Almost all animals have tails (except for humans and apes). Their tails have evolved to serve specific functions to help animals survive and function at their best. Rabbits are no exception.
Their cotton-like fluff is eye-catching and is a big part of a rabbit’s appearance. However, it’s more than just cute: it’s also functional!
Rabbits evolved to have tails to help them communicate with other rabbits, to help them escape predators, and allow them to maintain balance as they move.
In domestic rabbits, their tails can help their owner to understand how they’re feeling and what they need through body language.
Wild rabbits use their tail to signal to other rabbits in their colony that there’s danger approaching by flicking their tail up. This allows the other rabbits to freeze, hide, or run back to the warren for safety.
Rabbits will warn others of danger, even if it puts them in harm’s way.This is also known as altruistic behavior!
A rabbit's tail moves in the opposite direction as they turn to balance out their weight and ensure they can move quickly and smoothly.
Rabbits use the white of their tails to confuse predators as they run away. This helps them to escape.
Most rabbits have white tails, especially on the underside of the tail.Due to the way domestic rabbits have been bred, they may not have a white tail.
We only see the very end of a rabbit’s tail, so to us, it looks like a little round pom-pom. However, there’s actually a lot more to the tail. The tail is rounded at the end and longer when it’s stretched out.
A rabbit’s tail length can vary depending on their breed, but they tend to be between 4 and 8 cm long.
Most of the time they keep their tail in its natural position, which is tucked into their body. This gives that classic round ‘pom-pom’ appearance.
The tail tends to be tucked in because it evolved that way to keep them safe. A shorter tail means they can get back into the warren quickly and ‘disappear’ after running away from a predator.
Tucking in their tail also ensures a predator doesn’t have anything to grab onto and keeps it safe from accidental harm, as it’s quite fragile when stretched out.
Your rabbit’s tail is made of a small bone connected to their spine, as well as flesh and fluff. It contains some small muscles and nerves to help it move.
The tail is fairly delicate and fragile, so it’s important to be careful when handling it.
Regular health checkingCleaning when neededRegular brushingCareful handling
Although rabbits’ tails are very fluffy and cute, they’re actually really important. They help rabbits to stay safe, protect themselves, and even communicate with us.