Oryctolagus cuniculus, rabbit
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Taxonomy
cellular organisms - Eukaryota - Fungi/Metazoa group - Metazoa - Eumetazoa - Bilateria - Coelomata - Deuterostomia - Chordata - Craniata - Vertebrata - Gnathostomata - Teleostomi - Euteleostomi - Sarcopterygii - Tetrapoda - Amniota - Mammalia - Theria - Eutheria - Euarchontoglires - Glires - Lagomorpha - Leporidae - Oryctolagus - Oryctolagus cuniculus
Brief facts
- Rabbits are native to Europe, but because of human actions and adaptability today they exist in the wild on every continent except Asia and Antarctica. In many countries rabbits are considered invasive pests. However, in such countries as Australia and New Zealand they are considered a scourge and are blamed for extinction of many native species: they eat native herbs, damage crops and facilitate flourishing of many not-native predators such as foxes and feral cats.
- Rabbits were domesticated about 1,500 years ago. They were kept for their meat and fur. In their behavior domesticated rabbits do not differ significantly from their wild counterparts. Most differences are observed in temperament - majority of domesticated rabbits are more docile than wild rabbits.
- Rabbits were introduced to Britain by Normans soon after the Conquest of 1066. Rabbits were housed in every conceivable manner - in pits, cellars, boxes, barrels, outbuildings, and in rabbit courts. Escaped colored rabbits interbred with the common grey and their offspring were called parkers. At the end of 19th century abundance of wild rabbits made their trapping and ferreting more profitable than maintaining a rabbit warren.
- The Angora rabbits were in existence prior to 1723. Other breeds started to shape up only at the beginning of 19th century. By the late 19th century more than 10 breeds were established including the Lop, Dutch, and Patagonian (now extinct). The Californian, an American breed, was established in 1923. The breed combines the size of the New Zealand White, the quality of fur of the Chinchilla, and the fine bone structure of the Himalayan. Commercial rabbit breeders specializing on production of meat and fur primarily breed New Zealand Whites and Californians. Today there are about 76 recognized breeds of domesticated rabbits that vary tremendously in size, fur type, coloration, and general appearance.
- The rabbit is a test species commonly used in in vivo hazard identification tests to determine the developmental toxicity potential of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and many other chemicals. Rabbit serves as a model organism in developmental biology, surgery, and in studies of many congenital, acquired (cancer and others), and infectious diseases (syphilis).
Reproductive traits
- Rabbits are induced ovulators, which means that ovulation in female occurs after mating. Females are going through periods of receptivity (estrus) that last about 7-10 days, followed with a "quiet" period (interestrus) for 1-2 days.
- Female rabbits can be very aggressive toward males. Because of it, female taken to male for mating should be watched closely. If female is receptive, they will mate twice within about 30 minutes, after which they should be separated.
- Female builds a nest by collecting mouthfuls of nesting material (usually dry, long grass), which she carries to an underground nesting site. She lines the nest with her own fur, which she plucks from her own body. She closes the nest by digging soil into the tunnel and then patting it down by alternate, downward thrusts of the forepaws. She then deposits a few drops of urine and a few fecal pellets on the top. The pattern can be sometimes observed in domesticated rabbits at the entrance of their cage/pen nest box.
Developmental stages (life cycle)
A breeding doe in captivity can provide 40 young per year (5 litters of 8, or 4 litters of 10). Rabbits are more sexually active during long photoperiods (spring and summer). In the late fall - early winter productivity decreases even in domestic rabbits.
- prenatal
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post natal
- neonate until 1-1.5 week of age; neonates are naked, blind and helpless (altricial); the mother visits the nest for only a few minutes each day to nurse them
- juvenile until sexual maturity (about 8 months); juveniles are weaned at about 4 weeks of age and become independent
- adult age of sexual maturity is attained at 3-5 months of age for males and females depending on the breed; lifespan is up to 12 years in captivity
Video
Wild rabbit eating grass on lawn in Bethesda (6/24/2011, Maryland, United States)
References
- Major topic "Rabbits": free full text articles in PubMed
- Pitt JA, Carney EW. Development of a morphologically-based scoring system for postimplantation New Zealand White rabbit embryos. Teratology. 1999 Feb;59(2):88-101.
- Refinements in rabbit husbandry. Second report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement. British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation. Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments. Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Lab Anim. 1993 Oct;27(4):301-29.
- Calasans-Maia MD et al. The rabbit as an animal model for experimental surgery. Acta Cir Bras. 2009 Jul-Aug.
- Mullan SM, Main DC. Behaviour and personality of pet rabbits and their interactions with their owners. Vet Rec. 2007 Apr 14.
- Graham J. Common procedures in rabbits. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2006 May.
- Brower M. Practitioner's guide to pocket pet and rabbit theriogenology. Theriogenology. 2006 Aug.
- Beaudoin S, Barbet P, Bargy F. Developmental stages in the rabbit embryo: guidelines to choose an appropriate experimental model. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2003 Nov-Dec.
- Peeters MC et al. Neurulation in the rabbit embryo. Anat Embryol (Berl). 1998 Mar.
- Beyer C et al. Neuroendocrine regulation of estrous behavior in the rabbit: similarities and differences with the rat. Horm Behav. 2007 Jun.
- Animal Diversity Web: Oryctolagus cuniculus
- Domestic rabbit: comparative placentation
- Obese rabbits at risk by Dr. Jackie Schulman, DVM
