Cute Rabbits

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae, found in many parts of the world.
There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), cottontail rabbits (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, an endangered species on Amami Oshima, Japan). Rabbits are distinguished from the related hares in that they are altricial, having young that are born blind and hairless; many also live underground in burrows.

A male rabbit is called a buck, and a female is called a doe.
For jackrabbits, which are actually hares, in the genus Lepus, see hare.

Rabbits vary in size and weight. As a lagomorph, they have 4 sharp incisors (2 on top, 2 on bottom) that grow continuously throughout their life, and two peg teeth on the top behind the inscisors, dissimilar to those of rodents (which have only 2 each, top and bottom). Rabbits have long ears, large hind legs, and short fluffy tails. Rabbits move by hopping, using their long and powerful hind legs. To facilitate quick movement, rabbit hind feet have a thick padding of fur to dampen the shock of rapid hopping. Their toes are long, and are webbed to keep them from spreading apart as they jump. Depending on the species of the rabbit, one can reach a speed of 15-20 m/s (35-45 mph).



They are well-known for digging networks of burrows, called warrens, where they spend most of their time when not feeding. Rabbits are also well-known for their advanced breeding rate, another factor which differentiates them from hares; in theory, a doe can produce from two to eight live young per month, during the first half of the year, although a more common rate is half that. In contrast, hares usually produce three or four live young, during the middle of the year.