15 Hoppingly Fun Facts About Bunny Rabbits
There's just so much to learn about the animal kingdom - so why not start here with these fabulous rabbit facts!?
We all love rabbits, they make wonderful pets and are some of the most sociable animals out there! There are many different types and they live all over the world - but how much do you know about them? Why not have a scroll through these fun facts and find out more all about the cutest, most adorable and floofy of creatures!?
1. Rabbits jump around and flick their ears when they’re happy!
This is called ‘doing a binky’ by rabbit lovers and it's a sure way to see that your rabbit is having a nice life! Why not give it a go? We call it ‘jumping for joy’ but ‘doing a binky’ is way better!
2. Rabbits can move their ears to listen!
Our ears are pretty rubbish compared to a rabbit’s, they can twist and turn their big ol’ ears to hear if another animal is coming toward them and then make sure to run away in time!
3. Rabbit ears aren’t just for hearing!
Their ears are also really important for making sure they don’t overheat! A little bit like dogs when they pant or get a wet nose, rabbits wave their ears around to cool themselves down! So clever!
4. Rabbits can almost see in 360 degrees!
This is because their eyes are on the side of their heads. It means that they can see almost everything that goes on around them - in the wild this is really useful for looking out for predators!
5. Rabbits can make lots of noises!
People often think that rabbits are quiet pets, but they can actually make lots of noises, from grinding and squeaking to a full on honk! Beep beep! What might they be talking about?
6. The oldest recorded rabbit was 17 years old!
Most rabbits have a life-span of about 10 years, but some lucky creatures can live a whole lot longer! Imagine all the carrots they could get through in that time - delicious!
7. The biggest rabbit is from Britain!
This enormous rabbit is called Ralph and won the Guinness World Record for being, well, the biggest in the world! He weighed nearly 25 kg - which is pretty heavy! According to the world record he could eat nearly £75 worth of food every week - what a hungry boy!
8. Rabbits are not native to Britain!
Before the Romans invaded Britain in the early 1st century, there were no rabbits on the British Isles! They bought them to use as food, but soon they escaped and took over the whole country. Now, 2000 years later, they can be found everywhere from the South to the North. In fact, they did much better than the Romans themselves who only conquered as far as the Scottish border!
9. A male rabbit is called a ‘buck’!
You might have heard this name before, and that's because male deer are also called bucks! Sounds strange because deer and rabbits are so completely different - but humans and how they name animals is very confusing, even on a good day!
10. Rabbits sleep underground!
It’s a dangerous world out there for a rabbit, so at night when they all go to sleep they scamper down into their burrows to sleep. All snuggled up with their friends and family this allows them to stay warm and safe - there’s nothing quite like it!
11. Rabbits thump on the ground to warn their friends!
When a rabbit senses danger, they bang their feet on the floor and make a surprisingly loud noise! It’s the main way that they warn their friends and make sure that all the other rabbits around them are safe - what kind animals!
12. In Thai folklore, there is a Rabbit on the moon!
In the country of Thailand, there is a traditional story that there is a rabbit on the moon! The story goes that because the rabbit was so kind to an old man, the rabbit’s shape was painted on the moon as a way to thank the rabbit! If you look up on a full moon you might be able to see it!
13. A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing!
Amazing right!? This is so that their teeth are always sharp and ready for eating all that delicious grass! It also means that sometimes they grind their teeth to make sure that they’re the right size, which can make a pretty strange noise! But it’s definitely better than having to go to the dentist - good job rabbits don’t eat too many sweets!
14. There are over 45 million rabbits in the UK alone!
You can find rabbits on almost every bit of countryside in Britain and they live in big groups called colonies! Part of why there are so many is because a rabbit mother can have up to 14 babies per litter - that’s a bunch of bunnies!
15. Rabbits sometimes eat their own poo!
It sounds gross, and in many ways it is - but it’s really important for rabbits because they need to get all the nutrients and good stuff out of their food as possible! Don’t judge them! They’re just living their best lives!