How to Identify the Parts of a Rabbit

Rabbits can be kept as pets or bred for meat. Either way, identifying and understanding the parts of a rabbit is an important step toward becoming familiar with the animal. Proper identification of rabbit parts allows pet owners or rabbit breeders to understand the animal's mechanisms in order to provide better care. Each rabbit part belongs to three main areas of the body: the frontal section, trunk and rear portion.

Things You'll Need

  • Rabbit
  • Photo or diagram
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Instructions

    • 1
      The rabbit's frontal section contains its head.

      Locate the frontal section. The frontal section of the rabbit is the part of the body containing the head. To identify the parts of a rabbit, begin with its largest extremity: the ears. Set slightly back from the skull's crown, rabbit ears may extend upward, lie flat or droop downward. The rabbit's small mouth is located beneath a sensitive nose. This structure also contains fleshy cheeks and two eyes, set along the sides of the head. A rabbit's wide neck connects its head to the rest of the body.

    • 2

      Locate the trunk. The rabbit's trunk connects its frontal section to the rear portion. The trunk is known as the rabbit's forequarters, and houses most of its 13 ribs. A rabbit's small, downy chest can be located on the trunk area of the body, just below a fleshy dewlap protruding near the neck. Rabbit's toes may be obscured by fur, but they protrude from the rabbit's foot and help stabilize the animal's movements. The rabbit's trunk contains two forelimbs, anchored by two hocks, or heels, and is connected to the rest of the body by two powerful shoulders. Rabbit heels tend to be smaller and more delicate than its wider toe pads. The rabbit's trunk also contains its lean flanks and belly.

    • 3

      Locate the rear portion. The rear portion of the rabbit's body contains its hindquarters and tail. The rabbit's rear portion, called the hindquarters, contains two legs, feet and toes as described above. The rabbit's loin can be identified along its back, near the spine. A rabbit's two powerful hips, short tail and rump are located in the hindquarters.