The rabbit

Abstract

The laboratory rabbit is one of the most widely used and yet least behaviorally understood species in biomedical research. The rabbit is a prey species with a strong aversion to predators and a naturally cautious temperament which can often make it difficult to determine and quantify pain behaviors in captive rabbit populations, as they are innately driven to mask painful behaviors which may mark them as targets for predation. European rabbits are a naturally gregarious and social species, living in warrens consisting of complicated social hierarchies made up of a dominant male living with multiple females and subordinate males. Gentle handling methods are of particular importance when dealing with rabbits, who can be skittish while being handled. The human-animal bond is slightly more difficult to establish in rabbits than with some other highly social laboratory species such as dogs and pigs due to the prey species status.