Rabbit is a small furry mammal with a short tail and large pointed ears. Rabbits live in burrows in the ground. Each burrow is the home of a single family. The first fossils which can be attributed to this family came from North America. But now they are found in most parts of the world. As compared to the rest of its body the rabbit has large-sized ears.
Rabbit is a weak and timid animal and is usually surrounded by many enemies. Therefore nature has provided it with large ears to enable it to hear even the faintest of sounds. The large area of the ear catches most of the sound waves produced in the air and passes them into the inner ear. This enables the rabbit to detect its enemies in time and to run to safety areas.
You must have noticed that a rabbit washes its ears by repeatedly licking its forepaws and rubbing them over the surface of its ears. It does this just not to keep its ears clean, but also to take into its mouth the natural oil which covers the ear surface. This oil is important in forming Vitamin D which in turn is necessary for the growth of the healthy bones. If the rabbit is prevented from doing this, it will develop rickets.
Wild rabbits spend most of the day underground and usually come out for food only between dusk and dawn. They also have a keen sense of smell. They have long, hind legs which give them a good speed. A rabbit can run at a speed of 65 km per hour. Rabbits feed mainly on grass but eat other vegetation also. Their fertility rate is very high. Only their extraordinary fertility has enabled them to survive inspite of their many enemies. On an average a doe (female rabbit) produces 10 to 12 young ones every year. The natural enemies of rabbits are cats, dogs, foxes, minks, weasels and wolves. Man is the biggest enemy of rabbits because he hunts them for their skin, fur and meat.