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Rabbits are a small mammal mentioned in the How to Train Your Dragon Book series.
Description[]
Rabbits (Family Leporidae) are an herbivorous mammals that have both domestic and wild species. There is at least one species naturally occurring somewhere on every continent other than Antarctica and Australia. Rabbits have very large muscular hindlimbs to propel themselves forward rapidly to avoid predators. They also have very long and large ear pinna relative to their heads, presumably to amply the sound of potential threats.
Due to the high volume of fibrous plant material which makes up almost exclusively their diet, rabbits essentially need to process their food twice. The rabbit eats plants, digests it then excretes it into dark soft pellets to eat and digest again. This increases the amount of energy and nutrients the rabbit can derive. These pellets of partially digested material is separate from fecal pellets.
Function[]
In the Book series, rabbits are used for a negative comparison to other creatures, typically dragons, and specifically Toothless. They are also eaten by smaller-sized dragons.
In reality, rabbits are raised and hunted primarily as a food source. They may also be raise and hunted for fur as well. Rabbits as pets have become increasingly popular in modern times.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
Rabbits and also bunnies - juvenile rabbits - are mentioned when describing Toothless' very small and weak physical frame.
“ | What is it Hiccup? A brown bunny rabbit with wings? A flower fairy? A fluffy flying frog? | ” |
— Snotlout |
“ | That's not a dragon ... that's an ickle newborn bunny wabbit with a pathetic poo problem. | ” |
— Fireworm, spoken in Dragonese |
“ | S-s-said I was a newt with wings. S-s-said I was an incontinent bunny r-r-rabbit. T-t-toothless going to k-k-kill her. Toothless going to s-s-scratch her to death. T-t-toothless going to - | ” |
— Toothless |
Later Toothless turns the negative comparison around back onto Fireworm:
“ | And Y-Y-YOU ... are a r-r-rabbit-hearted, seaweed-brained, winkle-eating SNOB. | ” |
— Book 1 |
Toothless is also seen hunting live rabbits.
“ | He dropped a few fish and, at one point, wandered off entirely to chase rabbits on the clifftops | ” |
— Book 1 |
And again rabbits are mentioned as prey animals:
“ | If you had been a rabbit or a deer you would not have noticed them until you felt the talons on your back and the hot fire on your neck. | ” |
— About Dragons hiding in the bracken |
Toothless also feigns disinterest during the ordeal with the Green Death, going off and "terrorizing birds and rabbits".
How to Be a Pirate[]
Hiccup and Fishlegs dig up three rabbits, a Turnip, and an old spoon, while out on Berk practicing Toothless' treasure-sniffing. He did not do so well.
Rabbits are mentioned again when the Hooligan Tribe arrives at the Isle of the Skullions to search for lost treasure. Rather, the island is noted not to have any rabbits or other "scuttly creatures running around the hillsides." This is due to the predatory dragons located on the island having eaten everything.
How to Speak Dragonese[]
Hiccup and Fishlegs run across a Roman Ship to escape back to their small boat, The Hopeful Puffin, "Hearts racing as fast as rabbits".
Later, Hiccup tells Camicazi that Toothless loves eating rabbits, yet is so scared of small spaces that "he can't even go down rabbit holes ... he stays at the entrance shrieking his head off".
Hiccup also reminisces about dragon-watching at the Wild Dragon Cliffs while in the Roman Prison, with Toothless sitting atop his head. During the outings to dragon-watch, Toothless would be "watching out for careless rabbits or small mice that he could catch."
Big-Boobied Bertha insults the Hairy Hooligans when she thinks they have kidnapped her daughter and then ran away from a fight.
“ | YOU WERE RUNNING AWAY BECAUSE HOOLIGANS ARE THE YELLOWEST BABY RABBITS IN THE INNER ISLES! | ” |
— Book 3 |
How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse[]
Rabbit dropping are mentioned in Book 4 as a possible cure for illness that Old Wrinkly might give you.
“ | If you were ill, you would go to Old Wrinkly and he would examine you, consult the gods, and then give you some perfectly disgusting medicine like rabbits' droppings in limpet goo that might or might not make you better. | ” |
— Book 4 |
How to Train Your Hogfly[]
Hellsbells confuses an apple for a rabbit.
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