Rabbit Body Langugage

Rabbit body language is fascinating because it tells us so much about what our companions are thinking and feeling (spoiler - I find it so fascinating I wrote a book on it!). We can use it to tell us when our rabbits are happy, sad, excited or afraid and that in turn helps us to build better relationships.

So what is body language? Body language includes all sorts of non verbal ways to communicate: things like facial expressions, hand movements, posture (how you sit or stand), and gait (how you walk or run). People use body language constantly - we smile when we're happy, wave to acknowledge seeing a friend or drop our heads when we're feeling down. We often don't think about consciously reading or using body language with people as we've grown up communicating that way. Rabbit's use body language too; but rabbit body language is more subtle than humans and has different signals - rabbits have much more mobile ears for a start - but once you know the cues with practice you can learn to interpret it just the same as you do when interacting with your human friends.

Rabbit Ears

One of the easiest parts of rabbit body language to interpret are their ear movements. They are a very visible sign of how your rabbit is feeling at any particular moment. A slight change in ear direction can signal the difference between a curious rabbit and one ready to attack.

The 'neutral' position for rabbit ears is approximately 45 degrees to the body this signals a relaxed rabbit with no particular strong feelings. A very relaxed or sleeping rabbit will relax their ears all the way back so they rest on their shoulders.

On the other hand, bolt upright ears show a rabbit is alert and actively listening to its surroundings, this movement is also functional they are using their excellent hearing to identify and pinpoint the location of what has caused the alert. You may have seen your rabbit may briefly raise one ear to an upright position when resting to investigate movement or a noise. If they decide it's nothing to worry about the ear will go back down, or if they decide it needs more consideration the other ear may go up and they may get up and change position.

A rabbit that is curious and actively investigating, perhaps examining new toy you've provided, will direct its ears forward towards the source of their curiosity. Where as, an aggressive or nervous rabbit will fold their ears flat and point them back over their shoulders, but they are tense and not relaxed so don't touch the body.

Lop Ears

Unlike wild rabbits, not all pet rabbits have upright ears. Selective breeding has created several lop eared breeds with ears that hang down the sides of their head. It is also common to see crossbreeds whose ears fall somewhere in between. The amount of control lop-eared breeds have over their ears varies greatly and it is more difficult to interpret the signals as any movement is often much more subtle.

In general, a natural relaxed position for a lop-eared rabbits is with their ears close to their head and pointing straight down. When curious or alert, a lop rabbit will rotate one or both ears outwards (so the inside of the earflap can be seen from the front) and may lift them or tilt their head to one side to help with listening for sounds. A nervous or aggressive lop-eared rabbit may struggle to point their ears backwards in the same when a rabbit with upright ears would and may only manage to lift them, they also can't fold them.

If you have a lop eared rabbit, you'll need to learn your individual rabbit's signals by observing other body language clues and considering the context.

Putting It All Together

Whilst rabbits' ears are handy flags signalling their feelings, we can also look at rabbit's posture, the way they are holding themselves, and the way they move. And finally, to get the full picture you need to look at all these signals in the context they are used in - what is going on around your rabbit at the time. For example, your rabbit may have a very relaxed body posture just laying around chilling, and then hear a noise and raise an ear to an alert position as they momentarily wonder what is going on. Just considering their sitting position or just considering the ears wouldn't give us the full picture.

Relaxed Body Language

Relaxed rabbits have a lose relaxed posture, they hop around contentedly without any urgency and their ears rest backwards about 45 degrees from their body. Rabbits rest in a variety of positions from sitting in position on all four feet to stretched out with their legs kicked out to the side and completely floppy, with their ears resting wherever they naturally fall. Rabbits are more likely to lay down in a completely relaxed position that is slow to get up from if they feel safe and comfortable in their home.

Alert Body Language

When a rabbit is alert their whole body posture changes, they will be still like a statue listening carefully and they may even stand on their back legs to improve their view. They are upright and tense ready to flee if necessary. Although we keep our pets safe, rabbits have the instincts of wild rabbit so they process information in their environment constantly and are very alert to strange sounds or movement. Pet rabbits also use the same skills to monitor for things they look forward to like the sound of a treat jar opening. Their ears point straight upwards, and may swivel back and forth to figure out the direction of a sound, and their nose twitches rapidly to gather scent information.

Curious Body Language

A curious rabbit checking out changes to their home will direct its ears and body forward, toward the object or sound it is investigating. They'll often stretch out towards what they are investigating, and their whiskers and nose will be working to gain more information about the situation. When they move they go slowly and cautiously and may creep on tip toes rather than hopping, particularly if they are a little unsure.

Aggressive Body Language

A aggressive rabbit, ready to attack will try to make themselves appear bigger by raising their body, chin and tail. This will move forward for the attack in quick dashes, often making growling noises and may scratch with their claws. Their ears are folded and pointed back over their shoulders to keep them out the way in a fight, but they may flick forward sometimes to access what they are attacking.

Nervous Body Language

A nervous rabbit may cower and refuse to move, they may turn or lean away from the threat and crouch to make themselves smaller and harder to spot. Their ears are folded and pointed back over their shoulders and they may freeze, bolt for cover or even turn aggressive if cornered. Nervous rabbits need a safe enclosed space to feel relaxed.

If you found this introduction to rabbit body language interesting then I think you'll enjoy my book Understanding Your Rabbit's Habits - An Illustrated Guide to Rabbit Behaviour . It's packed with tips on interpreting body language and decoding behaviour to help you better understand your rabbit.

Did this article help you understand your rabbit's behaviour? If so, you might like to try my book: Understanding Your Rabbit's Habits