Alpha Bunny

      The term 'alpha' is thrown around often within the bunny community but it can be an ambiguous term. What does it mean? Alpha refers to the top position within an animal group that shares living space and resources. Any pact or colony of animals whether domestic or wild, from mammals to birds, fish, and even insects have ranking positions. The top rank is called Alpha and is defined by that beings status, having the best and first access to resources including food, territory, water, look-out and hiding points, protection, mating, etc. Subsuming below the top rank of alpha is beta. There is typically only one alpha whereas many can be betas. Position is closely linked to roles and responsibilities. Within rabbit colonies, roles include those that watch for predators and warn others of danger, those that search out foods, those that mate, birth, and raise the young, those that dig burrows and maintain the tunnels, those that teach adolescents, and those that challenge for alpha status. With complex protected underground and above ground burrows, each rabbit must perform their tasks daily to keep the burrow safe and optimally functional. 
      How does ranking order transfer to house rabbits?  People can observe the alpha bunny by their behavior. The top bun usually sets the tone of activities and what activities are to be done. They are the first one to decide the litterbox which is a high value item, belongs to them. They determine grooming rituals, who eats first, who receives attention from both humans and the other bunny first, who offers protection, which one explores new territory and makes determinations as to safety, who yields the right of way, and who ultimately submits to the other. The beta buns submit on almost every turn, excluding tiffs where they offer differing opinions or challenge roles. There can be role changes, negotiating, give and takes in any bunny relationship. 
​        Watching bunnies emerge in their roles is fascinating. During bonding, roles are blurred until the bond is solidified.