Rabbits are grazing animals and enjoy nibbling on hay and grass. They also love root vegetables like carrots, but these should be limited as they are high in sugar. They are extremely social creatures and love to have company; a rabbit who is ignored for long periods can become depressed. They have a natural curiosity about humans and love exploring new environments. This can cause problems if the rabbit is kept in a small cage that does not offer enough space to run and play freely, so it should be housed in an enclosure with plenty of room and access to outdoor areas.
Female rabbits are called ‘does’ and male rabbits are called ‘bucks’. In the wild, rabbits live in colonies, with dominance hierarchies and mating rituals. They are nocturnal and forage from evening to morning, eating a wide variety of herbs and plants. During the day, they burrow into underground shelters, known as warrens. A female rabbit can have up to twelve babies, called kits, in one pregnancy.
Rabbits have been domesticated by humans for meat, fur and wool since ancient Rome; this is known as cuniculture. They are a prominent figure in human culture globally, appearing as a symbol of fertility, wisdom and innocence in major religions and historic and contemporary art. Rabbits have very sensitive hearing and can thump their hind limbs on the ground to communicate with each other and warn of danger. Their body language can also convey a range of emotions, from clenching their faces and changing their posture to lowering their ears.