As I get to know Panda and Fernando better, I’ve been observing an interesting daytime-lounging routine that Fernando seems to love to indulge in. As most of you know by now, Fernando is an albino (REW) Polish bun. Albino rabbits see better in dim lighting than bright sunlight due to the lack of pigmentation in their eyes, so obviously Fernando seems to see best during the early morning and early evening hours (as well as at night, when there’s an artificial source of light nearby but not too close). What interests me right now, though, is how he behaves during the daytime hours when he and his mom Panda are dozing and lounging.

Panda likes to sleep/lounge during the hours of daylight, generally 9 am or so to 4 pm or thereabouts, in her favorite hidey box on the upper deck of the buns’ condo. Fernando has his own hidey box there too, and he does often use it, but just as often he seems to prefer/enjoy bunloafing or occasionally bunny-rugging out on the open part of the upper deck, front (toward the condo’s front) or rear (at the back up next to the window) as the mood takes him or as he judges the sunlight is nicest. I know that too much direct sunlight isn’t good for rabbits due to the issue of possible sunburn, so I always keep the blinds drawn so that the sunlight filters through. Fernando seems to really, really love basking in the filtered sunlight; the other day (Sunday) he was so comfortable, and obviously feeling so secure, that his eyes were closed or nearly closed as he contentedly bunloafed through most of the afternoon.

I brought this up not because there’s any problem – in fact the buns, particularly Fernando, seem to be having themselves a nice comfy time  – but because I find it interesting that Fernando likes to spend so much time in the sun when I’d understood that albinos don’t like having the sun in their eyes. Anyone else observed similar or other interesting behaviors by their buns on sunny days?