Rabbit fear factor higher in the wild

Domesticating rabbits has changed the structure of their brains so that they process fear differently to wild ones, scientists have found.

Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden raised domestic and wild rabbits in similar conditions and used high-resolution MRI scanners to study their brains. The results showed that domestication has had a major effect on their behaviour.

The amygdala, the area that senses fear, is smaller in domestic rabbits and the part of the brain that controls the response to fear, the medial prefrontal cortex, is bigger.

The pet rabbits also had less white matter, which makes them slower to react.

In contrast to domestic rabbits, wild rabbits have a strong flight response because they are hunted by eagles, hawks, foxes and humans, and therefore must be alert and react quickly to survive in the wild.