Domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) — species profile (taxonomy, geographic range, habitat, physical description, behavior, wild diet, reproduction, lifespan)
Authoritative first-hand species account (Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan). All bullet facts are verbatim from the cited source and C1-substring verified.
Geographic Range
- Oryctolagus cuniculus , also called a European, an Old World, or a domestic rabbit, is the only species in its genus.
- The last Ice Age confined the species to the Iberian peninsula and small areas of France and northwest Africa, but due to human action and adaptability of this species, European rabbits today exist in the wild on every continent except Asia and Antarctica.
- cuniculus may be found worldwide.
Habitat
- The preferred habitats of this species include dry areas near sea level with soft, sandy soil (for easy burrowing).
- Brushy fields are preferred for the cover they provide, but forests are also inhabited.
- Cultivated land was once well-suited, but this is no longer the case due to modern plowing techniques which destroy rabbit burrows.
- Particularly in central Europe, O.
Physical Description
- cuniculus weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 kg, and are from 38 to 50 cm long.
- Domestic individuals may be larger.
- The coat is generally grayish, with black and brown (and sometimes red) sprinkled throughout.
- Melanistic specimens are not unusual.
Behavior
- European rabbits are gregarious, territorial animals.
- If soil conditions and forage supply permit, they prefer to live in groups in large, complex burrow systems (warrens).
- A typical colony consists of six to ten adults of both sexes.
- Colonies have distinct dominance hierarchies, which are particularly important for males, as dominance position determines which male will have preferential access to mates.
- A male's position in the social hierarchy means that potentially costly conflicts between males over females are rare.
Food Habits (Wild Diet)
- Oryctolagus cuniculus is a generalized herbivore, eating a diverse diet of grasses, leaves, buds, tree bark, and roots.
- Gardeners know them to eat lettuce, cabbage, root vegetables, and grains.
- Although the diet is relatively low in nutritional value, and high in indigestible material, O.
- cuniculus is one of several rabbit species that are known to reingest feces (coprophagy) to obtain extra nourishment from their food.
- The species has a very large caecum, in which bacterial fermentation of otherwise indigestible material occurs.
Reproduction
- Mating in rabbits is generally polygynandrous, though males will attempt to monopolize particular females.
- Mating System polygynandrous (promiscuous) polygynandrous (promiscuous) Rabbits are well-known for their reproductive capacity.
- Oryctolagus cuniculus is capable of reproducing year-round, but most breeding activity takes place in the first half of the year.
- Gestation is about 30 days, and the average litter contains 5 to 6 young.
Predation
- Rabbits are preyed upon by a wide variety of carnivores, including canines, felines, mustelids, hawks and owls.
Conservation Status
- Few mammal species are farther from extinction than O.
- Not only is it valuable to humans as a domestic and game animal, but wild populations have established themselves successfully in many parts of the world.
- However, one variety of O.
Lifespan
- Domestic rabbits can live to be up to nine years old.