Weird bunnie birth.

[stengelc]

My rabbit had 5 babys six or so weeks ago. Today she gave birth to 1 dead baby. It was twice as long as normal newborns. Probleam is she hasnt been near any male bunnies. How is this possible????????????

 

[Bunnylady]

Rabbits have some weird things in their reproductive bag of tricks. That large, single baby could have been one that was retained from the previous litter - I have seen a couple of those get born months or years later as shriveled mummies. It's also possible for a doe to hold embryos in a sort of suspended development, and have them implant and grow later. It's pretty unusual, but it can happen; I think the longest period between the last possible breeding date and a delivery was something on the order of six months.