Rabbit teeth sinking into human skin – a sensation nobody wants to experience! Yet some rabbits do bite. Do you know how to handle a testy bunny? Rabbit bites range from harmless nibbles to painful puncture wounds. Understanding the difference is key to responding appropriately. Why mightFlopsy take a chomp at you? What diseases could she transmit? How serious are rabbit bites? Prepare yourself by learning what to do when a fluffy sweet pet suddenly turns fierce. From bite first aid to preventing future incidents, we have the information you need to safely snuggle your bunny. Gain insight on the implications of rabbit bites and how to treat them. You’ll be prepared to handle biting properly and get back to cuddling in no time!

Are Rabbits Rodents?

Rabbits are often mistakenly grouped together with rodents like mice, rats, squirrels and others. However, rabbits are not actually rodents. While they do share some similarities with rodents, rabbits belong to their own separate taxonomic order known as Lagomorpha.

The main difference that separates rabbits from rodents is their dentition. Rodents have just one pair of constantly growing incisors in their upper and lower jaws. Rabbits, on the other hand, have an additional smaller pair of incisors called peg teeth located directly behind their main two pairs of upper and lower incisors. Rabbits also lack canine teeth which rodents possess.

In addition to their distinctive teeth, rabbits have a number of other anatomical differences that set them apart from rodents:

Rabbits have larger, longer hind legs and shorter forelegs compared to rodents. This gives them their characteristic hopping gait.
Rabbits have bigger eyes and better vision compared to rodents.
Rabbits have longer ears than rodents.
The mammary glands in female rabbits are inguinal in location rather than abdominal as in rodents.
The penis in rabbits is located ventrally rather than dorsally as in male rodents.
Rabbits have smaller litters than rodents, usually with less than 10 kits per litter. Rodents can have litters with over a dozen offspring.
Rabbits practice coprophagy – reingesting their own fecal pellets – to fully digest their food. Rodents do not engage in coprophagy.

So while rabbits may look superficially similar to some rodents, they are classified in a separate taxonomic order based on a number of key anatomical and physiological differences. Rabbits are not rodents.

Differences Between Rabbits and Rodents

While rabbits may resemble rodents in some ways, they are very different creatures when examined more closely. Here are some of the main differences between rabbits and rodents in terms of their digestion, reproduction, intelligence and general traits:

Digestion

Rabbits are herbivores that thrive on a diet of grasses, leafy greens, vegetables and hay. Rodents like rats and mice are omnivores and can eat a wide variety of foods including grains, fruits, nuts, insects, and even meat.

Rabbits have a digestive system optimized for processing high-fiber foods like grass and hay. Their digestive tract is proportionally much longer than in rodents to allow microbial fermentation of plant materials. Rabbits also practice cecotrophy, which involves reingesting nutrient-rich cecal feces to allow further breakdown of fiber. Rodents do not re-ingest their feces.

Reproduction

The reproductive habits of rabbits and rodents also differ quite a bit. Rabbits generally have smaller litters, averaging 4-6 kits per litter compared to 6-12 pups for rodents like rats and mice.

Rabbits have a shorter gestation period of just 30-32 days versus 20-24 days for rats and mice. Rabbits give birth to more developed young with fur and open eyes while newborn rodents are hairless and blind at birth.

Rabbits can breed year-round and some wild rabbits may have up to 6 litters per year. Rats and mice typically breed seasonally and have 3-6 litters per year.

The longevity of rabbits is 8-12 years while mice and rats live only 1-3 years. Rabbits therefore breed over more years of their lifespan than short-lived rodents.

Rodents vs. Rabbits Compared

Here is an overview of some of the key traits that distinguish rodents like rats and mice from rabbits:

Rodents have specially adapted self-sharpening incisors that are open-rooted and grow continuously. Rabbits have an extra small pair of incisors behind the main pair.
Most rodents have small ears whereas rabbits have prominently long ears.
Rabbits are larger than all rodents except capybaras. A rabbit can weigh 2-5 kg versus only 0.1-0.5 kg for a rat or mouse.
Rabbits are digitigrade, walking on their toes. Rodents are plantigrade walking with their whole feet on the ground.
Rabbits are predominantly herbivores while rodents are omnivores. Rabbits have a longer fermentation-based digestive system.
Female rabbits have an entirely separate burrow for their nest. Female rodents raise young in the communal burrow.
Rabbits have thinner skin and fur than rodents. Many rodents have thick protective fur.
Rabbits are solitary animals that avoid social contact. Rodents are often highly social and cooperative in groups.
Jumping is the primary mode of locomotion for rabbits. Most rodents move quadrupedally rather than hopping.

So while rabbits and rodents evolved some morphological similarities as small fast-breeding mammals, they are taxonomically and biologically quite distinct. Rabbits are specialists at digesting fiber and being solitary whereas rodents are more omnivorous, social and burrowing.

Are Rats Or Rabbits Smarter?

Rabbits and rats are both relatively intelligent mammals, but research indicates that rats may have the cognitive edge when their brainpower is compared side by side:

Rats have shown greater ability in complex learning and problem solving tasks. In mazes and intelligence testing puzzles, rats can quickly learn rules and adapt their strategies.
Rats outperform rabbits in tests of short term and spatial memory. Rats remember locations of food and objects more accurately.
Rats have demonstrated metacognition, or “thinking about thinking”. They can monitor and regulate their own cognitive processes.
Rabbits tend to be timid, obedient and less explorative. Rats more actively explore environments and manipulate objects demonstrating curiosity.
The brain to body mass ratio of rats is 1:40 which is greater than the 1:80 ratio in rabbits. Rats have bigger brains for their size.
Rats have proven easier to train and condition in behavioral experiments than rabbits which are stubborn.
Rabbits may use more innate instinctive behaviors whereas rats show more cognitive flexibility and learned behaviors.
Rabbits do outperform rats in explicit long-term memory and discriminatory taste tests.
Rabbit social groups lack complex hierarchy, sharing of duties and purposeful cooperation seen in rats.

So rats clearly excel in many domains of mammalian intelligence and learning capacity compared to rabbits. However, rabbits should not be underestimated, and in some realms like taste memory and social communication rabbits may have unique adaptive cognitive skills of their own.

Do Rats or Rabbits Breed Faster?

Both rats and rabbits are known for their rapid reproductive output, but rabbits have the edge when it comes to sheer breeding speed and volume of offspring:

Rabbits can breed year-round and may produce up 25-30 young per year. Rats typically breed seasonally and produce 15-25 pups annually.
Rabbits have a shorter 31 day gestation period versus 21-24 days in rats allowing them to produce more litters.
Rabbits give birth to more precocial young that can fend for themselves sooner than newborn rats.
Each rabbit litter contains on average 1-14 pups. Rats average 6-12 pups per litter giving rabbits the potential numeric advantage.
Female rabbits can get pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth leading to a rapid reproductive cycle.
Wild rabbits invest minimal parental care after giving birth allowing them to breed again quicker than rat mothers.
Rabbits reach sexual maturity earlier at age 3-5 months versus 2-3 months in rats, giving them a head start.
Rabbits live longer to 8-12 years so can keep reproducing over many seasons. Rats only live around 2-3 years maximally.

So thanks to shorter gestation, larger litters, year-round breeding, early maturity and longevity, rabbits narrowly beat out rats in explosive reproductive output and capacity. This rapid breeding is why both species are so numerous but also makes them challenging pests in some contexts. Clearly rabbits and rats deserve their reputations as rapid breeders.

Conclusion

While they look superficially alike to the casual observer, rabbits and rodents have very distinct evolutionary lineages, anatomical traits, and lifestyles when examined more closely. Rabbits are not rodents but belong to a separate order of mammals called lagomorphs. Rabbits diverge from rodents in their teeth, digestive system, reproductive patterns, as well as behaviors and cognitive abilities. Both rabbits and rodents are prolific breeders, though rabbits have a slight edge in speed of reproduction. Rats also demonstrate somewhat greater learning skills and intelligence compared to rabbits in cognitive testing. So while they may inhabit similar ecological niches, rabbits and rodents are interestingly different creatures.

Are Pet Rabbit Bites Dangerous?