Head bobbing?

[treasuresandstuff]

Ok this is a behavior I have seen in PEW mice and gerbils but never rabbits, but then I have never had a REW rabbit before, do all rew animals bob and weave their heads when in a resting position?

 

[Tweetiepy]

I have a red eyed bunny he's not all white - and he does this a lot (like a parrot) I think I read that it has to do with depth perception - something about the position of their eyes on the side of their head - they do this to judge distance - I've seen videos on Youtube with a breeder showing her bunnies and they would do this, I'm not sure if they were REW - I believe some were other colors.

 

[Amy27]

I posted once because my REW rabbit seemed, well a little slow. People respond that sometimes REW rabbits scan. Let me see if I can find the post, it has been over a year since I posted that so I don't really remember everything. Just that it was normal.

ETA: Here is the thread http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=42668&forum_id=1

 

[cheryl]

REW'S usually do bob their heads and sway their heads from side to side..this is called scanning..i can only go by my bunnies who are REW....Josie,Zak and Wally are albino bunnies but i don't notice them swaying their heads as much as my bunnies who have passed away three years ago..my Strawberry and Raspberry used to sway their heads a lot..and my rat Macey does it as well as she has the red eyes.

Strawberry was my first albino bunny and when she would move her head from side to side very slowlyi actually thought there was something wrong with her..but found out it was quite normal.

 

[treasuresandstuff]

Thanks everyone, I put her in a semi finished cage I am designing with NIC cubes it has a raised level for her to get out of the bedding to help reduce the risk of matting but I need to put a layer of smaller holed wire mesh over it as the holes in what I used are too big for her feet. She tends to stay on the solid floor like she is uncertain of the raised area. I usually find her in one corner doing the head thing. Its a little scary, but then I remembered that every red eyed gerbil I had ever had did this and that it was because their eye color changed their vision so they had to like you said "scan" to really see what was going on. Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

 

[Tweetiepy]

Wow this has been an eye opener (pardon the pun) - I have a red-eyed bunny but he has grey nose, paws & tail - so he's not all white (wondering if that qualifies as a REW) he does this too - my daughter calls this "the parrot" I know he can hear really well because he's in the basement and he can hear all the pipes draining as well as the stomping feet overhead (but he ignores us sometimes) - as for seeing, I think he can see since he runs for the door if we come by - maybe we are just shapes to him, cuz he runs for cover if I come downstairs with a towel wrapped around my head.

 

[lilbitsmom]

Hi there,

You just described a bunny that sounds like the breed called "Californian". I have a red eyed Californian named "Jeffrey" and he scans as well. Although he does this, I know he sees just fine becuase he nevers runs into anything and is the first one for eating time! hahahha

I have heard that it is a common behavior for the red eyed white bunnies to do this.

Laura

 

[treasuresandstuff]

Thanks Laura, I had done some reading and found that almost all REW animals do it. Something about their depth perception being altered is one theory behind it.

 

[Amy27]

treasuresandstuff wrote:

Thanks everyone, I put her in a semi finished cage I am designing with NIC cubes it has a raised level for her to get out of the bedding to help reduce the risk of matting but I need to put a layer of smaller holed wire mesh over it as the holes in what I used are too big for her feet. She tends to stay on the solid floor like she is uncertain of the raised area. I usually find her in one corner doing the head thing. Its a little scary, but then I remembered that every red eyed gerbil I had ever had did this and that it was because their eye color changed their vision so they had to like you said "scan" to really see what was going on. Thank you for putting my mind at ease.

I am not sure what you mean by raised level. My REW bunny has 3 levels in her NIC cage. She spends 90% of her caged time on the second level. I put a box on the first level and she jumps on top of the box and then onto the second level. Before I put the box there, she wouldn't get up on the second level. The third level is not even one NIC panel taller then the second level, but she rarely gets up on the third level and the second level isn't big enough for me to put a ramp or box to make her feel better about getting up on the third level.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I have all REWs (except two) and I've never noticed them scanning before...

Emily