Animal Natural History Oryctolagus cuniculus DOMESTIC RABBIT Class: Mammalia. Order: Lagomorpha. Family: Leporidae
Other Common Names: Rabbit, bunny
Classification Notes: This species is the European wild rabbit which is believed to be the ancestor of all domestic breeds of rabbits. The most common wild rabbits in North America are the cottontails.
Habitat and Range: Swamps, marshes, deserts, woodlands, grasslands, prairies, volcanic slopes, in cities and suburbs; in parts of every continent except Antarctica. In North America most cottontails spend the day resting in shallow dens (forms) but, if threatened, these rabbits may seek shelter in the abandoned burrows of other animals. Many Old World rabbits dig elaborate tunnels and chambers known as “warrens.” Wild rabbits are always found near water. They get all their liquid requirements directly from water sources and will die without it.
Description: Rabbits and hares have long ears, hind legs that are longer than the front legs, and short tails. There are four upper incisors, the second pair being peg-like and inconspicuous. The five toes on each foot are clawed. Upper lip is split and attached to the nostrils, enabling the nose to be wiggled, which may increase the sense of smell. Eyes are on the side of the head. Appearances range depending on breed.
Adult Size (wt. length): 1-16 lbs; 12-28” depending upon the breed.
Diet in the Wild: Grasses, herbs, leaves, twigs, bark, roots, berries; vegetables and other crops when available. Wild rye, timothy, winter wheat, and soy beans are important seasonal foods of the Ohio cottontail.
Diet at the Zoo: Rabbit chow, kale, apple, timothy hay.
Reproduction: Domestic rabbits produce 5-7 litters of one to nine young per litter after a pregnancy of about one month. The babies are born blind and deaf (altricial).
Life Span: Wild rabbits, about one year in the wild. Domestic rabbits, five to ten years in captivity, varying according to breed.
Perils: Wild predators include foxes, dogs, bobcats, coyotes, lynxes, weasels, raccoons, hawks, eagles, ermines, ravens, badgers, and humans. In domestic situations predators include humans, alligators, snakes, bobcats, wolves, dogs, bears, etc.
Protection: Keen senses of hearing and smelling; large protruding eyes set high on the sides of the head, giving them an almost complete circle of vision; swift runners; capable of swimming. Rabbits may freeze to avoid detection. Desert cottontails and the brush rabbit may even climb trees to escape danger. Camouflage. Hide in burrows.
10/2010 Animal Natural History
Interesting Facts: Different kinds of rabbits mate at different times throughout the year and the number of litters and the size of the litters vary depending upon whether the rabbit lives in a warm or cool climate. Rabbits living in northern regions tend to have fewer litters but more young per litter than those living farther south where the rule is they have more but smaller litters. Adult males are called bucks, the females are does, and the young are called kittens. Males become very aggressive at mating time and may fight by boxing with their forepaws or by striking at each other with their powerful hind feet. At other times rabbits tend to be gregarious. Males and females are very affectionate at mating time, licking one another’s ears and head.
Although rabbits were raised by the Romans for meat, true domestication does not appear to have taken place until the Middle Ages, when they were raised for meat and considered farm animals. Today there are more than 50 pedigree breeds of domestic rabbits, all descended from the European wild rabbit.
Rabbit Care: Most rabbits keep themselves groomed by licking. Nails need to be trimmed. Never pick a rabbit up by its ears.
Folklore: No group of mammals has established its place in American folklore as firmly as the rabbit. They are prominent in fairy tales, cartoons, and stories about Brer Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, and Peter Cottontail. Many superstitious individuals carry a rabbit’s foot for luck. The most famous rabbit of all is the Easter Bunny. Male rabbits and hares become sexually active about a month prior to the breeding season and before the females are receptive. The leaping, cavorting antics of these eager males may account for the expression, “mad as a March hare.”
Ecology: Rabbits serve as a primary food resource for other mammals and birds of prey. In the eastern United States rabbits are hunted by man for food, sport and fur. Rabbit fur, which is soft but does not wear well, is most often used for novelties and coats. Commercial rabbit is available for fryer meat. Many people breed rabbits and keep them as pets. In many areas of the western United States cottontails and hares are destructive to crops and serve as hosts for ticks that carry such diseases as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
During the early periods of world exploration rabbits were released on uninhabited islands with the hope of creating a food source for crews of sailing vessels which might visit or become shipwrecked on the islands. Others were released in settled areas for sport hunting. Today the wild rabbit ranges in many parts of Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, on various oceanic islands and elsewhere in the world. While in parts of Europe there is controversy as to whether this animal should be destroyed as an agricultural pest or conserved as a valuable game species, in most parts of the world its introduction is now viewed as a disaster, especially in Australia and New Zealand. Because there were no natural predators, the vast new rabbit populations caused widespread destruction of vegetation and seriously harmed the sheep-raising industry. In addition a number of native Australian marsupial species have been endangered or totally eliminated through competition with or habitat destruction by the Old World rabbit. Some parts of Australia do not permit the general keeping of rabbits as pets.
Many North American lagomorphs thrive in environments altered by man. Cottontail species have stable populations and do not appear threatened. Only the pygmy rabbit and the New England cottontail may be endangered, as their relatively small ranges are slowly being eliminated by man.
10/2010