How do rabbits live in the wild. Where do wild rabbits live in nature. Where do they reside

The wild or European rabbit is the ancestor of all currently existing breeds. This species was domesticated by man in ancient Rome. Since then, rodents have been used to obtain dietary meat and fur.

Appearance

A wild rabbit is a small animal with a body length of up to 45 cm and a weight of up to 2.5 kg. A characteristic feature of the animal is that the length of its auricles is always less than the size of the head, up to 7 cm, unlike hares, which have longer ears. The feet of the limbs of the rabbit are covered with short hair. The paws have long and straight claws.

The coat color of wild rabbits is predominantly gray-brown; in some individuals, a reddish shade of guard hairs predominates. The hairline on the central part of the back is slightly darkened, the tail at the end is also dark, almost black or painted gray, and it is white below. The fur on the sides of the body is always slightly lighter than on the back, and in the abdomen it is white or light gray. On the back of the head, behind the auricles of the animal, there are buffy spots.

Attention! The fur of a wild rabbit does not change color during seasonal molt that runs in autumn and spring.

Spreading

The wild rabbit originally lived in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in parts of France and northwest Africa. It is believed that in this area, which is different warm climate, animals were able to survive after the Ice Age. From here, thanks to the Romans, European rabbits came to the Mediterranean. In the territory of modern England and Ireland, animals were brought by the inhabitants of Scandinavia in the 12th century AD. During the Middle Ages, rabbits had already spread throughout Europe.

In the 18-19 centuries, wild rabbits were specially transported to different islands - Hawaiian, Canary, Azores, and released there for acclimatization and breeding. Animal colonies were supposed to serve as food for sailors. Toward the middle of the 18th century, eared rodents were brought to the territory of Chile, from where the animals independently moved to Argentina. Somewhat later, in the middle of the 20th century, European rabbits were brought to Australia, the USA and New Zealand.

On the this moment wild rabbits live wherever there is no harsh winters. These animals do not exist except in Antarctica and Asia.

Reference. Wild rabbits choose habitats where in winter the number of days with a stable snow cover does not exceed 37.

Lifestyle

European rabbit leads sedentary life, unlike a hare. Animals inhabit territories with rugged terrain and rich vegetation, since the latter serves as food for them. Animals can be found on the coasts of estuaries, in ravines, gullies. In dense forests, animals are not found, as well as in mountainous areas.

Wild rabbits often coexist with humans, populating the outskirts of settlements, landfills and wastelands. Since rodents have a need to dig holes, the composition of the soil matters to them. Loose soil is preferable for these animals than clay or rocky soil. Having taken a fancy to the territory, the animals mark it with their secret - they rub their faces against objects, scatter excrement and spray urine. These animals prefer to live in small groups in which:

• the leading role is given to the male producer;
• a dominant female with cubs lives with him;
• the group includes 1-2 more females with or without offspring, living in separate burrows.

Young males living in the same colony with the dominant one readily protect females and offspring. Rabbits have their own methods of communication, they warn each other of danger, come to each other's aid.

Attention! Wild rabbits are polygamous creatures, but some individuals create a family with one female and stay with her forever.

Of interest are the burrows of wild rabbits. They are different:

1. Family. Only adult animals live in them. Such dwellings are equipped with several entrances and exits.
2. Brooding. This type of burrow is intended for rabbits. The hatched females independently dig them not far from the family burrow. Brood holes have only 1 entrance, which also serves as an exit. The rabbits come there to feed the cubs. When leaving the nest, the female masks the entrance in order to wild animals no offspring found.

Burrows of family type are simple and complex. The former are intended for single females, and the latter for the dominant male with his family. Simple family burrows have up to 3 entrances and exits, while complex ones have up to 8.

Food

European rabbits eat plant foods. Fearing the attack of wild animals, they go out in search of food mainly at night. Animals do not move more than 100 meters from their homes. Hearing a noise or noticing danger, the animals immediately go to their holes.

The animals are fed by:

• wild herbs;
• garden crops;
• shrub shoots;
• roots;
• cereals;
• tree bark (when vegetation is sparse).

Important! in winter plant food is inaccessible, so the rabbits look for dry grass under the snow cover and dig up the roots of plants. When animals are hungry, they eat own faeces.

reproduction

AT warm regions wild rabbits breed throughout the year. For example, in countries below the equator, animals do not breed only when the vegetation burns out. Animals living in the central part of Europe actively breed from March to October. Animals that have settled in the northern territories of the European continent stop breeding in July-August. On average, the female brings from 4 to 8 births per year, depending on the climatic conditions in which she lives.

The duration of pregnancy in a wild rabbit is 30 days, sometimes childbirth occurs a little earlier or later. There can be 4-10 cubs in one litter. The fertility of females depends on the following factors:

• health conditions;
• diet;
• age (after 3 years, the fertility rate decreases).

Newborn rabbits are completely defenseless - there is no hair on their body, their eyes are closed. The rabbit builds a nest before the birth, putting fluff from her belly into it. She feeds babies with milk until the age of one month, although already 2 weeks after birth they leave the nest and try adult food.

Reference. The eyes of rabbits open on the 10-11th day of life.

The wild rabbit is the only representative of the rabbit kingdom that has been domesticated. He is the progenitor of all existing breeds, including decorative ones. This animal can be found almost anywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica and Asia. Acquaintance with this representative of the fauna helps to better understand what qualities and features are inherent in domestic rabbits, what they need, how they behave in different conditions.

Inhabitants of the underground

Why does a rabbit breeder need knowledge about wild rabbits?

In this article I will tell you what kind of animal it is - a wild rabbit. I will make a reservation right away. Despite the fact that I put it in the "it's interesting" section, you may find a lot of valuable and useful for your lesson. Judge for yourself how you can effectively breed and grow your eared pets without delving into their essence. After all, all the instincts, biological rhythms, habits and characteristics of domestic rabbits come from their wild counterparts. I hope this article helps you understand your furry friends more.

Those of you who breed rabbits in pits or aviaries will find many similarities and similarities in the behavior of their own and wild European rabbits. At present, there is a fairly rich experience accumulated not only over the years, but over millennia. And with the advent modern technologies Watching wild rabbits just got a whole lot easier. Infrared light (the invisible part of the spectrum) makes it possible to monitor animals around the clock, and microscopic video cameras allow you to penetrate into all the nooks and crannies of rabbit holes, to observe their underground life.

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Who are wild rabbits?

Here is the time to make a clarification. From the above diagram it can be seen that of the entire genus of rabbits, only one species budded - European rabbit or European wild rabbit. In fact, there are more than 20 of these species. Of these, most live in North America, a little less in Africa and South America. And only one species of rabbit is native to Europe - the so-called common rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). And it was he who was domesticated at one time and gave rise to all currently existing domestic breeds of rabbits. Therefore, in the future we will only talk about him, only he can interest us in something. Other types of rabbits are very different from our pets in many characteristics and habits (some are covered with bristles, others do not dig holes and live in swamps and swim like beavers, others live on the slopes of volcanoes right up to the vent, etc.) and do not may be the subject of our study.

The already domesticated rabbit in the form of bred breeds was then transported to all continents. In this regard, I ask you not to confuse, for example, a wild American rabbit - an aborigine with a Californian breed bred from a European immigrant. As they say in Odessa, these are two big differences. And although our European rabbits can be crossed with any breed of wild rabbits, unlike the hare, they are two different biological species rabbits.

Habitat of the European wild rabbit.

Paleontologists say that rabbits migrated to Europe from Africa before the Ice Age. Then, thanks to the warm climate, they multiplied throughout the continent. The subsequent global cooling drove them to the southern part of the Pyrenees, the territory of present-day Spain, where they were safely preserved. By the way, in the ancient Phoenician language, “spany” means a rabbit, and “Hispania” means a coast of rabbits. Currently, wild rabbits also live where people have artificially resettled them. This is primarily Australia and New Zealand (since the end of the 18th century). There, without meeting natural enemies and once in the grassy paradise, the animals began to multiply so quickly that they threatened the entire agriculture of the continent. Their number now exceeds 6 billion heads.

GROW RICH on the cultivation of rabbits is possible only by providing them with favorable conditions for their existence. In this case, animals multiply exponentially. The increase in their numbers is explosive. When choosing a breed, be guided by nearby farms and breeds adapted to local conditions.

Metal mesh across the entire continent.

Foxes and other predators brought from Europe in a hurry did not start for rabbits, but for local inhabitants, who turned out to be both larger and slower. European predators quickly fell in love with kangaroo meat and the meat of local sheep. But the rabbits were rapidly advancing at a speed of 100 kilometers per season and, like locusts, they destroyed all the greenery, including crops and vegetable gardens. The unfortunate Australians were already desperate and did not know what to do. And then someone came up with a great idea to block off the entire territory of the mainland with a steel mesh. Its length is several thousand kilometers. It worked, and it did a great job of slowing down the migration of animals. But the threat, as they say, continues to hang in the air. In this regard, in some Australian states, it is illegal to breed rabbits at the legislative level. For violation of a considerable fine - 40,000 USD.

In Europe itself, from the Pyrenees, at the beginning of the first millennium, the Romans spread rabbits to territories subject to empires. Rabbits attracted people with their precocity and fertility. Taste qualities meat also played an important role. Despite mass domestication, wild rabbits continue to live and live in parallel. They also posed a threat in some years, but already for European crops. Settled throughout the western and central parts of the continent. They no longer tried to fight them by trapping and hunting. In the middle of the last century, the French declared bacteriological warfare on wild rabbits. Several individuals specially infected with myxomatosis were released into the wild. And if, for example, African red rabbits suffer from this disease in a mild form, then European rabbits mostly (up to 85%) die. The disease was transmitted from one individual to another, but gradually faded. And only in places humid climate, where there are mosquitoes, almost all rabbits have become extinct. In addition to mosquitoes, rabbit fleas can also carry myxomatosis.

MYXOMATOSIS- very dangerous disease often spread in the form of epidemics. Domestic rabbits are not immune to it. Mandatory vaccination required. Fight mosquitoes, do not breed excess dampness in your household.

I must say that these experiments with myxomatosis hit our rabbit farms very painfully. I have already mentioned, and experienced rabbit breeders will not let me bear false witness, that somewhere before the beginning of the 60s we did not have this infection. Maybe I'm not quite out of place, but I remember very well the first appearance of two misfortunes almost simultaneously - this is a massive death of rabbits and an invasion of Colorado beetles. Be that as it may, we survived these difficulties, learned to resist them, although without them it would be much better.

More than once, starting from the end of the 19th century and until the 80s of the last century, attempts were made to resettle wild rabbits in the territories Russian Empire and then Soviet Union. Mostly selected areas with a warm climate, Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, as well as Lithuania. They did not take root everywhere, mainly where the climate resembles the Mediterranean. At present, a large colony is settled in the Crimean Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov (Crimea Peninsula), Rostov region, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories as well as in the North Caucasus and the Caspian Islands.

Now a wild European rabbit can be found on all continents except Antarctica (after all, a rabbit is not a penguin, give it grass, and drilling holes in ice is not very comfortable). This is the northwest of Africa (Morocco, Algeria) and South America (Chile), and North America (East Coast USA, southern Canada) and the already mentioned Australia and Oceania. In addition, rabbits live well and breed on more than 500 islands. mediterranean sea, Quiet and Atlantic Oceans. They were landed there in order to create colonies that help feed seafarers, including those in distress.

RABBIT MEAT very tasty and nutritious. It is perfectly digested, is considered to be dietary, recommended for many diseases.

External characteristics of a wild rabbit.

After reviewing the description of the wild rabbit, you will find the obvious thing. Under it, our ordinary outbred rabbit is perfect. Judge for yourself: a small animal that looks like a hare. Body length from 30 to 45 centimeters. Weight depending on size and fatness, but on average 2.5 kg. The color is uneven. Above, from dusty gray to dark brown, and even with reddishness, which prevails on the neck and behind the ears. The belly, as well as the underside of the tail, is usually much lighter, sometimes closer to white. Faintly visible on the sides light streak, which turns into a rounded spot at the top of the thigh. The tip of the tail and ears is slightly darker, brown or dark gray color. During the year, a change in color, like a hare, is not observed. Two molts, as expected, spring and autumn. Single individuals due to mutations (changes in genes) may have a color different from the typical one. So among the brown ones, albinos with a white skin, black, light gray and even piebald (spotted) will also flash. But there are always not many such rabbits, their total number does not exceed 3-5%.

DOMESTIC RABBITS with thoughtless crossing and lack of selection, they gradually degenerate, become smaller, become similar to their wild ancestors. If you notice a decrease in the size of the offspring, a redhead in the color of your rabbits (the gray giant does not count), it's time to think, to conduct at least an introductory crossing.

Dwellings of the wild rabbit.

You probably already know that wild rabbits build their homes and nests, unlike hares, in burrows. For their habitat, they choose mainly open areas, with complex terrain (ravines, beams, a steep coast, an abandoned quarry). They can settle in a landfill. The density of the soil is of great importance. It is easier and more convenient for them to dig holes in sandy soil. Almost never found in rabbit colonies where the ground is rocky or clayey. From the point of view of subsistence, they also strive for places of growth succulent herbs. Interestingly, wild rabbits are not afraid to settle near people, in parks and forest belts. Life forced rabbits to hide away from their offenders - predators (which are innumerable) deeper into the ground and spend most of their lives there. Babies are also born exclusively underground. We can say that rabbits (mainly females) dig their holes throughout their lives. The simplest dwelling is a nesting area with three independent exits to the surface. However, having settled down, the animals continue to improve their home and dig, dig, dig ... The length of the rabbit holes is about 20 meters, but sometimes it is twice as long. They go to a depth of 2 or more meters. As a result, a whole network of labyrinths and nesting chambers connected by passages is formed underground. This contributes to animal safety. In addition, there is always an emergency main entrance, which is a funnel or a hole no larger than 40-50 cm in size, which almost immediately narrows to a diameter of 15 cm. Once having populated the territory, the colony does not leave it for a long time. The reason can be either natural disasters or the disappearance of vegetation. Often, researchers discover a piece of land pitted with holes up to 1 hectare.

DOMESTIC RABBITS - shy animals. They do not like strong noise, pungent odors. It's best not to bother them. I recommend equipping the cages with additional screens (even temporary ones) behind which the rabbit could hide. This will have a positive effect on his well-being and development.

Animal nutrition.

Rabbits can come to the surface both during the day and at night. If predators rage in their habitat, they feed mainly at night, if the danger has passed, they can frolic in the sun, and even move a hundred meters away from the hole in search of more juicy greenery. They do not make any stocks for the winter, they feed on dried wood, underground parts of vegetation, and fallen grains. Do not disdain and branch food. In summer they eat leaves, in winter the bark of trees and shrubs. By the way, the rabbits that came to the Australian continent fell in love with the local branch food so much. that they learned to climb trees, or rather low-growing branches.

DOMESTIC RABBIT leads a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. It feeds mainly at night. Feeders should not be allowed to be empty at night. Coprophagia is also characteristic of this time of day. The main foods for a rabbit are grass, hay, twigs, grains and root crops. When compiling a diet, consider the caloric value of feed. (Modern feeds in the form of granules contain all the necessary components.)

Rabbit habits.

Round-the-clock monitoring helped scientists to completely follow the habits and life vicissitudes of wild rabbits. For this, night vision devices were used. It turned out that the animals live in families according to strict rules. In each family, there are from 8 to 10 heads of adults, both males and females. But the main (dominant) male is the only one, he chooses a female and the best nest for living. It proves its superiority with the help of strength in martial arts with other males. After that, it consolidates its dominant status, marks everything in a row: territory, defeated males, its females. Marks with a special odorous secret. Can afford to visit other neighboring nests and have fun with neighbors. All out of course best plots with his grass and his beloved passion.

IF YOU NOTICE that the rabbit jumps around the cage and splashes liquid on the sides, this is normal. It means he is healthy and active. Limit the load on the male when mating. There should be no more than 2 coatings per day.

When the leader dies, continuous fights begin, which can last for several days, until a new leader is finally established. If any rabbit feels danger, he notifies all the others by knocking on the ground with his strong hind legs. When a threat arises, males defend their territory from enemies together. In order not to attract predators once again, rabbits lead a silent lifestyle. Only during danger or a fight do they emit a piercing cry resembling a squeak. Those who have watched domestic rabbit fights know what I'm talking about.

DO NOT HOLD two adult males in one cage. You can not constantly keep a male and a female in the same cage. It is not advisable to keep two females in one cage. Young growth must be seated before the onset of their puberty, preferably up to 3 months of age. The rabbit has rather strong hind legs. Beware of shock when picking up a rabbit.

Reproduction.

Nature arranged it so that rabbits could survive in a dense environment of enemies. We have already said that rabbits are saved by deep, long holes, nocturnal lifestyle, camouflage color, silent existence, exceptional agility. But their fertility and precocity are of great importance. For a year, a rabbit can bring offspring from 2 to 5 times. It depends on the climate and latitude. More often (almost all year round) okroly occur in regions with a warm climate and an abundance of food. For example, in the summer in Australia, when all the grass burns out, the rounds do not occur. In southern Europe, breeding lasts from March to October, and in Scandinavia, mainly only in the summer months.

FOR QUICK BREEDING rabbits need an optimal temperature regime, reminiscent of the Mediterranean climate. In cold winters, insulate cages and queen cells, use electric heating. In the heat, create an artificial shade, ensure an uninterrupted supply of water (drinking bowls), arrange ventilation.

The gestation period (about 30 days) and the number of baby rabbits born (from 2 to 12) are the same as in domestic rabbits. AT mating games enter within a few hours after birth. Before birth, the female carefully prepares the nest (up to 30 cm in diameter), lines it with plucked fluff. Cubs are born naked and blind, but grow quickly. Around the 10th day, the eyes begin to open.

By the age of one month, they can graze on their own, crawling upstairs. Around the same time, the female abandons them and starts building a new nest. Such a rush on the one hand plays positive role on the other hand, young individuals often die. Mortality of young animals can reach from 40 - 50%. Sometimes only 10% of individuals live up to a year. The reason here is not only in predators, but also in viral misfortunes such as coccidiosis. Losses are also great from flooding of holes in rainy seasons. It does not always save that the entrances to the burrows are located on hills in dry places.

COCCIDIASIS- a dangerous disease of rabbits, causing their death. It is carried by flies, multiplies in droppings and sewage. Fight flies, regularly clean cages near them.

Here are more examples of how nature uses its resources economically. During dry periods, a pregnant rabbit may not give birth at all. She "feels" that the offspring will not survive anyway and stops nourishing the embryos in the womb. There they die and, as experts say, the pregnancy resolves. At the same time, all the nutrients are absorbed by the mother and she herself avoids starvation. Pregnancy can thus disappear even after 20 days of gestation. In the heat, mostly younger and stronger rabbits give birth. Unlike domestic rabbits, their wild counterparts almost never enter into mating games in the first year of life. Save strength, although sexual maturity occurs by 5-6 months.

NOT ALWAYS failed births may be the result of listeriosis - a disease of the female. If possible, do not plan births during a very hot period. Consistently apply succulent feed and an uninterrupted supply of water.

What and who prevents a wild rabbit from living to old age?

The average life expectancy of rabbits in the wild does not exceed 3 years, although some rare specimens live up to 8 or even 10 years. The reason for this is not always favorable natural conditions, diseases, civil strife, an abundance of natural enemies. Predators who are not averse to profiting from rabbit meat are known to everyone. These are those running on the ground (foxes, martens, ferrets, weasels, rats, stray dogs and cats) and flying (hawks, owls, owls and even crows with magpies).

ESPECIALLY DEFECTIVE little rabbits. They can be dragged or bitten by rats. Ferrets and weasels are dangerous even for adults. Install fine-mesh nets, make cages and queen cells from hardwood. Fight rats and other predators.

Moreover, in countries Western Europe hunting for a wild rabbit is very popular, including with the use of ferrets:

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Order - Lagomorphs / Family - Hares / Genus - Rabbits

History of study

Wild rabbit, or European rabbit (lat. Oryctolagus cuniculus) - a species of rabbit native to southern Europe. The only species of rabbit that was domesticated and gave all the modern variety of breeds. Over the course of history, rabbits have been accidentally or deliberately introduced into many isolated ecosystems, including Australia, where they have upset the balance, often resulting in ecological disaster. The European rabbit was domesticated in Roman times, and rabbits are still raised today for both meat and fur and as pets.

Appearance

Medium-sized animal: body length 31-45 cm, body weight 1.3-2.5 kg. The length of the ears is less than the length of the head, 6-7.2 cm. The feet are pubescent, the claws are long and straight. The coloration of the upper body is usually brownish-gray, sometimes with a reddish tint. The tip of the tail is black or grey. On the back, a dark brown striation is visible, formed by the ends of the guard hairs. At the ends of the ears, black rims are distinguishable; buffy patches on the neck behind the ears. A dull light stripe runs along the sides of the body, ending in a wide spot in the thigh area. The belly is white or light gray. The tail is brown-black above, white below. Quite often (3-5%) there are individuals of aberrant color - black, light gray, white, piebald. There is practically no seasonal color change. There are 44 chromosomes in the karyotype.

Rabbits shed 2 times a year. Spring molt begins in March. Females molt quickly, in about 1.5 months; in males, summer fur appears more slowly and traces of molting can be observed until summer. Autumn molt occurs in September-November.

Spreading

Initially, the rabbit's range was limited to the Iberian Peninsula and isolated areas in southern France and northwestern Africa. However, thanks to human economic activity, the rabbit has settled on all continents except Asia and Antarctica. It is believed that rabbits came to the Mediterranean region along with the Romans; Normans in the 12th century brought them to England and Ireland. In the Middle Ages, the rabbit spread throughout almost all of Europe.

At present, wild rabbits live in most areas of Western and Central Europe, in Scandinavia, in southern Ukraine (including Crimea), in North Africa; acclimatized in South Africa. On the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (in particular, the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira Island, Hawaiian Islands), rabbits were released specifically so that they would breed and serve as a source of food for the crews of passing ships. Total number islands where rabbits have been introduced reaches 500; so, they live in a wild state on a number of islands of the Caspian Sea (Zhiloy, Nargen, Bullo, etc.), where they were brought in the 19th century. In the middle of the XVIII century. rabbits were brought to Chile, from where they had already independently moved to the territory of Argentina. They came to Australia in 1859 and a few years later to New Zealand. In the 1950s rabbits from the San Juan Islands (Washington) were released in the eastern United States.

reproduction

Wild rabbits breed quite often - 2-6 times, each time the hare brings 2-12 rabbits. Pregnancy takes 28-33 days, i.e. a year the female brings 20-30 rabbits. At birth, baby rabbits weigh only 40-50 grams, are completely bare of fur and are blind. Their eyes open only on the 10th day of life, and on the 25th day they can already feed on their own, although the female does not stop feeding them with milk for the first four weeks. They reach sexual maturity at 5-6 months. The maximum life expectancy of wild rabbits is 12-15 years, although most of them do not live up to three years.

Lifestyle

The habitat of wild rabbits also varies considerably, they can live in almost all types of terrain (although they avoid dense forests), the wild rabbit is absolutely not afraid of approaching settlements and can live even in mountainous regions (but do not rise above 600 m above sea level).

The daily activity of a wild rabbit depends on the degree of danger to which he is exposed - the safer he feels, the more active he is during the day. The habitat area, which will be enough for a wild rabbit, is limited to 0.5-20 hectares. Unlike other types of hares, they dig fairly large and deep holes (the largest of them can reach 45 m long, 2-3 m deep and have 4-8 exits). And one more difference between a wild rabbit and other species is that they do not lead a solitary lifestyle, but live in families that consist of 8-10 individuals. In the whole structure of the life of wild rabbits there is a complex hierarchical structure.

Food

When feeding, rabbits do not move more than 100 m from their burrows. In this regard, their diet is not selective, and the composition of feed is determined by their availability. Food is different in winter and summer. In summer, they eat the green parts of herbaceous plants; in the fields and gardens they feed on lettuce, cabbage, various root crops and grain crops. In winter, in addition to dry grass, underground parts of plants are often dug up. A significant role in winter nutrition is played by the shoots and bark of trees and shrubs. In a situation of food shortage, they eat their own feces (coprophagia).

population

There is no threat to reduce the population of wild rabbits; on the contrary, in many countries they are considered pests and exterminated.

Wild rabbit and man

At mass reproduction they harm forestry and agriculture.

They are hunted for fur and meat. The rabbit has been domesticated for over 1000 years. Breeding issues for rabbits industrial purposes engaged in the livestock sector - rabbit breeding. It is believed that rabbit breeding was first organized in French monasteries in 600-1000. n. e. At present, rabbit breeding is an important branch of the world economy; About 66 breeds have been bred, mainly for meat and fur. There are downy and decorative breeds, for example, the Angora rabbit, in which down makes up about 90% of all wool. Domesticated rabbits differ from wild ones in color, fur length and weight - they are able to gain up to 7 kg. Rabbits are widely used as laboratory animals for testing new medications, Food; used for experiments in genetics. Rabbits can also be kept as pets.

In some areas, rabbits, in the absence of natural predators, do great harm by eating vegetation, damaging crops and spoiling the land with their burrows. Yes, on some islands Pacific Ocean the rabbits ate the vegetation, which caused soil erosion and destruction of the coastal area where seabirds nested.

However most damage caused the spread of rabbits in Australia, where they were brought in 1859 (Victoria). 24 brought rabbits bred, and by 1900 their number in Australia was already estimated at 20 million heads. Rabbits eat grass, making food competition for sheep and large cattle. They cause even more damage to the native fauna and flora of Australia, eating relict vegetation and displacing native species that cannot compete with rapidly breeding rabbits. Shooting, poisoned baits are used as measures to combat rabbits; in addition, European predators were brought to Australia - fox, ferret, ermine, weasel. Mesh fences are being installed in places in Australia to prevent rabbits from settling in new areas. The most successful way to deal with these pests was the "bacteriological war" of the 1950s, when they tried to infect rabbits with an acute viral disease - myxomatosis, endemic for South America. The initial effect was very large, in many areas of Australia up to 90% of all rabbits died out. The survivors have developed immunity. The rabbit problem is still acute in Australia and New Zealand.

Photo from http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/cunilive.htm

English name Domestic Rabbit

Initially, rabbits lived in the south of France, on the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly in northwestern Africa. Fossil finds of the first rabbits date back to the Pleistocene. The spread of rabbits is associated with economic activity man, as a result of which they settled in Europe and other parts of the world.

Rabbits living in natural conditions, they do not differ large sizes- body length 350-450 mm, ears 60-70 mm, tail 40-70 mm, and weight 1350-2250 g. The fur on the back is of a dull gray-brown color. The ears are long, they are the same color as the body, the tip is black. The crown is reddish, the neck is dark. The tail is two-tone: brown-black above, white below. The belly of rabbits, as well as the underside of the paws, are reddish-white. The hind legs are relatively long. The feet are well furred, the nails are long and straight.

According to Grzimek (1975), the rabbit prefers to settle in sandy areas, among the hills, overgrown with shrubs, while never climbing into mountains 600 m above sea level. Unlike its hare relatives, the rabbit digs complex burrows that can be up to 3 m deep and up to 45 m long. The diameter of the tunnels is 15 cm, the living quarters are 30-60 cm high. The main passages at the exit to the surface are identified by heaps of earth, the small passages at the exit do not have earthen heaps. A colony of rabbits is known, numbering 407 individuals, which built a network of holes and passages with 2,080 exits. Rabbit Oryctolagus leads night image life, leaving the hole in the evening and returning from feeding in the early morning. Sometimes it can be found at the entrance to the hole in the early morning when it is basking in the sun.

The rabbit feeds on grass and soft parts of plants, and in case of lack of food - bark and twigs of shrubs and trees.

According to Grzimek (1975), the area of ​​a wild rabbit is no more than 20 ha. For scientific purposes, a group of 63 rabbits was captured and then released into the wild. A year later, 15 individuals from the group lived in an area located 100 meters from the place where they were caught. Population densities are often 25-37 birds/ha, and on Skokholm Island (off the southwest coast of Wales) have been as high as 100 rabbits/ha.

Rabbits are polygamous, live in large families, which settle in one hole with many burrows, occupying a plot of 1 ha. Males dig holes. The main female in the harem of the male who owns the territory lives in his hole and, before the birth of offspring, digs a chamber in the side passage. The rest of the females living in the territory of the male raise their offspring in separate burrows. The colony maintains a strict hierarchy and territoriality. High-ranking males have advantages during the breeding season. All males of the colony participate in the defense of their territory from strangers. Mutual assistance exists between members of the colonies, and they notify each other of danger by knocking on the ground with their hind legs.

January to June in England and February to July in Central Europe 90 percent of adult females breed and become pregnant, out of the gestation season are quite rare. Populations introduced into southern hemisphere(Australia), breed all year round, and there are up to 40 rabbits per female rabbit. Pregnancy lasts 28-33 days, in a brood 1-9 rabbits, on average 5-6. Already a few hours after the birth, the rabbits are ready for mating, which immediately happens. Thus, a female can produce 5-7 litters or more per season (on average 3-4 litters), giving birth annually to more than 30 young (on average 20). AT northern populations with less favorable climatic conditions, the growth of the colony occurs at a slower pace, and the female accounts for no more than 10-12 rabbits per year. There is evidence that at least 60 percent of pregnancies are not carried to birth, and the embryos are resorbed in the mother's body. Newborns are born in specially equipped minks, lined with leaves and grass, which suits the rabbit. Cubs are born naked, blind and deaf, at birth they weigh 40-50 g (data from Grzimek 1975). They open their eyes after 10 days and leave the nest 3 weeks after birth, mother feeds them with milk until 4 weeks of age. Animals mature already at the age of 5-6 months. In wild populations, young rabbits rarely breed in the first year of life, more often this occurs in the next breeding season. weeks. In conditions of detention, young rabbits are able to produce offspring as early as three months of age. The reproductive period in rabbits lasts up to 6 years, their life expectancy is up to 9 years (Grzimek 1975).

Old world rabbits for a long time were considered and still are considered good game and the meat of these animals is used for food. It is assumed that in the Mediterranean region, rabbits came with the Romans, they were brought to England and Ireland by the Normans in the XII century. Currently, they live in most areas of Western Europe with a mild climate, including Scandinavia, in the east - to Poland and southern Ukraine (a large colony is known in the vicinity of Odessa). On the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, island populations have isolated themselves (on the Azores, Canary Islands and Madeira). Their distribution on the islands was associated with human economic activity: rabbits were released to uninhabited islands so that they would breed and serve as a source of food for the crews of ships that stopped on the islands to rest, sailing across the Atlantic. According to Flux and Fullagar (1983), there are 550 islands and island groups where rabbits have been introduced. In the middle of the 18th century, rabbits were introduced to Chile, where they bred and made their way to Argentina on their own (Howard and Amaya 1975). Rabbits were introduced to Australia in 1859 and to New Zealand a few years later (Grzimek 1975). In the 1950s rabbits from the San Juan Islands (Washington), were released in the eastern United States, but so far visible results not visible.

Until now, in Europe, rabbits are considered agricultural pests and an object of hunting. The reason for this is the extraordinary fecundity of rabbits and the absence of natural predators that would hold back the growth of the population. On some Pacific islands, rabbits have eaten all the vegetation, causing soil erosion and the destruction of the coastal zone, which is a nesting place for many seabirds.

However, the spread of rabbits in Australia and New Zealand caused the most acute problem. There, rabbits eat grass, making food competition to sheep, and their distribution poses a threat to unique marsupials of australia who can not stand the competition with rabbits. The government encourages the shooting of rabbits, exports rabbit skins and frozen meat abroad. However, rabbit meat is not in high demand on the international market and is more for local consumption, and the skins of wild rabbits are not of such high quality as to be widely used in industry. In the 1950s attempts were made to spread maximatosis (myxomatosis), which caused a significant reduction in the population, but immunity to this disease began to be developed in local rabbits.

Rabbit breeding was first organized in French monasteries in 600-1000 AD. AD (Flux and Fullagar 1983). At present, rabbit breeding is an important industry in the world. Agriculture. According to the American Rabbit Breeders Association, 66 breeds and species of rabbits are known. Most domestic rabbits bear little resemblance to their wild counterparts. They are able to collect a large mass body (with the exception of dwarf species), reaching 7.25 kg. The type of fur and color of domestic rabbits also varies.

Rabbits are laboratory animals, drugs are tested on them, new foodstuffs are tested, they are used for experiments in genetics.

Wild rabbits settle mainly in areas with shrub vegetation and rugged terrain - along beams, ravines, steep shores of seas and estuaries, abandoned quarries. Less common in forest belts, gardens, parks and very rarely in arable fields, where modern methods tillage destroys its burrows.

They do not avoid the neighborhood of a person, settling on the outskirts of settlements, in landfills and wastelands. The mountains do not rise above 600 m above sea level. Important for rabbits is the nature of the soil suitable for digging; they prefer to settle on light sandy or sandy loamy soils and avoid dense clay or rocky areas.

On the daily activity the rabbit is strongly affected by the level of anxiety. Where rabbits are not disturbed, they are active mostly during the day; when pursued and in anthropogenic biotopes, they switch to a nocturnal lifestyle. At night they are active from 11 p.m. to sunrise, in winter - from midnight to dawn.

Wild rabbits are sedentary, occupying areas of 0.5-20 hectares. The territory is marked with the odorous secretion of the skin glands (inguinal, anal, chin). Unlike hares, rabbits dig deep complex burrows in which they spend a significant part of their lives. Some burrows have been used by rabbits for many generations, turning into real labyrinths, covering an area of ​​up to 1 ha. For digging, rabbits choose elevated areas. Sometimes he makes holes in the cracks of rocks, in old quarries, under the foundations of buildings. Burrows are of two types:

• simple, with 1-3 exits and a nesting chamber at a depth of 30-60 cm; they are probably occupied by young and single individuals;
• complex, with 4-8 exits, up to 45 m long and up to 2-3 m deep.

The entrance to the burrow is wide, up to 22 cm in diameter; at a distance of 85 cm from the entrance, the passage narrows to 15 cm in diameter. Living quarters have a height of 30-60 cm. The entrances to the main tunnels are identified by heaps of earth, small passages at the exit do not have earthen heaps. Rabbits usually do not go far from burrows and feed on adjacent areas, hiding in the burrow at the slightest danger. Rabbits leave inhabited burrows only when they are destroyed or the vegetation around the burrow is severely degraded. Rabbits do not run very fast, not reaching speeds above 20-25 km / h, but very nimble, so it is difficult to catch an adult rabbit.

Rabbits live in family groups of 8-10 adults. Groups have a rather complex hierarchical structure. The dominant male occupies the main burrow; the dominant female and her offspring live with him. Subordinate females live and raise offspring in separate burrows. The dominant male has the advantage during the breeding season. Most rabbits are polygamous, but some males are monogamous and stay on the territory of one particular female. Males jointly defend the colony from strangers. Mutual assistance exists between the members of the colony; they alert each other of danger by tapping the ground with their hind legs.