Rabbit: The little animal that wears its survival kit

A rabbit looks gentle and sweet, yet it spends its whole life being careful — because it is afraid of almost everything. To survive, it has evolved a complete "survival kit". Let's meet this alert little plant-eater.

Its body

A rabbit's long ears gather sound from every direction, catching even the softest noise. Its eyes sit on the sides of its head, giving it a wide field of view that sees almost behind it. Its powerful hind legs are the key to escape: one kick launches it a long way, and it can turn sharply mid-run to shake off a pursuer. Its sense of smell is keen too, able to tell the scent of companions from that of predators.

Where it lives and what it eats

Rabbits are plant-eaters, feeding on grass, leaves and shoots. They have a special trick: they re-eat their own soft droppings to absorb the nutrients a second time — a way of squeezing energy out of low-nutrient plants. They live in burrows they dig themselves (European rabbits dig whole warren networks) and are social, warning each other of danger.

Where it is found

Domestic rabbits descend from the European rabbit, and today they live all over the world. Wild rabbits live in grasslands, forest edges and many other habitats. Because they breed quickly and sit low in the food chain, rabbits are an important food source for many predators.

A note for grown-ups

You could look with a child at where a rabbit's eyes sit, then ask "why are they on the sides?" The answer is to see more widely and spot danger sooner. Helping a child understand how body structure serves survival is the most natural kind of science lesson.