Facts and Features of Rabbit

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae

Genre: Oryctolagus

Scientific Name: Oryctolagus cuniculus

Type: Mammal

Diet: herbivore

Size: 20-50cm (8-20in)

Weight: 0.5-3kg (6.6 lbs 1.1)

Maximum speed: 4 km / h (2.4 mph)

Life Span: 4-8 years

Lifestyle: Group

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Color: Brown, Tan, Gray, Black, White

Skin Type: Fur

Favorite Food: Clover

Habitat: thickets of the forest, meadows and forests

Average Litter Size: 6

Main Prey: Clover, Grass, crunchy vegetables

Attackers: Fox, snakes, large birds

Characteristics: long pointed ears and sharp sight, smell and taste

Rabbits are small mammals found  in Europe,South Africa,Sumatra and Japan.Rabbits  are also found in desert areas of the Middle East,where rabbits live in the greenest areas of the desert where there is enough food and water for the rabbits to live.

Rabbits are herbivores that depends mainly on grass,but also feeds nuts,berries,fruits and  vegetables.Rabbits dig burrows in the ground where the rabbit hides,makes food storage and also gives birth and raises babies.

Today, the rabbit is a popular pet especially for young children due to its calm and quiet nature.Rabbits are natures lawnmowers and can eat grass throughout the day .It is vital that rabbits eat enough grass as the grass is not only good for them but also helps keep teeth healthy and strong.Rabbit teeth grow consistently and if it is not able to chew things to keep them down, then the teeth can grow extremely long that often causes pain and death to the rabbit.

The average  life period of rabbit is  about eight years as a pet, but many wild rabbits do not live as long due to the fact that the rabbit is prey to many predators such as cats ,dogs and humans.Rabbits also are prone to myxomatosis ,a disease that causes the rabbit to develop tumors which results in death .Rabbit pets should be vaccinated against the disease every 6 months to a year, which prevents the disease from becoming fatal if the rabbit grabs it.

Rabbits are seen as a pest by farmers and gardeners alike due to its destructive nature when they are close to  lush vegetation. In Australia , the myxomatosis virus was introduced as pest control for the many rabbits that were eating  plants.

Today their are more than 50 different species of rabbit and the number continues to rise as the selective breeding of rabbits becomes more popular .The smallest species is the domestic rabbit mini lop that weighs about 5 pounds, and the largest species of domestic rabbit is the Flemish Giant rabbit , weighing from 5 kg to 9 kg and is the largest species of rabbit in the earth.

Rabbits are generally used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth and have been associated with spring and Easter as the Easter Bunny .Rabbits are well known for their rapid and successful breeding with the average gestation period of the rabbit is just over a month after giving birth to an average of 6 children .