What are the characteristics of a rabbit?
Rabbits are small, furry mammals with long ears, short fluffy tails, and strong, large hind legs. They have 2 pairs of sharp incisors (front teeth), one pair on top and one pair on the bottom. They also have 2 peg teeth behind the top incisors.
What is the word oryctolagus?
Definition of Oryctolagus : a genus comprising the common European rabbits.
What do Oryctolagus cuniculus eat?
Oryctolagus cuniculus is a generalized herbivore, eating a diverse diet of grasses, leaves, buds, tree bark, and roots. Gardeners know them to eat lettuce, cabbage, root vegetables, and grains.
What is rabbit classification?
MammalEuropean rabbit / ClassMammals are a group of vertebrates constituting the class Mammalia, characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding their young, a neocortex, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. Wikipedia
What are 5 facts about rabbits?
Rabbit facts
- A baby rabbit is called a kit, a female is called a doe and a male is called a buck.
- Rabbits are very social creatures that live in groups.
- A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing!
- Rabbits perform an athletic leap, known as a ‘binky’, when they’re happy — performing twists and kicks in mid air!
What are rabbits best known for?
Rabbits are known for their insatiable reproductive habits for good reason. They breed three to four times each year. This is because only 15 percent of baby rabbits make it to their first birthday, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW).
What is the meaning of Cuniculus?
noun, plural cu·nic·u·li [kyoo-nik-yuh-lahy]. a small conduit or burrow, as an underground drain or rabbit hole. a low tunnel, as to a burial chamber. a burrow in the skin caused by the itch mite.
How do European rabbits affect humans?
Just as in humans, the rabbit has white blood cells that can destroy pathogenic organisms. The infection also stimulates the release of antibodies which neutralize the enzymes and toxins that are produced by the invader.
What’s a baby bunny called?
kittens
Newborn hares, called leverets, are fully developed at birth—furred with open eyes—while newborn rabbits, called kittens or kits, are born undeveloped, with closed eyes, no fur, and an inability to regulate their own temperature, Stott said.
What is Oryctolagus cuniculus?
Oryctolagus cuniculus is the ancestor of all domestic rabbits (about 80 varieties!). Domesticated O. cuniculus vary tremendously in size, fur type, coloration, and general appearance. (Nowak, 1999) ( Macdonald, 1984; Nowak, 1999) Mating in rabbits is generally polygynandrous, though males will attempt to monopolize particular females.
How do Oryctolagus communicate with each other?
They communicate with each other through scent cues and touch, and thump their hindlimbs on the ground to warn of danger. (Nowak, 1999; Parker, 1990) ( Nowak, 1999; Parker, 1990) Oryctolagus cuniculus is a generalized herbivore, eating a diverse diet of grasses, leaves, buds, tree bark, and roots.
What does Oryctolagus cuniculus eat?
Oryctolagus cuniculus has been highly successful in most places where it has been introduced, and it is considered an agricultural pest in many areas (especially where its natural predators have been eliminated). These animals eat cultivated crops and compete with domestic animals for forage.
How long does it take for Oryctolagus to reproduce?
Oryctolagus cuniculus is capable of reproducing year-round, but most breeding activity takes place in the first half of the year. Gestation is about 30 days, and the average litter contains 5 to 6 young.