It’s Spring, and during Spring many animals are born including rabbits. Learn more about these adorable little creatures with these Bunny Rabbit Facts for Kids.
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What is a Rabbit?
Rabbits are mammals. A mammal is a warm-blood animal that has hair and breathes air. Rabbits are lagomorphs. Rabbits and Hares are in the lagomorphs family. A female rabbit is called a doe. A male rabbit is called a buck. A baby rabbit is called a kit. Rabbits are bunnies are the same thing. Sometimes young rabbits are referred to as bunnies.
There are over 50 species of rabbits. and hares. Cottontails, Pygmy and European Rabbits live in the US. Most domestic or pet rabbits are European Rabbits.
Cotton Tail Rabbits live in above-ground nests.
Where Do Rabbits Live?
Rabbits are social animals and live in groups called colonies. A colony is a group of animals who usually live, eat and travel together. All rabbits except the Cottontail Rabbits live in underground burrows. A burrow is an underground hole or tunnel that an animal digs. Rabbits usually don’t dig their burrow but move into one another animal has abandoned. Since rabbits live together you will often see more than one burrow in the same location. A group of burrows is called a warren.
Bunny Rabbits live on every continent except for Antarctica. They live in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia. More than half the world’s population of rabbits live in North America.
Rabbits live in different habitats all over the world. They live in open spaces, fields, prairies, deserts, swamps, mountainous areas, forests, woodlands, grasslands, marshes, and even in your own backyard.
What do Rabbits Look Like?
Rabbits are one the most recognizable animals. They have small furry bodies with long furry ears and long hind legs. They have short round tails that look similar to cotton balls.
Rabbits come in a variety of colors including greys, browns, white and black. Most wild rabbits are brown.
A rabbit has 28 teeth. Their teeth never stop growing. To keep their teeth short, rabbits chew on branches and twigs.
The size of a bunny depends on what species it is. Dwarf or mini bunnies weigh between 2- 4 pounds when they are full grown and are 7-9 inches long. Giant bunny species can be 20 inches long and weigh up to 15 pounds.
A rabbit uses their long ears for different reasons. They are used for hearing, temperature control, to signal when they are curious, and to communicate.
What is the Difference Between a Rabbit and a Hare?
Though there is no difference between rabbits and bunnies, there is a difference between rabbits and hares. Hares are usually bigger with longer ears and a longer hind leg.
They are also faster runners. Rabbits run at speeds up to 35 mph, hares run up to 45 mph. Hares mostly live in meadows and prairies because they can outrun their predators.
Rabbits are more social than hares. Rabbits live in colonies of up to 20 rabbits. Hares are solitary animals, meaning they spend most of their time alone. Cottontail rabbits like hares spend a lot of time alone.
Both rabbits and hares molt meaning they shed their coat or fur. Hares have more drastic changes with their fur. During different seasons their coat changes to camouflage with their surroundings.
This is because hares live in more open spaces and they need to be camouflage. The snow hares coat will change from brown to white in the winter.
Bunny Rabbit Facts for Kids
Rabbits are herbivores meaning they do not eat meat. Rabbits eat many things. A rabbit’s diet consists of grass, clovers, wildflowers, wild strawberries, and farm crops. Bunny Rabbits love to eat vegetables . Rabbits also eat their own poop.
Rabbits are crepuscular meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. They eat around dusk. Rabbits sleep about 8 hours a day.
At the sign of danger many rabbits will sprint to their burrows. Rabbits can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
rabbits only sweat on the pads of their feet.
Some people eat rabbits. Rabbit meat is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than chicken, beef, and pork.
Average lifespan is 10 years in the wild or 16 years as a pet.
Baby Rabbits
Throughout history, rabbits were a symbol of fertility. They reproduce often. Rabbits usually have 2-3 litters a year. Mother rabbits are pregnant for 28-31 days. and give birth to 4-6 baby rabbits called a litter.
Babies called kittens or kits, are born with their eyes closed and no fur. They are helpless and dependent on their mother for survival.
A female rabbit is called a doe. A male rabbit is called a buck. Baby rabbits are called kits.
Rabbits are Great Pets
Many people have rabbits as pets. Because they are social animals they make great pets. They can also be trained. But before you get a pet rabbit it is important to look up how to take care of them. Rabbits have a strict diet and require exercise. It is also important that they have a clean and appropriate size cage to live in. Rabbits that are pets are called domesticated rabbits. Wild rabbits live around 10 years domesticated rabbits can around 16 years. Domesticated (pet) rabbits should never be let out in the wild. They will not be able to survive.
A rabbit’s foot is believed to bring good luck. It is believed that this belief started in Europe around 600BC.
Famous Rabbits
There are so many famous rabbits in Hollywood and beyond. Check out our list of famous Bunny Rabbits.
- The Easter Bunny
- Bugsy Bunny (Looney Tunes)
- The Energizer Bunny (from the Energizer Battery commercials)
- Peter Cottontail (Tale of Peter Cottontail)
- Rabbit (from Winnie the Pooh)
- Thumper (Disney’s Bambi)
- The White Rabbit (from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland)
- Rodger Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
- Snowball (the Secret Life of Pets)
- Judy Hopps (Zootopia)
- Cadbury Bunny (from the Cadbury Easter Egg commercials)
- Lola Bunny ( Space Jam)
- Trix Rabbit (Trix Cereal)
We hope you enjoyed these rabbit facts for kids
