How much do you know about bunnies?
Unless you’ve had one of these cuddly buns as a pet, it may not be much! While they can be sweet and cuddly, bunnies are also delicate and need special care to stay happy and healthy.
Here are 24 interesting bunny facts to make you a cottontail connoisseur.
Impressive Bunnies by the Numbers
- How big is the largest bunny on record? His name is Ralph, and he weighed 55 lbs when he clinched the Guinness World Record in 2013. He has yet to lose his title.
- The oldest rabbit on record lived to be 17 years old. But most bunnies live between 5 and 10 years in captivity.
- The smallest rabbit breed is the Pygmy rabbit, usually weighing around one pound with a body length of 9 to 12 inches. They’re native to Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and California.
- Volcano rabbits are the second smallest rabbit breed, weighing up to 1.3 pounds. They’re native to Mexico, specifically to four volcanoes south and east of Mexico City—hence the name.
- The largest rabbit breed is the Flemish Giant Rabbit, which weighs 15 pounds or more, and stretches an average of 2.5 feet.
- Rabbits are fast! The European Rabbit is one of the fastest species, hopping up to 45 miles per hour.
- A Japanese island called Ōkunoshima is nicknamed Bunny Island, where hundreds of rabbits roam free. Tourists can take photos and feed them, but are warned not to pick them up as they’ll struggle to be put down.
Bunny Biology
- Baby bunnies are called “kittens,” just like baby cats.
- An adult female rabbit is called a “doe,” and an adult male rabbit is called a “buck.” Just like deer!
- Rabbit’s eyes are on the side of their heads, which lets them see almost 360 degrees. This helps them to see predators in the wild. Their only blind spot is straight ahead, in front of their noses.
- Bunnies only blink 10 times per hour!
- There are 29 different rabbit species and 305 unique rabbit breeds worldwide.
- Baby bunnies are born with their eyes closed. They don’t open them for about 10 days.
- Bunnies can rotate their long ears 270 degrees, so they can locate exactly where a sound is coming from.
- If you see a baby rabbit in the wild, don’t touch it! Touching them can cause a condition cause stress colitis, which can be fatal. While it seems wrong to leave a nest unattended, mom is probably nearby. If you leave it alone, she’ll come back for regular feedings.
- Bunnies have a lot of babies. Mother rabbits are only pregnant for about a month, and they can have up to 14 kits in one litter, although they average closer to 6. So a single doe could easily have 60 or 70 kits in a single year.
- Bunnies make more noise than you might think. They squeak and chatter when they have something to say.
What You Should Know About Bunnies as Pets
- A pet rabbit can be an affectionate and social companion. But they need more care and attention than you might think. They like to chew, so you’ll have to rabbit-proof your house to make sure they can’t damage electrical wires and furniture. They also need a good-sized rabbit pen, rather than the compact cage you might be envisioning. In general, a rabbit should have a space four times larger than its length. So a 1′ bunny should have a pen that’s at least 4′ long. Plus, they’ll need a much larger area where they can run around and get exercise in safety.
- Rabbits are very social! In the wild, they live in underground warrens with others of their kind. Your bunny chum will want to spend quality time with you, getting pets and running around. If you can’t spend enough time with your bunny, they can grow listless and depressed. Getting a pair of rabbits, instead of just one, can help keep them occupied.
- The right diet is about more than nutrition—it’s also about dental care. Rabbit teeth are constantly growing, but they’re kept in check by constantly chewing on hay or fresh grass. When they don’t have the right diet, their front teeth can overgrow causing painful sores.
- Despite what Bugs Bunny would have you think, carrots are not a big part of rabbit diets. They eat mostly hay, a small quantity of rabbit pellets, and few fresh veggies.
- Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box! With a couple of weeks of practice, your bunny friend can learn to do their business in the box, so they don’t have to be confined to a small cage. Just make sure to use rabbit-friendly litter instead of cat litter.
- Rabbits can be a bit anxious. They have a naturally fast heartbeat, so if they get too scared their hearts can fail. The best environment for a bunny is in a calm home without other scary animals.
- When they’re really happy, rabbits jump in the air and perform a quick twist or twitch. This move is called a binky and it’s very cute.
See the Bunnies at Barton Hill Farms!
This spring, we’re celebrating Berries & Bunnies out on the farm. We’ll have a meet-and-greet at our animal enclosure, including bunnies, goats, ponies, and more! And starting April 9th, our fields of strawberries will be open, so you can pick a pint to take home.
Plus live music and entertainment, over 30 games and activities, great food, cold beer, and more!
Berries & Bunnies
Dates: March 26th through April 16th, 2022
Saturday, Sundays, & Good Friday (April 15th)
Hours: 10:00am – 6:00pm
All tickets must be purchased in advance!
