Rabbits have come a long way since the Romans introduced them to Britain and kept them for food. A sad story, but now they make great pets and can most certainly become your best friend.

Rabbits are not rodents. They belong to a group of animals called lagomorphs, which are mammals.

There are over forty breeds, which may have long or short hair, and lop or upright ears.

In the wild, rabbits live in underground tunnels, called warrens, which they dig using their sharp claws and strong back legs.

Other animals, like foxes, try to eat rabbits so rabbits thump their back legs to warn other rabbits in the area of the danger.

They also use their back legs to hop or gallop, and stand on them to get a better view of the surrounding area.

To help rabbits spot dangers, they have very good eyesight. They also have big ears, which can pick up the faintest sounds of a predator approaching.

If you are thinking about getting a rabbit as a pet, then you must talk to your family about it.

You should also find out about the different breeds of rabbit and choose one that suits you.

In the wild, they live in groups of ten to fifteen, so you need to give a pet rabbit lots of attention.

A male rabbit is called a buck and a female rabbit is called a doe.

Two bucks in a hutch will fight and two does will also fight. A buck and a doe will also fight or they will make lots of babies.

If you want to keep two rabbits then it is best to get them at the same time when they are young.

It would be a good idea to ask your vet about an operation they can perform to stop rabbits from having babies. This operation can also help two rabbits get along better and will prevent any unwanted rabbits.

A rabbit will need a hutch big enough to move around and to stand upright in. It needs to be off the ground away from damp and it needs a dark area to sleep in and a light area to live in.

The bottom of the hutch should be covered in newspaper and a layer of bedding. Remove the wet litter and droppings daily and clean the floor once a week.

You could put a litter tray in the hutch as rabbits can be trained to use a litter tray. The bottom of the hutch will still need cleaning but it will be more comfortable for your rabbit.

Rabbits need lots of exercise, so you need a big run in your garden. A run is made up of wire netting so the rabbit can run around on the grass but it cannot escape and cannot get hurt by other animals.

Once your rabbit is in the run, you will need to watch it in case it starts burrowing and escapes.

If you let your rabbit loose indoors then watch what the rabbit is doing as it could cause lots of damage.

There are two vaccinations available for your rabbit to protect him against two serious diseases that can cause death.

Other problems your vet can help with are overgrown nails and claws.

You should also look out for signs of illness that include not eating or drinking, cold ears, fast breathing, sneezing, diarrhoea, runny eyes and weight loss. Look after your rabbit and he or she will be one happy bunny!

There are around two million pet rabbits in the UK.

A group of rabbits is called a herd.

Pet rabbits live for five to ten years on average.

Polish and Netherland dwarves are the smallest breeds.

The largest rabbit breed is the Flemish giant.

Rabbits have a good sense of smell, which is why they twitch their noses so much.