rabbitlike

Rabbitlike is an adjective used to describe an appearance or behavior resembling that of a rabbit, a member of the Leporidae family within the order Lagomorpha. The term is descriptive rather than technical, and it can apply to living species, fossils, or fictional beings that share recognizable rabbit features.

Common rabbitlike traits include long ears, a rounded face, large eyes, and a compact body with a strong set of hind limbs specialized for rapid hopping (saltation). Rabbitlike dentition is adapted for herbivory, with incisors designed for gnawing and high-crowned cheek teeth for grinding vegetation. A short, white, fluffy tail—often called a cotton tail—is another characteristic popularly associated with rabbitlike animals.

Rabbitlike appearance is used across contexts, from taxonomic descriptions of lagomorph relatives and extinct forms to character design in children's literature and animation. In taxonomy, the term helps compare general morphology but does not substitute for precise classification, since many features are shared with other small, herbivorous mammals such as some rodents or pika-like relatives.

See also Lagomorpha; Leporidae; hare; rabbit.