Lapin
“Un, deux, cinq, NON! trois.”
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Lapin, Lah-Pin derived from the latin "Lapus", meaning "small and fluffy".
Currently used to refer to the various species of rabbits, including: "Lapus Lapus", the small fluffy rabbit. "Lapus Lupus", the wolf in rabbit's clothing. "Lapus Petrus", the "stoned" rabbit, as immortalised it Beatrix Potter's brief treatise on comparative morality.
Some species of rabbits secrete a mixture of complex alkaloid molecules (lapins) from glands near the base of the tail; this secretion is then spread over the outer fur during grooming where it is easily absorbed by any animal siezing the rabbit in its mouth or sniffing at the rabbit too closely.
Lapins are, for most mammals at least, extremely neurotoxic. Symptoms include severe paranoia, violent tendancies and a preference for raw meat as a foodstuff. Humans appear to suffer no ill effects from exposure to moderate lapin exposure. Anecdotal evidence suggests that extremely high doses cause drowsiness and an aversion to fresh grass clippings.
Lapin secretion is strongly associated with species survival in harsh environments with scarce vegitation and appears to act by discouraging competign animals from eating the grass and vegetables which are the staple diet of the rabbits themselves.