Male rabbits are called bucks; females are called does. An older term for an adult rabbit used until the 18th century is coney (derived ultimately from the Latin word cuniculus), while rabbit once referred only to the young animals. Another term for a young rabbit is bunny, though this term is often applied informally (particularly by children) to rabbits generally, especially domestic ones. More recently, the term kit or kitten has been used to refer to a young rabbit.
A group of rabbits is known as a colony or nest (or, occasionally, a warren, though this more commonly refers to where the rabbits live). A group of baby rabbits produced from a single mating is referred to as a litter and a group of domestic rabbits living together is sometimes called a herd.
The word rabbit itself derives from the Middle-English word rabet, a borrowing from the Walloon word robète, which was a diminutive of the French or Middle-Dutch word robbe.
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Rabbits
Non-FictionHave you ever been wondering about the difference between rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits? About skin types, tones, and colours? Find out in this book!
