A small, hopping animal with big ears and a bushy tail is a rabbit. Rabbits are mammals in the family Leporidae and belong to the order Lagomorpha, alongside hares and pikas.
Their powerful hind legs are longer than their forelegs, allowing them to hop quickly when escaping predators. Large ears provide excellent hearing and help regulate body temperature because they contain many blood vessels. The familiar short, fluffy tail is often called a “scut.”
Rabbits are herbivores that commonly eat grasses, leafy plants, and other vegetation. They are often confused with hares, but hares are generally larger, have longer hind legs and ears, and usually give birth to young that are born furred and able to see. Rabbits typically shelter in burrows and give birth to hairless, blind young called kits.
Although rabbits are widely kept as pets and livestock, the European rabbit also became an invasive species in places such as Australia, where introduced populations have caused serious ecological and agricultural damage.