The Rabbits are small fury mammals that can be found in several parts of the world. There are many different species of rabbit that all make up the order Lagomorpha. These animals are usually characterized by their long ears and fury bodies which are features commonly associatiated with them in popular culture.
Rabbits are hindgut digesters (most of the digestion takes place in the the large intestine and cecume. Their bodies produce Cecotropes (also known as 'night feces') which are redigested as they are high in minerals, proteins, as well as vitamins. Such a process allow rabbits to ubtain nutrients from food.
Rabbits are herbivors, they eat plants such as grass and weeds, however, due to such a diet they obtain large amounts of cellulose, which is difficult to digest. This problem is overcome when rabbits produce dense feces, and soft black pellets (which are the ones redigested).
Rabbits graze large amounts of food during the 'grazing period' (which takes place usually in the afternoon) for about a half hour, which is then followed by another half hour of selective feeding later on. If the environment of a rabbit is considerably safe, it may spend many hours outside, rather than inside its burrow.
Rabbits can be told apart from hares, which are very similar, in that
- Newborn rabbits are blind and hairless (newborn hares are able to see and have hair).
- All rabbits (with the exception of the cottontail) live in burrows, which hares (as well as cottontails) live in small nests above the ground.
- Hares are mostly larger then rabbits and longer ears.
Rabbits are also domestic animals, in that they have been bred as house pets. They prove great companions for owners and are often provided activities such as tunnels, shelves, and playing with toys.
In popular culture, rabbits have been widely associated with Easter and spring.
No comments:
Post a Comment