|
More About Rabbits ...
|
Rabbit usually refers to the European Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, a native of southern Europe. It is also widely introduced elsewhere in northern Europe and Australia (see also Rabbit (ecology) for details of it as a pest species in areas where it is not native).
The European Rabbit is a small grey-brown mammal, ranging from 34-45 cm in length, and are approximately 1.3-2.2 kg in weight. They have 4 sharp incisors (2 on top, 2 on bottom) that grow continuously throughout their life, and two peg teeth on the top behind the inscisors, 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, rabbit hind feet have a thick padding of fur to dampen the shock of rapid hopping. Their toes are long, and are webbed to keep themselves from spreading apart as they jump.
They 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.
Rabbits have been introduced as an exotic species into a number of environments, with baleful results to vegetation and local wildlife. Locations include Laysan Island (1903) and Lisianski Island, parts of the Hawaiian Islands; Macquaire Islands, southwest of New Zealand; Smith Island, San Juan Islands, Washington (around 1900) later spreading to the other San Juan Islands; Australia and New Zealand. Rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 by Thomas Austin an estate holder in Victoria. They soon spread thoughout the country, see rabbit (ecology). 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.
The European Rabbit has been extensively domesticated for food or as a pet, and is the only rabbit which has been domesticated. 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.
The typical diet for a pet rabbit should consist of water, hay, pellets, fresh vegetables, and its own caecal pellets. Anything else, including fruit and other treats should be given only in very limited quantities, as it may cause obesity in a rabbit.
Pellets should be less than a couple months old to ensure freshness, and should consist of a minimum of 18% fibre, low protein (14-15%), and less than 1% calcium. Depending on the amount of vegetables available, an adult rabbit should be given between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of pellets per 6 pounds body weight daily. Pre-adolescent and adolescent rabbits (7 months and younger) can be given as much pellets as they can consume, although additional vegetables are preferable to additional pellets. An older rabbit (over six years) can be given more pellets if they are having difficulty maintaining a steady body weight.
|
|
Taxonmony
|
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorphia
Family: Leporidae
|
|
Source: Wikipedia Read more about Rabbits
|
|
|
INFO LINKS
|
Snowshoe Hare
Canadian Wildlife Services
Site contains inforjmation on adaptions, population fluctuations, movements and activitt, mortality and reproduction of Bush Rabbit, also called Snowshoe Hare Read More
|
Pika
Colorado Fourteeners
Pictures of Pika Read More
|
Jack Rabbit
Desert USA
categorized information on range, habitat, description, life cycle, etc. Read More
|
Arctic Hare
National Geographic
Arctic Hare fact sheet and pictures Read More
|
Cottontail Rabbit
National Geographic
Cottontail Rabbit fact sheet and pictures Read More
|
Jackrabbit
National Geographic
Jackrabbit fact sheet and pictures Read More
|
Snowshoe Hare
National Geographic
Snowshoe Hare fact sheet and pictures; audio clip Read More
|
Brown Hare
The Mammal Society - The Voice for British Mammals
Information on Ecology, conservation and response to frequently asked questions like "What is March Madness". Read More
|
Mountain Hare
The Mammal Society - The Voice for British Mammals
"Mountain hares are also known as blue hares, or colloquially in winter, as white hares. It is considered to be the same species as the Arctic and Greenland hares". Narrative and response to FAQs Read More
|
Rabbit
The Mammal Society - The Voice for British Mammals
"Rabbits originate from the western Mediterranean. They were introduced to Britain by the Normans in the 12th century to provide meat and fur" General Ecology, conservation and response to FAQs like "Why do rabbits thump their back legs?" Good for school Read More
|
Brown hare
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
Information on life span, statistics, distribution, physical description, habit, diet, behavior, reproduction, conservation status, etc. Read More
|
European rabbit
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
"The ancestor of all domestic rabbits". Information on life span, statistics, physical description, distribution, habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, conservation status, etc. Read More
|
Mountain hare
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
Information on life span, statistics, physical description, diet, behavior, reproduction, conservation status, etc. "The mountain hare is smaller than the brown hare, with a more rounded shape, and without a black upper surface on the tail. Mountain hares Read More
|
Rabbit
House Rabbit Society
Tons of information on rabits and how to care for them Read More
|
rabbit
geocities.com
"A rabbit's best developed sensory organ is its nose. Wild rabbits recognize each other outdoors by their smell. Rabbits recognize their human partners by the scent of their hands. " Article on bunny behavior to understand your pet better Read More
|
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
Species profile for White-tailed Jackrabbit Read More
|
Spring Hare
African Wildlife Foundation
Detailed fact sheet Read More
|
Domestic rabbit
The Living Schoolbook - The Cyberzoo project
"The domestic rabbit, or the common house pet, is part of the wild rabbit family". Brief Narrative Read More
|
Bush-tailed Jackrabbit
Animal Tracks of Humboldt County
Natural History of Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Identifying Black-tailed Jackrabbit tracks. Read More
|
Brush Rabbit
Animal Tracks of Humboldt County
Identifying tracks and natural history Read More
|
Cape Hare
Kenya Beasts
Picture of Cape Hare Read More
|
Jack & Cottontail Rabbit
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Brief narrative with pictures Read More
|
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Blue Planet Biomes
Brief description of Black-tailed Jackrabbit with additional references Read More
|
Snowshoe Rabbit
Blue Planet Biomes
Brief description of Snowshoe Rabbit with additional references Read More
|
Rabbit Web
Rabbit Web
Promotes use of rabbits Read More
|
Rabbit
Webhippie
How to communicate to your bunnies Read More
|
Jack Rabbit
Desert USA
Jack Rabbit: Brief description and pictures Read More
|
Cottontail
Desert USA
Cottontail: Brief description and pictures Read More
|
Desert Cottontail
Wind Cave National Park
Fact Sheet Read More
|
raccoon
personal web page
Stores of two domesticated raccoons Read More
|
|
