Rabbit behaviour

Question 1

What is the domestic rabbits wild ancestor?

Answer 1

The European rabbit

Question 2

What is the latin name for the European rabbit?

Answer 2

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Question 3

Who brought the rabbits to Britain in the 12th century?

Answer 3

The Normans

Question 4

What risk influences the rabbit’s natural behaviour?

Answer 4

The risk of predation

Question 5

What is the rabbit’s strongest physiological sense?

Answer 5

Scent

(Olfactory)

Question 6

Why does the rabbit have a highly efficient digestive system?

Answer 6

To allow them to spend as little time above ground as possible, to avoid the risk of predation

Question 7

Why has the rabbit’s skeleton adapted to be so lightweight?

Answer 7

To allow for fast movement, to avoid predation

Question 8

Rabbits are very easiled frightened.
Is it true that they can remember what frightened them?

Answer 8

Yes

Question 9

What does a rabbit experience 1st?

A. Fight
B. Flight
C. Freeze

Answer 9

C. Freeze

Question 10

What response comes after freeze?

Answer 10

Flight

Question 11

When will rabbits use the final response, fight?

Answer 11

After exhibiting freeze and flight, and there is no escape route and they are cornered

Question 12

What will rabbits do to alert the rest of their colony?

Answer 12

Use their hindlegs to thump on the ground, to alert those below there is a potential danger

Question 13

(think basic)

Name 5 things that scare rabbits.

Answer 13

1. Sudden movements
2. Loud noise
3. Sudden noise
4. Bright lights
5. Strong smells

Question 14

How many entrances does a burrow system have?

Answer 14

No limited amount, all our multi-entranced

Question 15

How many dominant buck’s share 1 territory?

Answer 15

1

Question 16

What is the name used to describe a mult-entranced burrow system?

Answer 16

A warren

Question 17

Do males live within a colony with a dominant buck + several females?

Answer 17

Yes, but they are subordinate

Question 18

What are wild populations of rabbits split into?

Answer 18

Social groups

Question 19

Can you get multi-sexted and/or same-sexed social groups?

Answer 19

Both!

Question 20

What routine behaviour does the dominant buck perform every day?

Answer 20

Routinely patrols his territory

Question 21

More frequently, what is required by the dominant buck, from both his female and male subordinates?

Answer 21

A submissive act

Question 22

Give an example of a subordinate act in rabbits.

Answer 22

Retreating and fleeing from dominant buck’s advances

Question 23

What will happen if a subordinate refuses to retreat from a dominant buck’s advances?

Answer 23

It will prompt an attack from the dominant buck

Question 24

Once groups have been established are new members able to join colonies?

Answer 24

No, they won’t be welcomed by either sex and dominant males will attack new males

Question 25

What happens to rabbits that are unable to become established into a colony?

Answer 25

They move to a previously unoccupied territory

Question 26

What is the name given to the rabbits that have to move into a previously unoccupied territory? And what does it mean?

Answer 26

**Non-territorial satellites** The NTS's act as a buffer zone between the territories of dominant bucks

Question 27

If the dominant buck's territory increases in members, and therefore space, what happens to the buck status?

Answer 27

His dominance is decreased, due to the more attention that is required to maintain his dominance

Question 28

True or False. Does actively defend their territories.

Answer 28

False, they do not **actively** defend

Question 29

Do does share their home range with other females?

Answer 29

Yes

Question 30

True or False. Does can be stronger fighters than bucks.

Answer 30

True, they fight as strongly - if not more!

Question 31

What do does mostly fight for, resource wise?

Answer 31

Nesting sites

Question 32

True or False. Bucks are territorial, even if no does are present.

Answer 32

False, only when groups of females are present

Question 33

In larger groups of females, what will females use to fight off unwanted advances from males?

Answer 33

They will drive them away, often using aggression

Question 34

Can male and female rabbits establish pair-bonds?

Answer 34

Yes

Question 35

True or False. Secondary bucks + does are not allowed to be associated with a bonded pair.

Answer 35

False, they are able to be **loosely** associated with the pair

Question 36

As well as their intrinsic social nature, what has been proven to be the main drive behind sociality in rabbits?

Answer 36

A useful tool/tatic to gain access to resources and prevent resource limitation

Question 37

# (Not physiological, but behavioural) What does the rabbit primarly rely on when escaping predators?

Answer 37

Access to cover (hiding under things)

Question 38

How does warren construction control group sizes within the colony?

Answer 38

The suitability of the warren helps control the colonies population by amount of avaliable space for the rabbits

Question 39

What is presumed to be the reason that does spread their burrow spaces evenly, rather than in a clump?

Answer 39

It has been suggested that they do not prefer to breed in close proximity to each other ## Footnote Maybe to do with preventing other does from infanticide + survival of the fittest? Also suggesting, given the choice, they although they accept conspecific presence, they prefer to have their own space - important point to raise with clients for housing!*

Question 40

What physiological signs can subordinate meembers experience in the present of a dominant buck or doe?

Answer 40

Chronically elevated heart rate, leading to Chronic stress

Question 41

What are signs of increased fear and aggression indicators of?

Answer 41

* Stress * Poor wellbeing * Poor husbandry * Pain * Illness * Disease * Fustration * Fear

Question 42

True or False. Rabbits in pens are less likely to exhibit more species-typical behaviours such as: * Rearing * Stretching * Hoping * Running

Answer 42

False, they are more likely to!

Question 43

Name 6 signs of fear + aggression in rabbits

Answer 43

1. **Sham digging** 2. **Floor chewing** 3. Bar biting 4. **Fur chewing** 5. **Hair pulling** 6. Stereotypical pacing patterns ## Footnote Sham = false/superficial

Question 44

What percentage of time do does spend resting in the daylight hours with other rabbits, with physical contact?

Answer 44

90%!

Question 45

What percentage of time do rabbits in pairs spend body contact with each other, during their total resting time?

Answer 45

58%