Do Bunnies Blink

Do Bunnies Blink?

Did that rabbit just wink at me?  Do bunnies blink their eyes?

Yes, rabbits do blink.  They have a lower eyelid and an upper eyelid for each eye.  As they blink, the lower eyelid moves up and the upper eyelid moves down to meet together.

Rabbits also have a third eyelid, a thin membrane covering their cornea.  It is called a nictitating membrane and it is transparent.  This membrane keeps the rabbit’s eyes moist.  Additionally, the membrane helps protect the eyes by keeping dirt out. Because of this lubricating eyelid, the rabbit does not need to blink as much as we do!

On average, rabbits blink once every 5 or 6 minutes; that’s 10 to 12 times in an hour.  We humans blink about 12 times per minute, more if it is dusty or windy, and less if we are inside and concentrating on something.  We must blink often to cleanse and moisten our eyes, because we don’t have a transparent eyelid like rabbits. If your rabbit is blinking more frequently, then it likely has an irritated eye.  

Rabbits rely heavily on their hearing to detect predators and other threats to their safety. 

Rabbits have a well developed oculomotor system that allows them to blink one eye at a time; they can blink their eyes independently. 

Do rabbits blink and have eyelids

Do Rabbits Sleep With Their Eyes Open?

Yes, rabbits often sleep with their eyes open.  As prey animals, rabbits have evolved to (mostly) sleep with their eyes open.  This allows them to be more alert and ready to flee when their senses are triggered by an approaching predator or a risk in their environment. 

Bunnies sleep with their eyes open, blinking only their nictitating membranes, or clear third eyelids, to keep their eyes moist. Their nictitating membrane keeps their eyes moist and free from dust.  Again, we want to emphasize that the rabbit’s nictitating membrane, or eyelid, is clear, transparent, see through – so we humans do not see it. 

Do bunnies blink their eyes

Do Rabbits Sleep With Their Eyes Open?

Yes, bunnies do sleep.  Rabbits often sleep with their eyes open.  Sometimes they sleep laying down and other times they sleep sitting on their haunches.  Rabbit’s are prey animals and have evolved to sleep very lightly, often with their eyes open, and often in a position that allows them to immediately spring into a sprint to avoid a predator. 

The average human blinks once about every 5 seconds, that’s an average of about 12 times per minute.  We blink more if there is dust blowing in the wind and we may blink less frequently if we are focused on a task.

Yes, bunnies blink their eyes.  Just like every other mammal, bunnies blink their eyes.  Rabbits blink their eyes with a transparent nictitating membrane to keep their eyes lubricated and to protect against dust and dirt.  It is very hard for us to see this transparent nictitating membrane.

Do Rabbits Have Eyelids?

Yes, rabbits have eyelids. Rabbits have 3 eyelids.  They have an upper eyelid and a lower eyelid.  The upper and lower eyelids come together to close over the eye, very similar to our human upper and lower eyelids.  Rabbits also have a third transparent eyelid called a nictitating eyelid. The primary purpose of this third eyelid is to float across the eye’s surface to lubricate it and to protect the rabbit’s cornea from water, wind, sand, and other elements.

Humans and other mammals lubricate their eyes by blinking. thanks to the third eyelid that keeps their eyes lubricated, rabbits don’t have to blink as often as humans. 

Yes, rabbits blink their eyes on average once every five or six minutes.  

How Do Rabbits See – For more on rabbit vision, you may read this post:
Rabbit Vision – How Do Rabbits See

As we’ve discussed: Yes, bunnies do blink their eyes. 

The average rabbit blinks only once every 5 or 6 minutes.  Yes, that’s right, they don’t blink as often as humans because they have a third, transparent eyelid called a nictitating membrane.  The nictitating membranes keep the rabbit’s eyes moist and protected from dust. 

If your rabbit’s eye looks crusty or inflamed, or is closed and not opening, then your rabbit has a medical problem and you should consult your rabbit savvy veterinarian right away. 

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