Rabbit
Our native rabbit, the European rabbit is both the best-known and the most sociable type of rabbit.
Many rabbit species are relatively solitary, but the European rabbit is gregarious by nature and lives happily alongside friends and family in extensive ‘warrens’. Open landscapes, such as parks, fields and spacious gardens, are the rabbits’ favourite, but they will colonize almost any type of habitat.
Rabbits are shy and easily alarmed, and this together with the fact that they are most active around dawn and dusk, can make it tricky to spot the wild rabbit. Once spotted, they may well exhibit a loud foot thump to warn other rabbits of a human presence. If they flee, they can reach speeds of up to 30mph.
Facts
Appearance: Rabbits are known for their long ears. They also have a small head and large hind legs with long feet.
Size: 30-40cm
Weight: 1-2kg
Lifespan: Most wild rabbits live less than one year. Domesticated rabbits live between 5 and 10 years
Diet: Grasses, leafy plants and vegetation including farm crops.
Family: Leporidae
Did you know?
- Rabbits sometimes box one another – most often during territorial disputes
- The European rabbit is generally silent, but other rabbit species utter a variety of calls
- Rabbits can run so fast because of their long back legs and a stregthened pelvic girdle
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