Binkies...

[pocketsizedrhino]

It is adorable seeing my bunny binky around the room with glee.
I was just wondering...have there ever been any neurological studies on rabbits to explain what is happening in their brains when they do it? Is it like a nerve tick.. a spike in adrenaline.. or just silliness?
Just curious if anyone had any information!

 

[mardigraskisses]

I've always wondered about that too. :?

:bump

 

[kherrmann3]

I always thought it was because rabbits are "special". :hyper: j/k

 

[hartleybun]

talked about this to my very bun savvy vet once. he thought that it was more keeping in training defence wise - just in case they have to escape a predator. he has a point with my hartleybun - nothing but binkies when it's time to go in a night and im trying to chivvy him along:rollseyes no such probs with doe roxy tho'

that said, hartleybun does binky around the garden first thing in the morning especially if there's dew on the grass:?

 

[pocketsizedrhino]

Hmm that makes sense.. Our rabbits are like ninjas, constantly in training!
Kirby also starts running and hopping around like mad when she realizes I'm about to put her back in her pen at night.
That is odd about the dew though! I wonder what could explain that? Maybe it just feels good splashing around.

 

[kherrmann3]

Maybe it's just an explosion of joy. I thought bunnies did binkies because they were happy.

 

[DazyDaizee]

I think it's just an expression of happiness. I say this because guinea pigs do a similar thing "popcorning" when they're happy, Patagonian cavies do what looks like a rabbit binky when they're happy.. ferrets do the weasel "war dance" dogs play bow and romp around, and have similar behaviors to "bunny 500s", rats do a similar type behavior when they're excited, I've seen some hooved animals, including horses do similar behaviors.. it seems that most species have some form of this "happy dance", and most commonly younger animals do it more often.. just like in humans, where kids tend to run around and shriek with joy more than adults..

 

[pocketsizedrhino]

Hm, that is a good point Daizee. My rats 'popcorn' around when I let them out to play. It is very funny to watch with their little stumpy legs..
It would be really interested to see a study measuring the serotonin levels in their brains when binkying and when not.

 

[hartleybun]

pocketsizedrhino wrote:

Hmm that makes sense.. Our rabbits are like ninjas, constantly in training!
Kirby also starts running and hopping around like mad when she realizes I'm about to put her back in her pen at night.
That is odd about the dew though! I wonder what could explain that? Maybe it just feels good splashing around.

:roflmao:im glad im not the only one struggling to get my buns in at night! good point in one reply about serotonin levels. it would definitely be interesting to see these from a binky bun

mine are meditating at the moment - too hot and humid to do anything else:coolness:

 

[jfreight]

Since I'm such a new rabbit owner, I'd never heard the expression "binky" before. I've read about the happy dance before, though. Our bunny definitely "popcorns" about. It is awesome to watch her standing perfectly still, and then all of a sudden she is up about 2 feet in air. She will run and spin mid air ... very amusing to watch.
Talking about getting rabbits back in the cage at night, I got the best tip on this site about that ... I just take out her serving of fresh greens for the night and put it in her cage, she can't run fast enough back into her cage to get it. She knows when I go into the refrigerator to get it and that's her cue to go back into her cage. It works every time.

 

[hartleybun]

jfreight wrote:

.
Talking about getting rabbits back in the cage at night, I got the best tip on this site about that ... I just take out her serving of fresh greens for the night and put it in her cage, she can't run fast enough back into her cage to get it. She knows when I go into the refrigerator to get it and that's her cue to go back into her cage. It works every time.

a reply from the paws of roxyand hartleybun :- dont fall for that no more:biggrin2:

 

[jfreight]

lol, it still works for me, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it keeps on working!