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Hu, T. Rabbit Behavior. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62060 (accessed on 09 November 2026).
Hu T. Rabbit Behavior. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62060. Accessed November 09, 2026.
Hu, Tinley. "Rabbit Behavior" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62060 (accessed November 09, 2026).
Hu, T. (2026, November 06). Rabbit Behavior. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/62060
Hu, Tinley. "Rabbit Behavior." Encyclopedia. Web. 06 November, 2026.
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Rabbit Behavior
EditRabbit behavior is the behaviour of the domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a social, herbivorous prey species that digests fibre by caecotrophy, re-ingesting soft faecal pellets [1][2]. Predator avoidance organises much of the repertoire: rabbits rely on refuges, vigilance and rapid flight, and respond to threat with freezing or escape that owners often misread as unresponsiveness [1]. In captivity the same behaviours persist but are constrained by housing, with locomotion, rearing and social interaction varying according to run access, hutch size and time of day [3]. Expert consensus identifies inadequate housing, poor handling and socialisation, and owner ignorance of normal behaviour as the principal sources of poor rabbit welfare [1][4].
rabbit behavior
caecotrophy
predator avoidance
housing
owner knowledge
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References
- E. Anne McBride; Small prey species’ behaviour and welfare: implications for veterinary professionals. J. Small Anim. Pract. 2017, 58, 423-436. [CrossRef]
- Pablo Jesús Marín-García; Lola Llobat; What Are the Keys to the Adaptive Success of European Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Iberian Peninsula?. Animals 2021, 11, 2453. [CrossRef]
- Nicola J. Rooney; Paula E. Baker; Emily-Jayne Blackwell; Matthew G. Walker; Siobhan Mullan; Ricahrd A. Saunders; Suzanne D.E. Held; Run access, hutch size and time-of-day affect welfare-relevant behaviour and faecal corticosterone in pair-housed pet rabbits. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2023, 262, 105919. [CrossRef]
- Fiona Rioja‐Lang; Heather Bacon; Melanie Connor; Cathy Mary Dwyer; Rabbit welfare: determining priority welfare issues for pet rabbits using a modified Delphi method. Vet. Rec. Open 2019, 6, e000363. [CrossRef]
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