Rabbit 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
References
- E. Anne McBride; Small prey species’ behaviour and welfare: implications for veterinary professionals. J. Small Anim. Pract. 2017, 58, 423-436, 10.1111/jsap.12681.
- 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, 10.3390/ani11082453.
- 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, 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105919.
- 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, 10.1136/vetreco-2019-000363.