Rabbit Charts For Mammal Anatomy

Quick Answer: Rabbit Charts are zoology wall charts that use the rabbit as the standard mammal type study, with labelled diagrams of its external features, skull and teeth, digestive, circulatory and other organ systems, and skeleton. They are used in senior secondary and college zoology.

The Rabbit as a Model Mammal

Every mammalian feature a zoology syllabus asks for can be pointed out on rabbit charts: fur, external ear flaps (pinnae), whiskers (vibrissae), mammary glands, a muscular diaphragm separating the chest from the abdomen, and a four-chambered heart with complete double circulation. The European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, is the usual species drawn.

Its teeth and gut show adaptation to a plant diet. The skull diagram shows chisel-like incisors that grow throughout life, a second small pair of upper incisors behind the first, no canines and a gap called the diastema, giving the dental formula i 2/1, c 0/0, pm 3/2, m 3/3, or 28 teeth. The digestive system sheet shows a very large caecum ending in an appendix, where bacteria help break down cellulose.

Other sheets usually cover the urinogenital system, the brain and the skeleton, with the pectoral and pelvic girdles drawn for comparison with the frog.

Applications

Mammal type study without dissection
Comparing vertebrate classes: fish, amphibian, bird and mammal
Dentition and herbivore adaptation lessons
Practical examination diagrams of the skull and skeleton

Specifications

Organism	Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Typical diagrams	External features, skull and dentition, digestive, circulatory, urinogenital and nervous systems, skeleton
Level	Senior secondary and college zoology
Use	Mammal type study, comparative anatomy
Charts in the set and print format	Confirm at enquiry

Care & Handling

Display the rabbit skull and teeth sheet next to any skull or skeleton specimens in the zoology museum, so students can match drawing to bone.
Hang the organ-system sheets in the order they appear in the syllabus.
Keep the sheets flat between card in a drawer so the fine labels on the skull diagram are not creased.

Why Choose LabEquip

Zoology departments usually order rabbit charts after the Frog Charts to complete the vertebrate type studies, and some add skeletons from the anatomy models range. Orders go through the LabEquip contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the dental formula of a rabbit?

i 2/1, c 0/0, pm 3/2, m 3/3 on each side, giving 28 teeth in total. The upper jaw has two pairs of incisors, one small pair behind the other, a feature of rabbits and hares.

What is the diastema?

The gap between the incisors and the cheek teeth, where canines would be in other mammals. It gives the tongue and lips room to move food from the cutting incisors back to the grinding premolars and molars.

Why does a rabbit have such a large caecum?

Rabbits eat grass and leaves rich in cellulose, which mammals cannot digest with their own enzymes. Bacteria in the large caecum ferment the cellulose, and the rabbit gains extra nutrients by eating the soft droppings formed there, a habit called caecotrophy.

Why do a rabbit’s incisors keep growing?

They have open roots and grow throughout life, while gnawing wears them down at the same rate. The chisel edge stays sharp because the front of each incisor has harder enamel than the back.

Which features make the rabbit a mammal?

Hair or fur, mammary glands that feed the young on milk, external ear flaps, a diaphragm, a four-chambered heart and a constant body temperature. The young develop inside the mother and are born alive.

Why is the rabbit used as a type study?

It shows mammalian features clearly and was traditionally easy to obtain. Today most schools and colleges teach it from charts, models and videos rather than by dissection.

Last Updated: September 2026