Rabbit

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A rabbit looking for food.
Rabbits are one of the most loved pet species in the UK. Their small, cute and furry appearance gives them the appeal to be kept as pets. They are around 40 cm long and weigh under 2 kg. Their typical life span is around 3 years depending on whether they are kept as pets or are wild rabbits. They are native to Spain and were originally introduced into the UK for food and fur by the Normans in the 12th century but soon became very common. Rabbits are easily identifiable due to their long ears ad hind legs, grey-brown colour and white fluffy tail. Rabbits and hares are in the same family called Leporidae and there are 30 species of rabbits across the planet. They are herbivores which means they eat only plant-based foods mainly including grasses and cruciferous plants, such as broccoli, but as rabbits are opportunistic feeders, some also eat seeds and fruits. They tunnel underground to create their homes in systems called warrens which can be unto 3 meters deep.

These very sociable creatures live in groups called colonies and are very active between dusk and dawn when they are looking for food. As soon as light begins to dim they are able to hide from predators and successfully find food.

A rabbit foraging through the grass.
European rabbits, Oryctolagus, are identified by their long and floppy ears and their long jumping gait. They usually have grey-brown coats as adults with a completely white underside. They are an ecological threat in many places and threaten biodiversity when they establish in areas that they are not native too. However, in their own native area, they are under threat and their population is decreasing fast causing them to be listed on the IUCN red list. Their fast reproduction rates mean they are able to establish a large population in an area relatively quickly and therefore consume the food that other native species had no competition for before. In Australia, European rabbits threaten the populations of many agricultural animals like goats or sheep due to the fact that they consume all their food sources and outcompete the natives. Poisons are used to control the European rabbits by farmers but can kill non-target, native species. Rabbits across the UK have been hit by the disease myxomatosis for years. Myxomatosis is a highly infectious disease that causes swelling go the mucous membranes in rabbits and causes discharge around their eyes. It can be fatal to rabbits.



Quick reproduction is one of the things rabbits are most known for with one pair of breeding European rabbits being able to produce 30-40 offspring per year. After 3-4 months a female is able to reproduce and can be pregnant continuously for up to 8 months. Gestation is, on average, 31 days and 2-12 young can be produced in each litter. This fast reproduction was demonstrated in Australia when 24 European rabbits that were introduced in 1859 produced a population of 600 million plus in 100 years.












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