Put simply, rabbits ears are big compared to their body size, so they can hear really well.
Bunnies have fantastic ears, they can swivel independently to capture sounds from specific directions. In the wild, rabbits rely on their hearing more than any other sense to detect predators and threats. Domesticated rabbits use their hearing to interact with you and navigate their world.
The structure of a bunny’s ear is very similar to ours. The only real difference is the outer part, where it acts as a catcher for sound waves, the funnels them inside into the middle ear. The sound waves vibrate the eardrum which is translated by the tiny, delicate bones between the middle and inner ear. Inside, the basilar membrane converts the vibrations into nerve signals, which are then translated into sound in the brain.
Hearing Frequency Range
A rabbit can detect sounds up to nearly 3km away, but only if they are bass tones.
Bunnies can pick up sounds in the ultrasonic range. They can hear as low as 96Hz and as high as 49,000Hz. Which means they can hear better than dogs.
| Animal | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Elephant | 16 – 12,000Hz |
| Goldfish | 20 – 3,000Hz |
| Humans | 20 – 20,000Hz |
| Cows | 23 – 35,000Hz |
| Cats | 45 – 64,000Hz |
| Horse | 55 – 33,500Hz |
| Dogs | 67 – 45,000Hz |
| Rabbits | 96 – 49,000Hz |
| Sheep | 100 – 30,000Hz |
| Chicken | 125 – 2,000Hz |
Rabbits are sensitive to higher frequencies and can hear a wide range of sounds. Rabbits can hear extremely clearly between the range of 1,000-16,00Hz, but outside that range sounds are less clear.
Bunnies can hear in the ultrasonic range, that means they can also vocalise in the ultrasonic range. Bunnies whistle in ultrasonic, they communicate, just like a bird, by whistling. Humans, can’t hear it.
Warning: Be ware that if you can hear your bunny whistling, your bunny has a breathing problem and it should go to the vet.
Rabbits Love Listening to Music
It doesn’t really matter what type of music you like, your bunny will become used to it and enjoy it as much as you.
Rabbits find classical music calming. They also like cello, piano and music box music. It doesn’t really matter what type of music you like, your bunny will become used to it and enjoy it as much as you.
Don’t play music too loud. Don’t play music through an amplifier, or rehearse in front of your bunny. It can scare them to death.
Loud music can give your bunny a heart attack. Don’t play music with short sharp shocks, switching from a smooth crooner’s voice to screeching violin will shock your rabbit.
Testing different music genres
If you’re not sure how your bunny will react to music, start with a low volume crooner, like Frank Sinatra, because bunnies like that sort of music and will fall asleep with it playing. It’s due to the slow, steady rhythm and soothing vocals.
If you test different genres of music, you will see how your bunny reacts, and you’ll soon figure out which ones it likes the most.
Your rabbit may not like the same music as you do. It’s a good idea to test different genres.
How music helps
Music helps bunnies from feeling lonely and isolated. If you have to leave for a long time, for work etc, leave the radio on, and that way your bunny will feel like it is not alone.
Bunnies memorise the sequence of notes in a song, they can tell the difference between A and D notes.
Rabbits listen to the beat of the music, counting the repetition of the notes.
Not all bunnies like heavy metal; but some bunnies do. The music may startle your bunny and make it scared.
Classical music has been found to have a calming effect on rabbits. It has a soothing effect on their heart rate, and relaxes their muscles. It is a powerful stress-buster for rabbits. Bunnies who like music will continue doing their activities, but their ears will be twitching, taking the music in. When it is absorbing the music, the rabbit will stop moving, most of the time in a loaf position, and drift off to sleep.
Deaf Bunnies
Bunnies can be born deaf or go deaf over time. You need to make sure that you know if your bunny is deaf or not. If they don’t react to your voice, or you notice they copy other rabbits behaviours when they respond to a sound, you need to take action.
You can perform sound tests by playing different audio at different frequencies. If your bunny responds, it’s not deaf.
Some deaf bunnies show aggression and anxiety if they slowly go deaf later on in life. It is a stressful change in its life.
If bunnies are deaf, they use their other senses to compensate. Most of the time you won’t even be able to tell if your bunny is deaf or not, they can hide it really well.