As soon as the mother rabbit spotted a venomous snake preparing to attack her young, she charged in and attacked furiously.
Rabbits are small mammals classified in the family Leporidae, within the order Lagomorpha, and they inhabit various regions around the world. There are seven species of rabbits, including the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the cotton-tailed rabbit (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, a rare species found on Amami Oshima, Japan)…
Rabbits are quite familiar to humans, having been domesticated around 1,000 BC in Europe by the Phoenicians.
The European wild rabbit is the only rabbit species that has been domesticated. Rabbits serve as pets, food (rabbit meat), and also as pests in gardens.
Domestic rabbits live in underground burrows (except for cotton-tailed rabbits), while wild rabbits build nests on the ground and do not live in groups (including cotton-tailed rabbits). Additionally, wild rabbits are larger than domestic rabbits, with longer ears and fur that often features black spots.
Moreover, wild rabbits are much bolder than domestic rabbits; to protect their family, they will even confront some of the most dangerous predators in nature, as shown in the image below.
Mother rabbit chases the snake away from her young.
While the mother rabbit was distracted, a snake sneaked into the nest to prey on the baby rabbits.
Returning just in time to see the intruder preparing to devour her young, the mother rabbit lunged at the venomous snake, biting it repeatedly.
As she bit and kicked the snake, it panicked and dropped its prey. However, the mother rabbit continued to chase and attack until the snake retreated from her young.
According to David A. Steen, a snake species expert, the animal featured in the clip is a Black Rat Snake, the largest species of rat snake.
They typically measure between 1 and 1.8 meters in length, with the widest part of their body located near the tail, averaging about 5 cm in diameter.
When threatened, Black Rat Snakes will shake their tails to mimic rattlesnakes in order to scare off predators and are ready to strike (bite) if necessary. If in danger, Black Rat Snakes can release a scent similar to musk, which can deter predators.
While they can bite humans when stressed or threatened, their bites are not dangerous as they are non-venomous.
