While the recent high rainfall might be dampening our spirits, it seems the El Niños weather pattern is a boon for bunnies.
Recent research has proved for the first time how animals react to climate change – and over the last 1,000 years, during periods when El Ninos patterns were prevalent, research has shown that wild rabbit and hare numbers have soared.
The study, conducted by the University of Utah, which looked at more than 3,000 tiny bones from ancient rabbit populations, suggests that higher rainfall increased the availability of lush vegetation and this then had a knock on effect on the rest of the food chain.
Did you know?
- Rabbit ears can grow up to 10cm long, and while this obviously helps them hear predators approaching; their long ears also act as air conditioners! A rabbit’s ear contains a large network of blood vessels, which help keep them cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. They can also be rotated almost full circle.
- To express happiness, rabbits will ‘binky’ i.e. jump in the air and flick their heads and feet. In fact, rabbits can jump as much as 1m high and 3m along the ground (especially if they see a Burgess bag of salad snacks nearby!)
- Their white fluffy tails might be cute but they have a serious purpose – when rapidly moved in flight, they act as a confusing distraction to predators.
- Like to learn rabbit language? Though they appear to be quiet, rabbits are in fact capable of making all sorts of noises including growling, chattering and honking!
- Wild rabbits can be found in all sorts of habitats across the world from woods to meadows and deserts to wetlands. Their warrens can be as much as 3m under the ground.
- To avoid predators, a wild cottontail rabbit from North America will run in a zigzag pattern, at up to 18 miles an hour.