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The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a small mammal native to southwestern Europe and northwest Africa. It is known as an invasive species because it has been introduced to countries on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, and has caused many problems within the environment and ecosystems.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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CoprophageCoprophage animals are those that consume feces. Domesticated and wild mammals are sometimes coprophagic, and in some species, this forms an essent...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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JumpingJumping (saltation) can be distinguished from running, galloping, and other gaits where the entire body is temporarily airborne by the relatively l...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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CosmopolitanAnimals with cosmopolitan distribution are those whose range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Another aspect of cos...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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DomesticatedDomesticated animals are those adapted to live with humans. It is the mutual relationship between animals and humans who have an influence on their...
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Lucky AnimalsThe European rabbit is smaller than the European hare and Mountain hare and lacks black ear tips, as well as having proportionately shorter legs. The fur of the European rabbit is generally greyish-brown, but this is subject to much variation. The guard hairs are banded brown and black, or grey, while the nape of the neck and scrotum are reddish. The chest patch is brown, while the rest of the underparts are white or grey. A white star shape is often present on kits' foreheads but rarely occurs in adults. The whiskers are long and black, and the feet are fully furred and buff-coloured. The tail has a white underside, which becomes prominent when escaping danger. This may act as a signal for other rabbits to run. Moulting occurs once a year, beginning in March on the face and spreading over the back. The underfur is completely replaced by October-November. The European rabbit exhibits great variation in colour, from light sandy to dark grey and completely black. Such variation depends largely on the amount of guard hairs relative to regular pelage.
European rabbits are found in southwestern Europe (including Portugal, Spain, and western France) and in northwest Africa (including Morocco and Algeria). Their ideal habitat consists of short grasslands with secure refuge (such as burrows, boulders, hedgerows, scrub, and woodland) near feeding areas. In large coniferous plantations, European rabbits only occur in peripheral areas and along fire breaks and rides.
European rabbits are gregarious animals, which live in stable social groups centered around females sharing access to one or more burrow systems. Within these groups, there are dominance hierarchies for both bucks (males) and does (females). Warrens usually contain 2-10 individuals living in smaller groups to ensure greater breeding success. Does tend to be more territorial than bucks, although the areas most frequented by does are not defended. Territories are marked with dung hills. European rabbits are well known for digging networks of burrows, called warrens, where they spend most of their time when not feeding. They are active from late afternoon to early morning and rarely stray far from their burrow; when feeding on cultivated fields, they typically only move 25 meters away from the burrow, and rarely 50 meters. European rabbits are usually silent animals, though they have at least two vocalizations. The most well-known is a high-treble scream or squeal. This sound is uttered when in extreme distress, such as being caught by a predator or trap. During the spring, bucks express contentment by emitting grunting sounds when approaching other rabbits. These grunts are similar to shrill hiccups and are emitted with the mouth closed. Aggression is expressed with a low growl.
European rabbits are herbivores (graminivores) and coprophages. They eat a wide variety of herbage, especially grasses, favoring the young, succulent leaves and shoots of the most nutritious species. Hungry rabbits in winter may eat tree bark and blackberries. Like other leporids, European rabbits also consume their own fecal pellets, which are filled with protein-rich bacteria.
European rabbits exhibit an interesting mating system; dominant bucks are polygynous, whereas lower-status individuals (both bucks and does) often form monogamous pairs. Rabbits signal their readiness to mate by marking other animals and inanimate objects with an odoriferous substance secreted through a chin gland; this process is known as "chinning". The breeding season usually takes place from January to August. Does give birth to 3-7 kittens after the gestation period of 30 days. Shortly before giving birth, the doe will construct a separate burrow known as a "stop" or "stab", generally in an open field away from the main warren. These breeding burrows are typically a few feet long and are lined with grass and moss as well as fur plucked from the doe's belly. The breeding burrow protects the kittens from adult bucks as well as from predators. Kittens are altricial, being born blind, deaf, and furless, and they are totally dependent upon their mother. The young born to the dominant buck and doe enjoy better nesting and feeding grounds; they tend to grow larger and stronger and become more dominant than kittens born to subordinate rabbits. Does nurse their kittens once a night, for only a few minutes. After suckling is complete, the doe seals the entrance to the stop with soil and vegetation. The kittens grow rapidly and their eyes open 11 days after birth. The ears do not gain the power of motion until 10 days of age and can be erected after 13. At 18 days, the kittens begin to leave the burrow and at 4 weeks they are weaned. Young bucks become reproductively mature at four months of age, while does can begin to breed at three to five months.
The main threats to European rabbits include habitat loss and fragmentation, and diseases. These animals also suffer from hunting and trapping; they are known as invasive species because they have been introduced to countries on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, and have caused many problems within the environment and ecosystems. For instance, feral European rabbits in Australia have had a devastating impact, due in part to the lack of natural predators there.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the European rabbit total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
The European rabbit is the only rabbit to be widely domesticated. It has been extensively domesticated for food or as a pet. It was first widely kept in ancient Rome, where fetal rabbits were known as laurices and considered a delicacy, and has been refined into a wide variety of breeds during and since the Middle Ages. Domesticated rabbits have mostly been bred to be much larger than wild rabbits, though selective breeding has produced a range of sizes from "dwarf" to "giant", which are kept as food animals and pets across the world. They have as much color variation among themselves as other livestock and pet animals. Their fur is prized for its softness; today, Angora rabbits are raised for their long, soft fur, which is often spun into yarn.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...