The most common method of rabies transmission is through a bite from a rabid animal.
Rabies can also be transmitted if the saliva from a rabid animal comes into contact with open wounds, scratches, or mucous membranes of another animal. This can occur during fights or close interactions between animals.
In rare cases, the rabies virus can be transmitted through the inhalation of aerosolized saliva, such as when a rabid animal drools or sneezes near another animal's face.
Carnivorous animals may contract rabies by consuming the flesh of another infected animal, particularly if they eat the neural tissue (brain and spinal cord), which can contain a high concentration of the virus.
In extremely rare cases, rabies can be transmitted from a mother to her offspring during gestation if the mother is infected with the virus.