Danger Signals

For rabbits, thumping the back foot is a natural reaction to any danger that they may have sensed through smell, sound or sight. At such times, a rabbit will stand on all four feet, sometimes in a tip-toe position, with its ears perked up, and then thump its back foot to warn the other rabbits in the warren—a network of interconnecting rabbit burrows—that there is danger. Some rabbits will thump just one foot, or thump both at the same time. Rabbits aren’t very vocal animals, so thumping is an important way of communicating with each other. They may remain in the thumping position until they are convinced that the danger is gone.