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yes you can

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), cottontail rabbits (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, an endangered species on Amami Oshima, Japan). There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with cottontails, pikas and hares make up the Order Lagomorpha. Rabbits generally live between four and 10 years. A rabbit's gestation period is 31 days.[1]

Contents
1 Differences from hares
2 Humans' relationship with rabbits
3 Rabbits as pets
3.1 Lifespan
3.2 Housing
3.3 Food
4 Environmental problems
5 Classifications
6 Naming
7 Rabbits in culture and literature
7.1 Folklore and mythology
7.2 Other fictional rabbits
7.3 Urban legends
8 Trivia
9 See also
10 External links



Differences from hares
Main article: Hare
Rabbits are clearly distinguished from hares in that rabbits are altricial, having young that are born blind and hairless. In contrast, hares are generally born with hair and are able to see. All rabbits (except the cottontail rabbit) live underground in burrows or warrens, while hares live in simple nests above the ground (as does the cottontail rabbit), and usually do not live in groups. Hares are generally larger than rabbits, with longer ears, and have black markings on their fur. Hares have not been domesticated, while rabbits are often kept as house pets. In gardens, they are typically kept in hutches, small, wooden, house-like boxes that protect the rabbits from the environment and predators.


Humans' relationship with rabbits

Humans' relationship with the European (sometimes called true) rabbit was first recorded by the Phoenicians earlier than 1000 BCE, when they termed the Iberian Peninsula i-shfan?m (literally, the land of the hyraxes). This phrase is pronounced identically in modern Hebrew, i (אי) meaning island and shafan (שפן) meaning hyrax; shfan?m (שפנים) is the plural form. Phoenicians called the local rabbits hyraxes because hyraxes resemble rabbits in some ways, and were probably more common than rabbits in their native land Levant at the time. Hyraxes, like rabbits, are not rodents. The Romans converted the phrase i-shfan?m to its Latin form, Hispania, which evolved into the modern Spanish word Espa?a, English Spain and such other variations of modern languages.

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is the only species of rabbit to be domesticated. All pet breeds of rabbits, such as dwarf lops, and angoras, are of this species. However, rabbits and humans interact in many different ways beyond domestication. Rabbits are an example of an animal which is treated as food, pet, and pest by members of the same culture.

When used for food, rabbits are both hunted and bred for meat. Snares or guns along with dogs are usually employed when catching wild rabbits for food. In many regions, rabbits are also bred for meat, a practice called cuniculture. Rabbits can then be killed by hitting the back of their heads, a practice from which the term rabbit punch is derived. Rabbit pelts are sometimes used in for clothing and accessories, such as scarves or hats. Rabbits are very good producers of manure; additionally, their urine, being high in nitrogen, makes lemon trees very productive. Their milk may also be of great medicinal or nutritional benefit due to its high protein content (see links below).

There are a number of health issues associated with the use of rabbits for meat, one of which is Tularemia or Rabbit Fever. Another is so-called rabbit starvation, due most likely to essential amino acid deficiencies in rabbit meat and synthesis limitations in human beings.


Rabbits as pets
Main article: Domestic rabbit

Lifespan

A healthy indoor pet rabbit can live between 5 and 10 years. They enjoy throwing around toys and chewing on cardboard. In some home environments, they can develop an affinity with cats and even dogs. Though they are often caged in small areas, they can be trained to live as free-roaming pets, similar to cats and dogs. Just be careful, rabbits like to chew and will chew anything including carpet and electric cords. As pet rabbit medicine, diet and living environment improves, the rabbit's life span increases.


Housing

Most pet rabbit authorities agree that it is best for rabbits to live indoors[citation needed]. Rabbits of all ages can be easily litter box trained, allowing them to live indoors where they can get much needed daily interaction. While inexpensive caging is readily available in most areas, it is important to consider both size and safety of the rabbit when choosing a cage. It is of paramount importance to provide proper ventilation for a rabbit, to prevent respiratory problems as a result of ammonia build-up caused by their urine. Cages constructed entirely of wire are commonly used for both ventilation and sanitation purposes. Wire cages can pose risks to the animal, as wire mesh can be painful to their feet, as well as breaking their toes if their nails get caught in the mesh. Solid flooring is preferable, at least on a portion of the cage floor, to allow the rabbit to rest its feet. Wire cages are known to be easier to clean and sanitize than wooden hutches. However, you should always put paper, a towel, etc on the bottom of a wire cage. Otherwise, the rabbit could be hurt by the wire.

Unless they are being used for breeding, it is generally agreed that female rabbits should be spayed, as unspayed rabbits have high incidences of ovarian cancer. There are some health and behavior benefits from the neutering of male rabbits as well[citation needed]. If left intact, rabbits may spray urine in order to mark territory.

Rabbits can be aggressive towards other rabbits unless they have bonded. Spaying or neutering both animals may help make this process successful. It is not recommended to house two unbonded rabbits together in the same cage and assume that they will cohabitate. Even normally docile rabbits can become violent when left with an unbonded partner. This is common, but does not always take place. Many rabbits that are indifferent to each other can live together peacefully.


Domestic RabbitUnlike cats, rabbits cannot be declawed. Lacking pads on the bottoms of their feet, rabbits require their claws for balance, and removing rabbit?s claws will render it unable to stand, permanently crippling the animal.

If well cared for, rabbits make friendly and playful pets. They are kept as pets throughout the world, both indoors and out. Housed indoors and provided with adequate safety (especially from electrical cables and house plants that may be toxic to them), rabbits are relatively safe from predators, parasites, disease, and temperature extremes. Rabbits kept outdoors must be provided with shelter. This shelter may be heated in winter (although many rabbits can be kept outside with extra bedding even into temperatures below freezing ) but must be shaded in summer. Domesticated rabbits are most comfortable in temperatures between 10 to 21 degrees Celsius (50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit), and cannot endure temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) without assistance such as fans, frozen water bottles, and deep shade.


Food

A rabbit should be given plenty of clean fresh water and grass hay daily. Dark green, leafy vegetables may be fed, such as: romaine and escarole lettuces; turnip, mustard, and collard greens; kale, parsley, cilantro, dandelion and basil. Carrots and fruits should be fed sparingly (approximately one tablespoon per pound of body weight every two days), as they are high in sugars. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes should be avoided. When feeding vegetables to a rabbit for the first time, begin with one type, then slowly introduce others, until the rabbit has become accustomed to at least three different kinds of vegetables per serving; a variety of food keeps the rabbit's interest. Once a rabbit is introduced to vegetables, it should be fed vegetables daily, along with timothy, brome, or oat hay.


When choosing commercial feeds, choose those that do not include nuts, as nuts contain more fat than rabbits can easily metabolize, and may cause health problems, such as fatty liver. Nuts are commonly found in rodent food; as rabbits are not rodents, this food should be avoided.

Pellets should be fed one ounce per pound of body weight per day. However, pellets should be offered as a supplement to hay only - exclusively feeding a rabbit pellets can lead to life-threatening dental disease. Only by chewing hay or grass daily can a rabbit wear down their back teeth sufficiently (their teeth grow constantly, as with rodents) Traditionally, pellets are fed to rabbits bred for meat, and tend to cause excess weight gain. If a rabbit is fed pellets, a salt block is not necessary, as pellets are high in salt, though salt blocks are not otherwise harmful to rabbits.

Domestic rabbits should be examined daily as infections and illnesses can develop quickly. The eyes should be clean with no crust evident; ears should also be clean, along with any other part of the rabbit. Teeth should not be too long; teeth that are too long will not allow the rabbit to eat. However, it is not recommended that the keeper grind or clip a rabbit's teeth; seek a veterinarian's advice. If clipping is recommended, yet not an immediate threat to the rabbit's health, it is recommended that the keeper use a natural remedy, because once a rabbit's teeth are clipped, they will need to be clipped regularly. A rabbit's teeth can grow as long as five inches per year, but must be worn down to maintain a healthy bite. While teeth clipping is an option, it should be used as a last resort, unless the rabbit suffers malocclusion. If concerned about the length of a rabbit's teeth, introduce oat hay into the diet. Wooden chew toys are also recommended. However, a rabbit's whiskers are a major sensory organ and should never be clipped.

Safe handling of rabbits is taught by rabbit breeders and specialists. Never pick a rabbit up by its ears. When holding a rabbit, be sure all four feet are supported so that the rabbit does not kick; kicking too forcefully can break a rabbit's back. It is advisable to pick up a rabbit with a scooping motion, bringing it to rest on a forearm while allowing it to tuck its head into an elbow. Note that covering a rabbit's eyes creates a sensation of safety for the animal, because the darkness is reassuring, as there is nothing to see and frighten them.

In the United States, the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a valuable resource for both pet and commercial breeders. The ARBA recognizes 47 different breeds of domestic rabbits, the Trianta and the Mini Satin being the two most recently accepted breeds, accepted in 2006. In the United Kingdom, the British Rabbit Council provides valuable information.


Environmental problems

See also: Rabbits in Australia
Rabbits have been a source of environmental problems when introduced into the wild by humans. As a result of their appetites, and the rate at which they breed, wild rabbit depredation can be problematic for agriculture. Gassing, barriers (fences), shooting, snaring, and ferreting have been used to control rabbit populations, but the most effective measures are diseases such as myxomatosis (myxo or mixi, colloquially) and calicivirus. In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with a genetically modified virus. The virus was developed in Spain, and is beneficial to rabbit farmers. If it were to make its way into wild populations in areas such as Australia, it could create a population boom, as those diseases are the most serious threats to rabbit survival. Rabbits in Australia are considered to be such a pest that land owners are legally obliged to control them.


Classifications

Rabbits and hares were formerly classified in the order Rodentia (rodent) until 1912, when they were moved into a new order Lagomorpha. This order also includes pikas.

Order Lagomorpha

Family Leporidae
Genus Pentalagus
Amami Rabbit/Ryūkyū Rabbit, Pentalagus furnessi
Genus Bunolagus
Bushman Rabbit, Bunolagus monticularis
Genus Nesolagus
Sumatra Short-Eared Rabbit, Nesolagus netscheri
Annamite Rabbit, Nesolagus timminsi
Genus Romerolagus
Volcano Rabbit, Romerolagus diazi
Genus Brachylagus
Pygmy Rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis
Genus Sylvilagus
Forest Rabbit, Sylvilagus brasiliensis
Dice's Cottontail, Sylvilagus dicei
Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus bachmani
San Jose Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus mansuetus
A French lop rabbitSwamp Rabbit, Sylvilagus aquaticus
Marsh Rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris
Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus
New England Cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis
Mountain Cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii
Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii
Omilteme Cottontail, Sylvilagus insonus
Mexican Cottontail, Sylvilagus cunicularis
Tres Marias Rabbit, Sylvilagus graysoni
Genus Oryctolagus
European Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus
Genus Poelagus
Central African Rabbit, Poelagus marjorita
Three other genera in family, regarded as hares, not rabbits

Naming

Rabbits are often known affectionately by the pet name bunny or bunny rabbit, especially when referring to young, domesticated rabbits. Originally, the word for an adult rabbit was coney or cony, while rabbit referred to the young animals. Coney was abandoned as a term for the animal after it was co-opted in the eighteenth century as a synonym for the word cunt, widely considered vulgar. [2]. More recently, the term kit or kitten has been used to refer to a young rabbit. Young hares are called leverets, and this term is sometimes informally applied to any young rabbit. Male rabbits are called bucks and females does.


Rabbits in culture and literature

Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth, and have long been associated with spring and Easter as the Easter Bunny. The species' role as a prey animal also lends itself as a symbol of innocence, another Easter connotation. Additionally, rabbits are often used as symbols of playful sexuality, which also relates to the human perception of innocence, as well as its reputation as a prolific breeder.

Further information: Playboy Bunny

Folklore and mythology

The rabbit often appears in folklore as the trickster archetype, as he uses his cunning to outwit his enemies.

In Chinese literature, rabbits accompany Chang'e on the Moon. Also associated with the Chinese New Year (or Lunar

Rated as OPINION  |  Add Comment  |  Report This

yeah you sure can. Wouldn't you eat the little critter ?

Comments

Barbobot
commented 2 years 2 months ago

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I think the only 'little critter' here is your brain. And no, it probably tastes as bad as it functions.

anonymous
commented 8 months ago

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Thanks barbobot - I did strive to take that status, I found we all can relate on some level. - Oz. Also known as Miss Understanding... Sushi Den Master, key, d-oz and anonymous. Might be another in there... And the apart of the minority of people that think we all can live in peace, until I step on my foot and remind myself I did it on purpose.