--- title: "Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "Sees almost all the way around, twists in midair when happy, and eats its own droppings for a second pass at its food." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/domestic-rabbit-1.webp" published: "2026-08-30" updated: "2026-10-10" --- # Domestic Rabbit (*Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus*) > **Status**: Checked against 6 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: Sees almost all the way around, twists in midair when happy, and eats its own droppings for a second pass at its food. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Dream Pop & Shoegaze // The Postal Service, "Such Great Heights" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/4G21jWo0Cm6lOIUNnZ2mUI) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9klEsdUxNvY) > **Vibe Match**: A happy rabbit sometimes leaps really far, twisting and kicking in midair: a binky. "Such Great Heights" bounces along on bright, skipping electronic beats. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Not Evaluated ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t41291a217911810.en)) - **Superpower**: Nearly 360-degree vision from eyes set on the sides of its head - **Habitat**: Kept as pets indoors or outside; domestic rabbits can be found worldwide - **Diet**: Hay, leafy greens and other vegetables, and pellets - **Tags**: mammal, herbivore, domestic-pet ## Natural History & Behavior ## The Binky: Joy in Midair Rabbits can do more than hop. Sometimes a rabbit leaps really far, twisting and kicking in midair. That is a **binky**, a sign that the rabbit is very happy. Not every stomp is joy. When a rabbit thumps its hind legs, danger may be nearby. It can also be a "grump thump", and the rabbit is mad at you. How big is the acrobat? In vet records for 6,349 rabbits in England, the median adult bodyweight was 2.1 kg, and adults ranged from 0.7 to 6.3 kg. Their wild ancestor, the European rabbit, is 38 to 50 cm long and weighs 1.5 to 2.5 kg. Pet breeds vary a lot. A 2016 4-H study sheet lists the Holland lop among the small breeds, and among five lops, which are rabbits with ears that hang down. ## A Nearly Round View A rabbit's eyes sit on the sides of its head, so it sees in almost every direction with nearly 360 degree vision. The cost is two blind spots: just under the chin and directly in front of the nose. Its ears can turn through 180 degrees to locate sound. Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn, which is called being crepuscular. Held on its back, a rabbit often lies still and looks relaxed. That is tonic immobility, an involuntary fear response to extreme stress, and the RSPCA says never to hold one that way. In one lab study, New Zealand white rabbits completely closed 8 mm holes in their ears by day 85, regenerating tissue with no evidence of scarring. ## Recycled Dinner, Endless Teeth > **Rabbits eat their own droppings** The gut makes special droppings called caecotrophs. Rabbits eat these, allowing the food to be re-ingested for maximum nutrition. The species has a very large caecum, a gut pouch where bacteria ferment material that would otherwise be indigestible. Hay, vegetables and pellets make up a pet's menu. Rabbit teeth never stop growing. The front ones gain 2 to 3 mm a week. That is why hay is essential for dental health: it promotes constant, side-to-side chewing that wears them down. A happy rabbit's teeth chatter gently into a soft purr, though grinding can also signal pain. ## Fast Babies, Long Commitment A doe is pregnant for 30 to 33 days, an average litter is 5 to 6 kits, and she can get pregnant again within hours of giving birth. In one year, two rabbits could multiply to 82. The RSPCA puts a pet rabbit's typical life at 8 to 12 years. Vet records tell a harder story: the 370 rabbits that died during that English study, which covered 2013, had a median age at death of 4.3 years, a figure for those deaths rather than a lifespan. Domestic rabbits can be found worldwide. Their wild ancestor is another matter: the Red List rates the European rabbit Endangered. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a binky, and is a thump the same thing? A binky is a leap in which a rabbit twists and kicks in midair, and it is a sign that the rabbit is very happy. A thump of the hind legs is a different message. It can warn that danger is near, or it can be a "grump thump" aimed at you. *(Source: [RSPCA]())* ### How fast do rabbit teeth grow? About 2 to 3 millimetres a week at the front, and they never stop. Chewing is the brake: the RSPCA calls hay essential for dental health because it keeps a rabbit chewing constantly, side to side, and that wears the teeth down. *(Source: [RSPCA]())* ### How long do pet rabbits live? In a safe, stimulating home with good food, health checks and company, a rabbit can typically live 8 to 12 years, and some live longer. The RSPCA counts a rabbit as senior from 5 to 8 years old. *(Source: [RSPCA]())* ### Is a rabbit a rodent? No. Animal Diversity Web places the European rabbit in the order Lagomorpha, which it describes as "hares, pikas, and rabbits". *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())* ## Sources 1. [Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare. RSPCA.]() 2. [O'Neill et al. (2020). Morbidity and mortality of domestic rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) under primary veterinary care in England. Veterinary Record.]() 3. [Oryctolagus cuniculus (European rabbit). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() 4. [Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds. Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County 4-H, 2016.]() 5. [Gawriluk et al. (2016). Comparative analysis of ear-hole closure identifies epimorphic regeneration as a discrete trait in mammals. Nature Communications.]() 6. [Hackländer (2025). Oryctolagus cuniculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T41291A217911810.]() *Published August 30, 2026. Last updated October 10, 2026.* ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/domestic-rabbit/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/#website" }, "headline": "Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) | AnimalTracks.wiki", "description": "Sees almost all the way around, twists in midair when happy, and eats its own droppings for a second pass at its food.", "image": [ "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/domestic-rabbit-1.webp" ], "datePublished": "2026-08-30", "dateModified": "2026-10-10", "author": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "AnimalTracks.wiki Editorial Team", "url": "https://animaltracks.wiki" } ], "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/#organization", "name": "AnimalTracks.wiki", "url": "https://animaltracks.wiki", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://animaltracks.wiki/icon-512.png" } }, "mainEntityOfPage": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/domestic-rabbit/", "citation": [ { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare", "url": "https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "RSPCA" } }, { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "name": "Morbidity and mortality of domestic rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) under primary veterinary care in England", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105592", "author": "O'Neill et al.", "datePublished": "2020", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Periodical", "name": "Veterinary Record" }, "identifier": "doi:10.1136/vr.105592" }, { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Oryctolagus cuniculus (European rabbit)", "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Oryctolagus_cuniculus/", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan" } }, { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds", "url": "https://ashtabula.osu.edu/sites/ashtabula/files/imce/Program_Pages/4H/Info_and_Forms/Study%20Tips%202016.pdf", "datePublished": "2016", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County 4-H" } }, { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "name": "Comparative analysis of ear-hole closure identifies epimorphic regeneration as a discrete trait in mammals", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11164", "author": "Gawriluk et al.", "datePublished": "2016", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Periodical", "name": "Nature Communications" }, "identifier": "doi:10.1038/ncomms11164" }, { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "name": "Oryctolagus cuniculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T41291A217911810", "url": "https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t41291a217911810.en", "author": "Hackländer", "datePublished": "2025", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Periodical", "name": "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" }, "identifier": "doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t41291a217911810.en" } ], "about": { "@type": "Taxon", "name": "Domestic Rabbit", "scientificName": "Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus", "description": "Nearly 360-degree vision from eyes set on the sides of its head" } }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/domestic-rabbit/#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is a binky, and is a thump the same thing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A binky is a leap in which a rabbit twists and kicks in midair, and it is a sign that the rabbit is very happy. A thump of the hind legs is a different message. It can warn that danger is near, or it can be a \"grump thump\" aimed at you.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare", "url": "https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "RSPCA" } } } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How fast do rabbit teeth grow?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "About 2 to 3 millimetres a week at the front, and they never stop. Chewing is the brake: the RSPCA calls hay essential for dental health because it keeps a rabbit chewing constantly, side to side, and that wears the teeth down.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare", "url": "https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "RSPCA" } } } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long do pet rabbits live?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In a safe, stimulating home with good food, health checks and company, a rabbit can typically live 8 to 12 years, and some live longer. The RSPCA counts a rabbit as senior from 5 to 8 years old.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare", "url": "https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "RSPCA" } } } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is a rabbit a rodent?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Animal Diversity Web places the European rabbit in the order Lagomorpha, which it describes as \"hares, pikas, and rabbits\".", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Oryctolagus cuniculus (European rabbit)", "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Oryctolagus_cuniculus/", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "MusicRecording", "name": "Such Great Heights", "byArtist": { "@type": "MusicGroup", "name": "The Postal Service" }, "genre": "Dream Pop & Shoegaze", "url": "https://open.spotify.com/track/4G21jWo0Cm6lOIUNnZ2mUI" } ] } ```