10 Interesting Facts About Rabbits
Rabbits are always fluffy and cute, but they can be both unique pets and wild animals. We wanted to learn more about them, so we did some research and discovered these 10 interesting facts - plus a bonus one - all about rabbits!
This video is part of the Pet Voices PRESENTS series. CLICK HERE to see all the series videos.
INTRODUCTION
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 0:01Rabbits. They can be pets, but also wild animals. But what is it about them? What's unique about them? How are they similar?We were curious, so we did some research. And these are the top 10 interesting facts about rabbits that we discovered.
1. RABBITS ARE BANNED FROM UK FERRIES
Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 0:13And probably the most interesting fact is that in the UK, rabbits are actually banned on some ferries.Legend has it that rabbits were being transported for food and they actually chewed through the haul of 17th century ships, which resulted in the death of a ton of sailors. So, to this day, you cannot bring your rabbit with you if you're traveling across the English Channel on the Brittany Ferry for this reason. Because they are afraid that your rabbit is going to eat through their boat.
2. RABBITS DRAMATICALLY RANGE IN SIZE
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 0:43Oh my goodness. And thinking about that, we picture rabbits at this certain size. But one of the interesting things we found is that they come in quite a variety of sizes. So, the smallest one is a pygmy, which is a little less than a pound. But there is a very large rabbit called a Flemish Giant and they can reach 2.5 feet and up to 22 pounds. That's huge. And it's still a rabbit.
3. RABBITS HAVE UNIQUE EYES
Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 1:07And if you want your mind to be blown, just Google it and look at all the pictures because it's crazy. It's great.And in addition to just their sizes, they can also see almost 360 degrees. Thinking about being a human, we have pretty limited vision, so that's pretty incredible.But as powerful as their vision is later on, they are actually born with their eyes shut. And it takes about seven days for them to actually open their eyes. So for the first week of their life, they are essentially blind.
4. RABBITS CAN TURN THEIR EARS 270 DEGREES
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 1:38And another interesting fact about things on their head are their ears. So, their ears can turn 270 degrees. If you think about that, it's more than being able to do a 180, right? It's beyond that. A full 270 degrees. But it allows them to detect threats that might be approaching even from as far as two miles away.
5. RABBIT EARS HELP REGULATE THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE
Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 1:57And their ears can also help regulate their body temperature. The bigger they are, the better, because more surface area allows more body heat to escape. So, that's why your rabbit or your bunny has big ears.
6. RABBIT TEETH NEVER STOP GROWING
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 2:10And then there's their teeth. So, rabbit’s teeth are like our fingernails, they never stop growing. Hence the need for rabbits to always be chewing and sort of us having that stereotype thinking of bunnies and always chewing. It's because their teeth never stop growing. So, they have to chew.
7. RABBITS EAT THEIR OWN POOP
Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 2:25Yes, they need to eat for a reason, constantly. I wish that was true for me, sometimes.But a little bit different of a direction, kind of a gross one, is that they actually eat their own poop. But it’s good for them. It's actually an essential part of their diet. And they create a special kind of poop called Cecotropes that is softer than normal, so it's easier for them to be eaten by the rabbit that created them or maybe even another rabbit.And the reason for this is that they have a really fast moving digestive system. So, re-digesting their waste actually gives them a second shot at getting some of those nutrients from what they ate the first time around.
8. RABBITS CANNOT VOMIT
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 3:07And while thinking about eating poop might make us feel like we have to vomit, rabbits are actually incapable of vomiting. Their digestive tracts don't move in reverse. They don't have a gag reflex. And their stomach muscles actually aren't even strong enough to contract the way you would need to in order to vomit. So, they are vomit free.
9. MYTH: CARROTS ARE GOOD FOR RABBITS
Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 3:26And to be a little less gross, let's talk carrots. Carrots are something that a lot of people associate with rabbits or bunnies, but it's actually a myth that they're good for rabbits. They're high in sugar and they should only really be fed occasionally.They're really a special treat, so don't listen to Bugs Bunny, who loves to eat and chomp on his carrot. Just give it occasionally as a special treat.
10. BUNNIES ARE NOT BABY RABBITS
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 3:49And one of the interesting things that we found, because we call rabbits, especially when they are pets, “bunnies.” We think of them when they’re little as being “bunnies” or “bunny rabbits”. But baby rabbits are actually called “kittens”. Bunnies are just small rabbits, but not babies.
BONUS FACT: RABBITS VS. HARES
Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 4:06Yeah, that's crazy.And a bonus fact is that hares, often confused with rabbits, are actually a totally different species. They're generally larger, though probably not for that giant rabbit we talked about earlier. But instead of also burrowing like rabbits do, hares build nests instead.
CONCLUSION
Chloe DiVita, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 4:26So, those are some fun facts that we learned about rabbits and a bonus one. 10 and a bonus.So, what do you know? Do you have a fact or maybe a myth that you can share with us? Comment below and tell us or tell us something that you learned so that we can do a little research and expand our knowledge of fun facts about rabbits.Jessica Shipman, All Pet Voices Co-Founder - 4:43And if you love watching short videos just like this one about pets and other animals that you love, then be sure to subscribe to our channel. What did you learn about rabbits? What fun facts did we miss?