---
title: "What the sources say about the Domestic Rabbit | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "55 claims from the Domestic Rabbit profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Domestic Rabbit (*Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus*)

> 55 claims from the Domestic Rabbit profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Domestic Rabbit](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/domestic-rabbit/)

## Pet rabbits: care, behaviour and welfare. RSPCA.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Sees almost all the way around | They can see in almost every direction with their nearly 360° vision. (note: tagline) |
| twists in midair when happy | Have you ever seen them leap really far, twisting and kicking midair? That’s called a ‘binky’. (note: tagline) |
| eats its own droppings for a second pass at its food | Rabbits eat their own droppings: Food is passed through their gut and special droppings (‘caecotrophs’) are produced. Rabbits eat these, allowing the food to be re-ingested (note: tagline) |
| Kept as pets indoors or outside; domestic rabbits can be found worldwide | With a safe, comfortable and enriching environment , rabbits can happily live both indoors or outside. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Hay, leafy greens and other vegetables, and pellets | Food (hay, vegetables, rabbits pellets/nuggets, the occasional treat) (note: stats.diet) |
| leafy greens | from leafy greens to fresh hay (note: stats.diet) |
| Nearly 360-degree vision from eyes set on the sides of its head | Because rabbit eyes are on the sides of their head, they have a blind spot just under their chin and directly in front of their nose. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Nearly 360-degree vision | They can see in almost every direction with their nearly 360° vision. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Sometimes a rabbit leaps really far, twisting and kicking in midair. That is a binky, a sign that the rabbit is very happy. | Have you ever seen them leap really far, twisting and kicking midair? That’s called a ‘binky’. |
| a sign that the rabbit is very happy | The leap-twist that a rabbit does midair – the binky – is a sign that they’re very happy. |
| 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. | When a rabbit thumps their hind legs, it can actually mean that danger is nearby – or it’s a ‘grump thump’, and they’re mad at you. |
| sees in almost every direction with nearly 360 degree vision | They can see in almost every direction with their nearly 360° vision. |
| A rabbit's eyes sit on the sides of its head | Because rabbit eyes are on the sides of their head |
| two blind spots: just under the chin and directly in front of the nose | they have a blind spot just under their chin and directly in front of their nose |
| Its ears can turn through 180 degrees to locate sound. | 180 degrees A rabbit’s ears can turn to locate sound |
| Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn, which is called being crepuscular. | Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn: This 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 | Rabbits held this way often remain still and appear relaxed. This is called tonic immobility – sometimes described as ‘playing dead’ – which is actually an involuntary fear response that occurs when a rabbit feels under extreme stress |
| the RSPCA says never to hold one that way | Never hold rabbits on their backs. |
| 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. | Rabbits eat their own droppings: Food is passed through their gut and special droppings (‘caecotrophs’) are produced. Rabbits eat these, allowing the food to be re-ingested, getting maximum nutrition. |
| Hay, vegetables and pellets make up a pet's menu. | Food (hay, vegetables, rabbits pellets/nuggets, the occasional treat) |
| 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. | Rabbit teeth never stop growing: Their front teeth grow at a rate of 2-3mm a week! This is why hay is essential for rabbit dental health; it promotes constant, side-to-side chewing that wears down their constantly-growing teeth |
| A happy rabbit's teeth chatter gently into a soft purr, though grinding can also signal pain. | When they’re happy their teeth chatter gently, creating a soft purr (but teeth grinding can also be a sign of pain). |
| A doe is pregnant for 30 to 33 days | BIRTH & GESTATION Can last between 30-33 days |
| an average litter is 5 to 6 kits | An average litter of rabbits is between 5 to 6 kits. |
| can get pregnant again within hours of giving birth | can get pregnant again within hours of giving birth! |
| In one year, two rabbits could multiply to 82. | in one year, two rabbits could multiply to 82 rabbits! |
| The RSPCA puts a pet rabbit's typical life at 8 to 12 years. | a rabbit can typically live for 8 to 12 years – but some may live longer. |
| 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. | The leap-twist that a rabbit does midair – the binky – is a sign that they’re 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. | When a rabbit thumps their hind legs, it can actually mean that danger is nearby – or it’s a ‘grump thump’, and they’re mad at you. |
| About 2 to 3 millimetres a week at the front, and they never stop. | Rabbit teeth never stop growing: Their front teeth grow at a rate of 2-3mm a week! |
| the RSPCA calls hay essential for dental health because it keeps a rabbit chewing constantly, side to side, and that wears the teeth down. | This is why hay is essential for rabbit dental health; it promotes constant, side-to-side chewing that wears down their constantly-growing teeth |
| 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. | If they live in a safe and stimulating environment, with a nutritious diet, regular health checks and appropriate companionship, a rabbit can typically live for 8 to 12 years – but some may live longer. |
| The RSPCA counts a rabbit as senior from 5 to 8 years old. | 5–8 YEARS old Rabbits become senior |
| Rabbits can do more than hop. | Rabbits can do more than just hop |
| Long Commitment | This means that pet rabbits are a long term commitment, as much as any pet cat or dog might be. |
| A happy rabbit sometimes leaps really far, twisting and kicking in midair: a binky. | Have you ever seen them leap really far, twisting and kicking midair? That’s called a ‘binky’. |

## O'Neill et al. (2020). Morbidity and mortality of domestic rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) under primary veterinary care in England. Veterinary Record.

https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105592

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In vet records for 6,349 rabbits in England, the median adult bodyweight was 2.1 kg | anonymised clinical records of 6349 rabbits attending 107 primary veterinary care clinics. Results The median age was 3.2 years (interquartile range (IQR) 1.6–5.1), and the median adult bodyweight was 2.1 kg (note: 6,349 rabbits) |
| adults ranged from 0.7 to 6.3 kg | The median adult bodyweight overall was 2.1 kg (IQR 1.7–2.6, range 0.7–6.3). |
| the 370 rabbits that died during that English study | The median age at death of the 370 rabbits that died during the study was 4.3 years |
| which covered 2013 | The study population included all rabbits under primary veterinary care at clinics in England participating in the VetCompass programme during 2013. |
| had a median age at death of 4.3 years | For those rabbits that died during the study period, the median age at death was 4.3 years |

## Oryctolagus cuniculus (European rabbit). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Oryctolagus_cuniculus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Not Evaluated | Oryctolagus cuniculus is the ancestor of all domestic rabbits (note: conservationStatus: the domestic form is not on the Red List; the wild ancestor's assessment is cited separately in the body) |
| domestic rabbits can be found worldwide | Domesticated O. cuniculus may be found worldwide. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Their wild ancestor, the European rabbit, is 38 to 50 cm long and weighs 1.5 to 2.5 kg. | Wild O. cuniculus weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 kg, and are from 38 to 50 cm long. |
| Their wild ancestor, the European rabbit | Oryctolagus cuniculus is the ancestor of all domestic rabbits |
| The species has a very large caecum, a gut pouch where bacteria ferment material that would otherwise be indigestible. | The species has a very large caecum, in which bacterial fermentation of otherwise indigestible material occurs. |
| Domestic rabbits can be found worldwide. | Domesticated O. cuniculus may be found worldwide. |
| Animal Diversity Web places the European rabbit in the order Lagomorpha, which it describes as "hares, pikas, and rabbits". | Order Lagomorpha hares, pikas, and rabbits |
| Pet breeds vary a lot. | Domesticated O. cuniculus vary tremendously in size, fur type, coloration, and general appearance. |
| tags: herbivore | Oryctolagus cuniculus is a generalized herbivore, eating a diverse diet of grasses, leaves, buds, tree bark, and roots. |

## Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds. Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County 4-H, 2016.

https://ashtabula.osu.edu/sites/ashtabula/files/imce/Program_Pages/4H/Info_and_Forms/Study%20Tips%202016.pdf

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| among five lops, which are rabbits with ears that hang down | Lops – Rabbits whose ears hang down, there are only 5 currently recognized: American Fuzzy Lop, English Lop, French Lop, Holland Lop, Mini Lop |
| A 2016 4-H study sheet lists the Holland lop among the small breeds | Small Rabbits: American Fuzzy Lop, Dutch, Dwarf Hotot, Florida White, Havana, Himalayan, Holland Lop (note: 2016: the sheet is headed 'Revised: 2016') |

## Gawriluk et al. (2016). Comparative analysis of ear-hole closure identifies epimorphic regeneration as a discrete trait in mammals. Nature Communications.

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11164

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| New Zealand white rabbits completely closed 8 mm holes in their ears by day 85 | we created a larger, 8-mm hole in O. cuniculus and found they completely closed these holes by D85 (note: New Zealand White strain per the paper's methods) |
| regenerating tissue with no evidence of scarring | we analysed the dermis at D85 and found no evidence for scarring in Acomys spp. and O. cuniculus |

## Hackländer (2025). Oryctolagus cuniculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T41291A217911810.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t41291a217911810.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the Red List rates the European rabbit Endangered. | IUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN). Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758), IUCN taxon 41291. (note: status of the wild European rabbit only, not the domestic form. GBIF's copy of the Red List gives the category for taxon 41291 (Oryctolagus cuniculus), checked against the taxon id in the DOI.) |