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Rabbits may eat their own teeth to boost their calcium intake

The animals' teeth are constantly being worn down due to their tough diet. But rather than losing calcium this way, they could be recycling it to help grow their teeth back up to size

By Sarah Philip

17 January 2025

A handful of mammals, including rabbits, have teeth that grow throughout their lives

Thurid_with_th/Shutterstock

Rabbits’ teeth grow continuously, a process that may be possible due to the calcium they get by swallowing fragments of tooth as they grind their food.

A high-fibre diet means rabbits continuously chew and grind their teeth, which quickly wears them down. Growing them back requires calcium, so for years, researchers believed rabbits needed to consume a high-calcium diet.

But now, at the University of Zurich in Switzerland…

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