a filamentous outgrowth from the skin [i], found mainly in mammal [i]s.
... 

; many also live underground in burrows or warrens.

Humans' relationship with rabbits


Humans' relationship with the European or ‘true’ rabbit was first recorded by the Phoenicians over 1,000 years BC, when they termed the Iberian Peninsula Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe [i].... 

 i-shfaním . This phrase is pronounced absolutely identically in modern Hebrew Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language [i] of the Afro-Asiatic language family [i] ... 

, i meaning "island" and shafan meaning "hyrax", shfaním being the plural form. Phoenicians called the local rabbits "hyraxes" because hyraxes resemble rabbits in some way, and probably were more common than rabbits at that time in their native Levant Levant

Levant or in Arabic [i] ?????, Ash-Sham is an imprecise geographical term [i] ... 

. Hyraxes, like rabbits, are not rodents. The Romans converted the phrase i-shfaním to its Latin form, Hispania, and hence the modern word "Spain".

The European Rabbit European Rabbit

The European Rabbit is a species of rabbit [i] native to southern Europe [i]. ... 

  is the only species of rabbit to be domesticated. All pet breeds of rabbits - such as dwarf lops, angoras, etc. - are of this species. However, rabbits and people interact in many different ways beyond domestication Domestication

Domestication, also called taming, is a phenomenon whereby a wild biological [i] organism ... 

. Rabbits are an example of an animal Animal

Animals are a major group of organism [i]s, classified as the kingdom [i] Animalia or ... 

 which is treated as food, pet and pest by the same culture.

When used for food, rabbits are both hunted and raised for meat. Snares or gun Gun

A gun is a mechanical device that fires projectile [i]s at high velocity, using a propellant such as gunpowder [i] ... 

s along with dog Dog

The dog is a mammal [i] in the order Carnivora [i]. ... 

s are usually employed when catching wild rabbits for food. In many areas rabbits are also raised for meat, a practice called cuniculture. Rabbit pelts are sometimes used as part of accessories, such as scarves or hats. Rabbits are also very good producers of manure; their urine, being high in nitrogen, makes lemon trees very productive. Their milk may also be of great medicinal or nutritional benefit due to its high protein content.

There are a number of health issues associated with the use of rabbits for meat, one of which is Tularemia or Rabbit Fever. Another is so-called rabbit starvation, due most likely to essential amino acid Amino acid

In chemistry [i], an amino acid is any molecule [i] that contains both amine [i] and carboxyl [i] functional group [i] ... 

 deficiencies in rabbit meat and synthesis limitations in human beings.

  • by David Pesci
  • , BBC News, 28 July 2000


Domestic rabbits

A healthy indoor pet rabbit can live 6-12 years. They enjoy throwing around toys and chewing on cardboard. In some instances, they can even become good friends with cats and dogs. Though they are often caged in small areas, they can be free roaming pets similar to cats and dogs, often called 'house rabbits'. Large, inexpensive cages can be custom made from 'Idea-cubes', which can be found in many department stores.

Female pet rabbits may be spayed. There are some health and behaviour benefits from the neutering of male rabbits. If left un-neutered, male rabbits may spray urine in order to mark territory. Most rabbits can be aggressive towards other rabbits unless an effort is made to bond the two over time, spaying/neutering both parties may help make this process successful. It is not a good idea to simply put two rabbits together in the same cage and assume that they will get along. Even normally docile rabbits can become violent when left with an unbonded partner.


Unlike cats Cat

The cat is a small carnivorous [i] mammal [i] and a subspecies [i] of the wild cat [i]. ... 

, rabbits cannot be declawed. Lacking pads on the bottoms of their feet, rabbits require their claws for balance, and declawing a rabbit will render it unable to stand, permanently crippling it.

Provided they are well cared for, rabbits can make friendly and playful pets. They are widely kept throughout the world, both indoors and out. Rabbits kept indoors are typically healthier and more social than rabbits kept outdoors. Housed indoors and provided with adequate damage-proofing , rabbits are relatively safe from predators, parasites, disease, and temperature extremes. Rabbits kept outdoors must be provided with shelter, this shelter may be heated in winter , but must be shaded in summer. Domesticated rabbits are most comfortable in temperatures between 10 to 21 degrees Celsius , and cannot endure temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius without assistance such as fans, frozen water bottles, and deep shade. Veterinarians specializing in rabbits recommend a diet consisting of clean water, a small amount of commercial pellets and unlimited grass hay daily. Other vegetables may be fed such as: romaine lettuce , parsley, cilantro, dandelion, and basil. Carrots and fruits should be used sparingly. As commercial feeds are balanced to provide all of the daily nutrients that a rabbit needs, fresh vegetables are not needed daily. They should be fed sparingly and as a treat.
Domestic rabbits should be checked daily as infections and illnesses can occur very quickly. Teeth should not be too long because if they are the rabbit cannot eat. Do not attempt to grind or clip a rabbit's teeth; one is advised to seek a veterinarian. A rabbit's teeth can grow up to five inches a year, but must be worn down to maintain a healthy bite. Rabbits will wear down their teeth best if given a harder commercial pellet to chew. A rabbit's whiskers Vibrissae

Vibrissae are hair [i]s, usually specialized for tactile sensation, that grow around the nostrils or oth ... 

 are a major sensory organ and should never be clipped.

The eyes should be clean with no crusts evident. Ears also should be clean along with any other part of the rabbit.
They can also be put to sleep on their backs by making sure the head is lower than the body. Safe handling of rabbits may be taught by rabbit breeders and specialists in your area. In the United States, the American Rabbit Breeders Association is a valuable resource for both pet and commercial breeders.In Britain, the British Rabbit Council contains valuable information as well.

Environmental problems with rabbits

Rabbits have also been a source of environmental problems when introduced into the wild by humans. Because of their appetites, and the rate at which they breed, wild rabbit depredation can prove problematic for agriculture. Gassing, barriers , shooting, snaring and ferret Ferret

In general use, a ferret is a domestic ferret, a mammal [i] first bred from the wild European polecat [i] ... 

ing have been used to control rabbit populations, but most effective are diseases such as myxomatosis , and calicivirus. In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with a 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, this could create a population boom, since those diseases are the major threats to the rabbits' survival. Rabbits in Australia are considered to be such a big problem that land owners are legaly obligated to control them.

Classification

Rabbits and hares were formerly classified in the order Rodentia Rodent

Rodentia is an order [i] of mammal [i]s . Members of the order Rodentia are called rodents. ... 

  until 1912, when they were moved into a new order Lagomorpha Lagomorpha

The Lagomorphs, order [i] Lagomorpha, are an order of mammal [i]s of which there are two fa ... 

. This order, in addition to containing rabbits and hares, also includes the pika Pika

The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family [i] within the order [i] ... 

s.

Order Lagomorpha Lagomorpha

The Lagomorphs, order [i] Lagomorpha, are an order of mammal [i]s of which there are two fa ... 


  • Family Leporidae Leporidae

    Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbit [i]s and hare [i]s which form the family [i] ... 

    • Genus Pentalagus Amami Rabbit

      The Amami Rabbit, or Amami no Kuro Usagi, also known as the Ryukyu Rabbit, is a primitive dark-fur... 

      • Amami Rabbit/Ryukyu Rabbit Amami Rabbit

        The Amami Rabbit, or Amami no Kuro Usagi, also known as the Ryukyu Rabbit, is a primitive dark-fur... 

        , Pentalagus furnessi
    • Genus Bunolagus
      • Bushman Rabbit, Bunolagus monticularis
    • Genus Nesolagus
      • Sumatra Short-Eared Rabbit, Nesolagus netscheri
      • Annamite Rabbit, Nesolagus timminsi
    • Genus Romerolagus
      • Volcano Rabbit, Romerolagus diazi
    • Genus Brachylagus
      • Pygmy Rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis
    • Genus Sylvilagus Cottontail rabbit

      The cottontail rabbits are 16 lagomorph [i] species [i] in the genus [i] Sylvilagus, found in ... 

      • Forest Rabbit, Sylvilagus brasiliensis
      • Dice's Cottontail, Sylvilagus dicei
      • Brush Rabbit Brush Rabbit

        The Brush Rabbit, or Western Brush Rabbit, is a species of cottontail rabbit [i] found in western ... 

        , Sylvilagus bachmani
      • San Jose Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus mansuetus
      • Swamp Rabbit Swamp Rabbit

        The Swamp Rabbit is a large cottontail rabbit [i] found in the swamp [i]s and wetland [i]s of the Southern United States [i] ... 

        , Sylvilagus aquaticus
      • Marsh Rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris
      • Eastern Cottontail Eastern Cottontail

        The Eastern Cottontail is a New World [i] cottontail rabbit [i], a member of the family Leporidae [i]. ... 

        , Sylvilagus floridanus
      • New England Cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis
      • Mountain Cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii
      • Desert Cottontail Desert Cottontail

        The Desert Cottontail is a New World [i] cottontail rabbit [i], a member of the family Leporidae.

... 

, Sylvilagus audubonii
      • Omilteme Cottontail, Sylvilagus insonus
      • Mexican Cottontail, Sylvilagus cunicularis
      • Tres Marias Rabbit, Sylvilagus graysoni
    • Genus Oryctolagus European Rabbit

      The European Rabbit is a species of rabbit [i] native to southern Europe [i]. ... 

      • European Rabbit European Rabbit

        The European Rabbit is a species of rabbit [i] native to southern Europe [i]. ... 

        , Oryctolagus cuniculus
    • Genus Poelagus
      • Central African Rabbit, Poelagus marjorita
    • 3 other genera in family, regarded as hare Hare

      Hares and jackrabbits are leporid [i]s belonging to the genus [i] Lepus. ... 

      s, not rabbits

Rabbits in culture and literature

Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth. It is possible that as a consequence of this that they have been associated with spring and Easter Easter

Easter, also known as Pascha , the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrect... 

 as the Easter Bunny. The species' role as a prey animal also lends itself as a symbol of innocence as an animal that seems to wish harm on no one, another Easter connotation. In addition, the animal is often used as a symbol of playful sexuality, which plays off of its perceived image of innocence, as well as its reputation as a prolific breeder.

It is also a common folklore archetype of the trickster Trickster

In mythology [i], and in the study of folklore [i] and religion [i], a trickster is a god [i], goddess [i] ... 

 who uses his cunning to outwit his enemies. Well-known examples of this are the Br'er Rabbit Br'er Rabbit

Br'er Rabbit is a fictional character [i], the hero [i] of the Uncle Remus [i] stories derived from African American [i] ... 

 character from African-American folktales and the Warner Brothers Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. or simply Warner Bros., is one of the world's largest producers o... 

 cartoon Cartoon

A cartoon is any of several forms of art, with varied meanings that evolved from one to another.... 

 character Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny is a fictional [i] street-smart anthropomorphic [i] gray [i] rabbit [i] w ... 

.

In the folklore of the United States, a rabbit's foot Rabbit's foot

A rabbit's foot is the foot of a rabbit [i]. ... 

 is frequently carried as an amulet Amulet

----
An amulet or a talisman consists of any object intended to bring good luck [i] and/or protect ... 

, and is often made into a keychain Keychain

A keychain or key chain is a small chain [i], usually made from metal [i] or plastic [i], that connects ... 

, where it is thought to bring luck Luck

... 

. The practice derives from the system of African-American African American

An African American is a member of an ethnic group [i] in the United States [i] whose ancestors, usual... 

 folk magic called hoodoo.

Anthropomorphic rabbits have appeared in a host of works List of fictional rabbits

This is a list of fictional rabbit [i]s. ... 

 of film, literature, and technology, notably the White Rabbit in Lewis Carroll Lewis Carroll

The Reverend [i] Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pen name [i] Lewis Carroll, was an ... 

's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a work of children's literature [i] by the English [i] m ... 

; Cream the Rabbit Cream the Rabbit

is a fictional character from the Sonic the Hedgehog [i] universe. ... 

 from the Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog series

The Sonic the Hedgehog series is a franchise [i] of video games [i] release ... 

video game series; in the popular novel Watership Down Watership Down

The rabbits in the story are significantly less anthropomorphized [i] than typical fictional ... 

,
by Richard Adams; and in Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, or Helen Beatrix Potter was an English [i] children's book [i] ... 

's works such as Peter Rabbit Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit is the main character [i] in a series of children's book [i]s by Beatrix Potter [i] ... 

.

It is commonly believed that a rabbit, if injected with a woman's urine, will expire if the woman is pregnant Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryo [i]s or fetus [i]es by female [i] mammal [i]s, including ... 

. This is not true. However, in the 1920s 1920s

The 1920s was a decade [i] sometimes referred to as the "Jazz Age [i]" or the "Roaring Twenties [i]," us ... 

 it was discovered that if the injected urine contained the hormone hCG, a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women, the rabbit would display ovarian changes. The rabbit would indeed need to be killed to have its ovaries Ovary

Ovaries are egg [i]-producing reproductive organs found in female [i] organisms. ... 

 inspected, but the death Death

Death is the full cessation of vital functions [i] in the biological life [i]. ... 

 of the rabbit was not the indicator of the results. Later revisions of the test allowed technicians to inspect the ovaries without euthanizing the rabbit.

In Japanese tradition Culture of Japan

After several waves of immigration from the Asian continent and nearby Pacific islands, followed by a heavy im... 

, rabbits live on the Moon Moon

The Moon is Earth [i]'s only natural satellite [i]. ... 

 where they make mochi Mochi

Mochi is the Japanese variant of Chinese [i] rice cake [i], which, like its Chinese orig ... 

 — the popular snack of mashed sticky rice Glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is the main type of rice [i] grown and consumed by the Lao [i] of Laos [i] and Northeast Thailand [i] ... 

. 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 Usu

----
An Usu is a large sized Japanese mortar [i] with a pestle called kine and u ... 

, a Japanese mortar. A pop culture manifestation of this tradition can be found in the character known as Sailor Moon Sailor Moon

is the title of the famous series originally authored as a manga [i] by Naoko Takeuchi [i], as a sequel to he ... 

, whose name is Usagi, Japanese Japanese language

Japanese is a language spoken by over 127 million people, mainly in Japan [i], but also by Japanese emi ... 

 for "rabbit". Similarly, Japanese-American Stan Sakai Stan Sakai

Stan Sakai is a third-generation Japanese American [i] who became known as an Eisner Award [i]-winning c ... 

's comic book character of Usagi Yojimbo Usagi Yojimbo

Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book [i] series created by Stan Sakai [i].
... 

 is an anthropomorphic samurai rabbit based loosely on Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi Miyamoto Musashi

, prior to adulthood known simply as Takezo Shinmen, as Miyamoto Bennosuke or Miyamoto Musana... 

.

In Chinese literature, rabbits also accompany Chang'e on the Moon. Also associated with the Chinese New Year Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays [i] ... 

 , rabbits Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammal [i]s in the order Lagomorpha [i] of the family [i] Leporidae [i], found ... 

 are also one of the twelve celestial animals in the Chinese Zodiac for the Chinese calendar. It is interesting to note that the Vietnamese lunar new year replaced the rabbit with a cat in their calendar, since rabbits did not exist in Vietnam.

See also

  • Domestic rabbit Domestic rabbit

    A domestic rabbit is any of the several varieties of European rabbit [i] that has been domesticated [i]... 

  • Dwarf rabbits
  • Jackalope Jackalope

    The jackalope, also called an antelabbit, horny bunny, aunt benny, or stagbunny,... 

  • List of fictional rabbits List of fictional rabbits

    This is a list of fictional rabbit [i]s. ... 

  • Rabbits in Australia Rabbits in Australia

    In Australia, rabbits are the most serious mammalian pests, an invasive species [i], and are responsible ... 



External links

  • Association dedicated to the promotion, development, and improvement of the domestic rabbit and cavy.
  • British website that offers information for pet owners as well as fanciers.
  • The Language of Lagomorphs
  • Rabbits as Cultural Symbols in Narrative
  • Rabbits as Archetypal Symbols in Literature
  • A site dedicated to spreading the knowledge of rabbit medicine and safe medication in rabbits, for the owner and the vet professional.
  • House Rabbit Society: An international nonprofit organization that rescues rabbits and educates the public on rabbit care and behavior.