European Rabbit

This article primarily concerns the wild animal. For detailed information on domesticated varieties, see Domestic rabbit. For general information on all rabbit species, see Rabbit.

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to southern Europe. Because of its extreme abundance in the Iberian Peninsula, Phoenicians chose the name Spain after it. It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity. However, its decline there (caused by myxomatosis and viric pneumonia) has caused the decline of its high dependent predators, the Spanish Lynx and the Spanish Imperial Eagle.

European Rabbits are small, grey-brown mammals ranging from 34-45 cm (13-18 in) in length, and are approximately 1.3-2.2 kg (3-5 lb) in weight. As a lagomorph, they have four sharp incisors (two on top, two on bottom) that grow continuously throughout their life, and two peg teeth on the top behind the incisors, dissimilar to those of rodents (which have only 2 each, top and bottom). Rabbits have long ears, large hind legs, and short, fluffy tails. Rabbits move by hopping, using their long and powerful hind legs. To facilitate quick movement, a rabbit's hind feet have a thick padding of fur to dampen the shock of rapid hopping. Their toes are long, and are webbed to keep from spreading apart as the animal jumps.

Rabbits are known by many names. Young rabbits are known by the names bunny, kit, or kitten. A male rabbit is called a buck, and a female rabbit is called a doe. A group of rabbits is known as a herd. Colloquially, a rabbit may be referred to as a "coney" or a "bunny", though the former is archaic.

European Rabbits are well-known for digging networks of burrows called warrens, where they spend most of their time when not feeding. Unlike the related hares (Lepus), rabbits are altricial, the young being born blind and furless, in a furlined nest in the warren, and totally dependent upon their mother.

European Rabbits as an exotic pest

European Rabbits have been introduced as an exotic species into a number of environments, with baleful results to vegetation and local wildlife. Locations include the British Isles (from Roman times; as of November 2004 there were about 40 million European Rabbits in Britain), Laysan Island (1903) and Lisianski Island in the Hawaiian Islands; Macquarie Island; Smith Island, San Juan Islands (around 1900) later spreading to the other San Juan Islands; Australia and New Zealand.

Twenty-four European Rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 by Thomas Austin an estate holder in Victoria. They soon spread throughout the country due to the lack of natural predators, widespread farming producing ideal "rabbitat", and mild Australian winters allowing them to breed year-round. Australia built an immense "rabbit-proof fence". European Rabbits can not only jump very high, but also burrow underground, making fencing especially futile. During the 1950s experiments with introduction of a virus, Myxomatosis cuniiculi provided some relief in Australia but not in New Zealand where the insect vectors necessary for spread of the disease were not present. Myxomatosis can also infect pet rabbits which are genetically the same species. Ironically, remaining wild rabbits in Australia are largely immune to myxomatosis.

Domesticated rabbits

Main article: Domestic rabbit

The only rabbit to be domesticated is the European Rabbit. These rabbits have been extensively domesticated for food or as a pet. They were first widely kept in ancient Rome and were refined into a wider variety of breeds during the Middle Ages.

Domesticated rabbits have mostly been bred to be much larger than wild rabbits, though selective breeding has produced a wide range of breeds which are kept as pets and food animals across the world. They have as much color variation among themselves as other household pets. Their fur is prized for its softness, and even today Angora rabbits are raised for their long soft fur, which is often spun into yarn. Other breeds are raised for the fur industry, particularly the Rex, which has a smooth velvet like coat and comes in a wide variety of colors and sizes.

In the middle-size breeds, the teeth grow approximately 125 mm (5 in) per year for the upper incisors and about 200 mm (8 in) per year for the lower incisors. The teeth abrade away against one another, giving the teeth a constantly sharp edge.

Pets

Rabbits are widely kept as pets in Western nations. Many people find them to be rewarding house pets--they can be permitted to run loose in the home and are easily litter trained. Most rabbits are affectionate and social with each other and their human companions.

Unfortunately, like many small animals, they are widely considered to be "disposable pets" and consequently often abandoned when they lose their novelty. Rabbits purchased on a whim for young children often meet this fate. This happens most often during the Easter season. House rabbits are the third most commonly surrendered animal at United States animal shelters. U.S. shelters increasingly have rabbit sections, holding a wide variety of breeds and ages of rabbits for adoption. There are also non-profit, no-kill, rabbit-only shelters, often affiliated with the House Rabbit Society.

In general, spaying or neutering (altering) pet rabbits is strongly recommended. Spaying females prevents certain forms of cancer of the reproductive organs. Altered rabbits of either sex will be less destructive, calmer, easier to litter train, and will generally make better companions.

Reproduction

Rabbits are famed for their reproductive capabilities. Although certainly not the strongest, fastest, or smartest of the mammals, they have carved out a strong ecological niche through their rate of impregnation, due to the fact that female rabbits ovulate at the time of copulation. The gestation cycle for a rabbit averages 31 days, although it can vary anywhere between 29 and 35 days. Litter sizes generally range between two to twelve rabbits.

The rabbit's reproductive abilities were the inspiration for the phrase "breeding like rabbits". The mathematical Fibonacci numbers model a theoretical pair of rabbits and their subsequent population explosion.

References

Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern

Gourt Home::Gourt :: European Rabbit

European Rabbits as an exotic pest

Domesticated rabbits

Pets

Reproduction

See also

References