Rabbit breeds: the rabbit, the Steenkonijn, De Hollander, De Californian, De Lotharinger,
De Deilenaar,
Supply & demand: Free advertisement
Rabbits belong to the hareids, which include another 40 other species. A rabbit can gnaw well, but is not a rodent. They all have sharp front teeth (incisors) in the upper jaw, with behind them stif teeth that always keep growing. Hareids belong to a large group of animals, which are called mammals. A male rabbit is called a rattle, a female a nurse. The young of a rabbit is called a lamprey.
Where the rabbit comes from is not 100% to say with certainty.
It is thought that the ancestors of the rabbits we know now come from Asia. In Europe they have then spread over large areas. Traces have been found of rabbits that lived around Europe a million years ago, except in the northernmost regions of Russia. However, when the temperature continued to fall and the First Ice Age came, the rabbit had to retreat to warmer areas. The rabbits ended up on the Iberian peninsula (now Spain and Portugal). Around the year 1100 BC. The Phoenicians (a people from Lebanon) reached the Iberian peninsula and found rabbits in large numbers. They thought they looked like the clod, an animal that looks like rabbits but has short ears, and is family of the elephant.
Centuries later, around 250 years BC. when the Romans arrive on the Iberian peninsula, the spread of the rabbit really starts. The Romans set up the rabbits on the island in the Mediterranean Sea and in various other places where the Romans ruled. Later the Romans start to keep the rabbits as a food animal. The rabbits were kept in large walled gardens that provided protection against the rabbit's natural predators. If they wanted to eat the rabbit they were caught or shot. These rabbits were, of course, not really pets.
It was not until the Middle Ages that the rabbit became a pet. By then, rabbits were kept by monks, also in large protected gardens. When rabbits were born with a different color, for example white or spotted rabbits, they were kept apart by the monks and bred with it. This is the beginning of keeping the rabbit as a pet.
Appearance
Wild and domestic rabbits are almost the same size. The body of a rabbit can grow up to 45 centimeters. His ears about 7 centimeters, the legs are not long enough to keep the body completely off the ground, like the hares. Wild rabbits have a coat that is speckled in color. This wild color is called 'agouti'.
- Sexually mature: 3-5 ½ months (nurse) 6 months (rattle)
- Oestric cycle: no induced jump
- Wearing time: 29-33 days (average 31)
- Birth weight: 30-709 grams
- Weaning age: 4-6 weeks
- Adult weight: 1-7 kg
- Temperature: 90ºC
- Lifespan: 7-8 years (maximum 15 years)
Did you know
- In the wild, rabbits live under the ground, in holes. These holes always have 2 exits so that rabbits can always flee at risk.
- Known rabbits include: Miffy, Roger Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, Pestle and Peter Rabbit
- The oldest rabbit has reached the age of 24 years. Unfortunately, the average age of a rabbit in the Netherlands is only 3 years old.
- The teeth of a rabbit grow 1 to 2 mm per day
- A rabbit mother takes care of her young only 2 times a day for about 5 minutes
- Rabbits are happiest with a kind-mate
- Rabbits are not rodents, but lagomorphs
- Rabbits love toys. A simple plush toy or a toilet roll can give a rabbit hours of fun
- Hay is very important for a rabbit, rabbits may have this unlimited, hay is very good for the rabbit intestines.
- If a rabbit is not properly held, he can break his back!
- A young rabbit is also called lamprey.
- That if they are too fat, they can become seriously ill.
Behavior and character of a rabbit
rabbits are quiet, non-aggressive (there are exceptions of course) animals, each rabbit has its own temperament and is child-friendly. They live naturally in colonies and are therefore very happy with a kind-mate. They are also good at handling other animals (for example, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, but also with a turkey, etc.)
​​​​​​If you keep several rabbits, you will soon notice that each time a ranking is made: the dominance. That means that 1 rabbit will master the other rabbits; usually this rabbit is the oldest, largest, heaviest, the 1st rabbit in the cage or the park. All other rabbits will have to listen to this one rabbit. When you add a new rabbit to the colony afterwards, you will notice that the most dominant rabbit will be the first rabbit to sniff the new rabbit, jump, walk behind it, fight, etc. You can and may not do anything about it. do this behavior. You certainly can not punish the dominant rabbit. This is simply nature. But when it gets too bad, it is often the only and best solution to take the new rabbit and the most dominant rabbit together forever. It is up to you to sell 1 of the 2, if you do not, there will be deaths!
Rabbit language
Rabbits talk to you through body language. What do you know about rabbits and body language?
- Growling, scratching or shooting forwards: The rabbit feels threatened.
- Stamping the hind leg: Feels angry / unsafe, warns of danger.
- Gently kinky teeth: Feels nice.
- Rounding around the feet with humming or grunting: Sexual excitement.
- Jump and run with fast turns: Feels great.
- Throw things: Anger or play.
- Running behind feet: Playing.
- Gnawing at things that is not allowed: needs toys and distraction, young bunny curiosity.
- Pushing nose against you / hand licking: Show love and ask for attention.
- Lying down: Feels relaxed.
- Stand upright: Fuse = view environment.
- Hard teeth grinding and crawling away: Feels sick and has pain.
- Sit quietly in a corner: Is sick or scared.
- Screaming or screaming: Is in fear of death or in death.
How do you pick up a rabbit and how do you make it tame?
In the first period that you have a rabbit, it is best to get used to his cubicle first and foremost. Then you can pet him for the first time: from head to back (do not let him smell your hands because then a rabbit would dare to attack!) Later you can pick him up on his back and support their hind legs, please do not ears, that is very bad for their ears: they can even have injuries or even become deaf !. If you need to move a rabbit a good distance, let the rabbit rest on your arm.
How do rabbits get such big ears?
No idea if it is true but I found this funny fact. The warmer the rabbit has in pregnancy and birth and the first stages of development, the longer the ears become. Of course, heredity also plays a role.