Rabbit Handpuppet 25cm

Physical Characteristics
Rabbits are small mammals found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit and the Amami rabbit, an endangered species on Amami Oshima, Japan. There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with pikas and hares. They are know for their powerful hindlegs, long ears and fluffy tails.

Habitat
Rabbits are found in various different parts of the world in thickets, forests, meadows, and woods in a moderate climate.

Behaviour
Rabbits live in groups called herds in a warren. A warren has underground rooms, called burrows, which are dug by the females. The burrows are linked by narrow tunnels. Within the warren are "rooms" for sleeping and nests to raise baby rabbits in.

Breeding
Rabbits can have a litter of 3-12 depending on size of rabbit. The record is 24 which only happened twice. Young are born blind and hairless.

Diet
Rabbits are herbivores who feed by grazing on grass, forbs, and leafy weeds. In consequence, their diet contains large amounts of cellulose, which is hard to digest. Rabbits solve this problem by passing two distinct types of faeces: hard droppings and soft black viscous pellets, the latter of which are immediately eaten. Rabbits reingest their own droppings (rather than chewing the cud as do cows and many other herbivores) to digest their food further and extract sufficient nutrient.

Strange and Interesting Facts
The rabbit as trickster appears in popular culture; for example the Br'er Rabbit character from African-American folktales and Disney animation; and the Warner Bros. cartoon character Bugs Bunny.