Where do wild rabbits live in nature? Eared brethren in nature: wild rabbits European rabbits

A rabbit is a mammal that belongs to the order Lagomorpha, family Lagoraceae. These animals are not only bred for meat and fur, but also kept at home as decorative pets.

Rabbits are often confused with rodents, and were once even classified as general class rodents. An important difference between rabbits and rodents is that rodents have 2 incisors on their upper jaw, while rabbits have 4 incisors on their upper jaw, growing one after the other. Rabbits have a total of 28 teeth. 16 teeth are located on the upper jaw: 4 of them are incisors and 6 molars on each side. There are 12 teeth on the lower jaw: 2 incisors and 5 molars on each side. Newborn rabbits have 16 baby teeth (6 incisors and 10 false molars). Animals have no fangs, and between the molars and incisors there is a space of about 3 centimeters.

The incisors are used for cutting food, and the molars are used for chewing it. Rabbits' incisors do not have roots and grow throughout the animal's life, increasing by an average of 2.5 mm per week. Due to this fact, animals need to constantly consume roughage and wear away the growing part of their teeth.

How long do rabbits live?

IN wildlife The life expectancy of rabbits usually does not exceed 3-4 years. Under proper home conditions, rabbits live from 4-5 to 13-15 years. The oldest domestic rabbit died at the age of 19.

The lifespan of rabbits can vary depending on:

breed affiliation,
genetic characteristics,
feeding,
in males - on the frequency of mating,
in females - on the frequency of childbirth.

That is why, if they do not plan to produce offspring from rabbits, individuals are sometimes sterilized, which increases the life expectancy of animals.

Rabbits of meat and down breeds live on average 4 years, but with reduced intensity or complete absence reproduction of offspring and high-quality maintenance, this figure increases to 5-7 years.

Decorative rabbits live at home from 5 to 8 years, although among them there are specimens that live up to 10-12 years.

Dwarf rabbits have an average lifespan of 5-7 years, but with good and attentive care, some individuals live 12-13 years.

Without having necessary information and experience, a rabbit can easily be confused with, although these animals have a number of characteristic distinctive features:

Where do rabbits live in the wild?

Most rabbit species live in North America, followed by South American countries. Also, the modern distribution area of rabbits includes Africa, Western and Central Europe, Scandinavian and Mediterranean countries, islands Pacific Ocean and Atlantic. However, thanks to the domestication of the wild European rabbit (lat. Oryctolagus cuniculus), which originally lived only in the south of Europe, today these eared animals have spread across almost all continents.

Rabbits are animals that lead an exclusively terrestrial existence, most often choosing to live in places with rugged terrain and fairly dense vegetation. They prefer to settle along ravines and ravines with steep banks, and feel comfortable in forests, meadows and clearings overgrown with bushes or tall grass. But mountain areas, located above 500-600 meters above sea level, and heavily swampy areas, most species try to avoid.

Rabbits often live in close proximity to humans, choosing wastelands or landfills, as well as the outskirts of populated areas. An important factor When choosing a habitat, the peculiarity of the soil is important: rabbits often dig holes, and sometimes entire systems of underground passages, so they try to choose areas with light soils, since it is quite difficult to build a hole in clayey and rocky soils. Animals often occupy ready-made holes dug and abandoned by other animals.

Most species of rabbits lead a sedentary existence, occupying a certain territory from 0.5 to 20 hectares, which is marked with an odorous secretion. An individual site is occupied by a family group of 8-10 adult individuals, headed by a dominant male and female.

What do rabbits eat?

The basis of the rabbits' diet is the green parts of plants, and the menu is formed by available feed. In addition to herbs, wild and cultivated grains, cabbage, lettuce, root vegetables, and sometimes small insects. Winter diet includes the bark and branches of trees, underground parts of plants that can be removed from under the snow. In the absence of food, rabbits practice coprophagy - eating their own feces.

Types of rabbits, photos and names.

Modern classification within the hare family distinguishes several genera of rabbits, most of which are American varieties. Below are descriptions and photographs of some types:

, aka European rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus)

the only species of domesticated rabbit that has given birth to many modern breeds. This small animal grows in length up to 31-45 cm with a body weight of 1.3-2.5 kg. The ears of a rabbit are shorter than the skull and have a length of 6 to 7.2 cm. The back of a wild rabbit is brownish-gray in color, maybe with a reddish mark. A faded strip of light fur runs along the sides of the animal, forming a wide spot on the hips. The belly is white or light gray, the tips of the ears are trimmed with black, the tip of the tail is black or gray, the bottom of the tail is white, the top is black-brown. In 3-5% of cases there are rabbits of black, light gray, white or motley color. The main habitats of the rabbit are rugged bush landscapes: ravines, quarries, coastal cliffs - places with easy, sandy soil, convenient for digging winding holes. Wild rabbits They eat leaves and stems of plants; they harvest cabbage, lettuce, and grain crops in fields and gardens. With the onset of cold weather, the main source of food becomes the bark and branches of trees and shrubs; in the absence of food, their own excrement. The wild rabbit is spread over all continents except Antarctica and Asia. In Russia it can be found in the North Caucasus and the Azov region.

Water bunny(Sylvilagus aquaticus)

It swims well, which is how it got its name. The large animal grows in length up to 45-55 cm and weighs from 1.6 to 2.7 kg. The overall color of a rabbit's fur ranges from red-brown to almost black, with only the throat, belly and underside of the tail being white and the eyes having a dark ring around them. The basis of nutrition consists of various herbs and grains, including reed. The water rabbit lives in swamps and other wet areas of the southern United States: from Texas to South Carolina.

Red rabbit(Pronolagus randensis)

a species of African rabbit that lives exclusively in mountainous areas. The red rabbit has a fairly large body with a length of 42 to 50 cm and large ears. The rabbit weighs about 2.3 kg. A distinctive feature of the species is the light silky fur of red-brown with gray color and a large brick-colored tail with a black tip. These animals feed on insects and all kinds of vegetation: cereals, leaves, fruits. The largest population of animals lives in the rocky mountains of Africa: in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Idaho rabbit, aka pygmy rabbit(Brachylagus idahoensis)

the smallest rabbit in the world, it is distinguished by very short hind legs, and therefore does not have the ability to move by jumping, like other hares. Representatives of the species grow in length from 22 to 28 cm with a body weight from 250 to 450 g. The fur of the rabbit on the back is yellow-brown in color, the belly and paws are lighter. The Idaho rabbit is a typical representative of the fauna of the northwestern states of the United States (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), where it usually lives in thickets of three-toothed sagebrush, which is its main source of food.

Rabbit Nuttala(Sylvilagus nuttallii)

very similar to the American snowshoe hare, but differs in its smaller size and a characteristic brown spot on the back of the head. The body length of the mammal is 33-40 cm, the tail length is 2.5-5 cm. Representatives of the species have very long hind legs with large feet covered with long thick hair. The main fur color is light brown. The rabbit feeds on grasses such as wheatgrass, bluegrass and quinoa, with bark and plant branches added in winter. The Nuttala rabbit lives in mountainous regions of Canada and the United States (from Arizona to the Cascade Mountains).

California rabbit(Sylvilagus bachmani)

a large animal, growing up to 50 cm in length. The weight of a rabbit is about 4 kg. A distinctive feature is the rabbit’s ability to successfully climb low trees and bushes. The animal feeds on various herbs, berries and leaves of thicket vegetation (for example), in which it prefers to live. The species' range extends across Central America along the Pacific coast from Colombia in the south to the Sierra Nevada in the east.

Steppe rabbit(Sylvilagus audubonii)

externally resembles the European wild rabbit, but is much different big ears with vertical position. The size of rabbits ranges from 33 to 43 cm with a weight of about 1.5 kg, and the length of the ears reaches 10 cm. The color of the back is grayish-brown, the belly is almost white. Steppe rabbits eat various grains, herbs, and also those growing in their favorite place habitat - desert grasslands of the American southwest. The steppe rabbit can also be found in more humid areas - pine-juniper forests. The species range extends across western territory North America through Texas to Central Mexico.

Tailless rabbit, aka volcano rabbit or teporingo(Romerolagus diazi)

one of the smallest rabbits that lives only in the mountains of Central Mexico near the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes. Its length does not exceed 32 cm, and its weight barely reaches 600 g. The animal is distinguished by compact, rounded ears and such a small tail that it is impossible to see it. Tailless rabbits live in pine forests located high in the mountains, often up to 4.2 km above sea level. The main food of a rabbit is herbaceous vegetation. The biotopes of these animals cover forests, steppes, meadows, pastures, deserts, as well as wet, marshy lands.

Rabbit breeding

Rabbits are considered one of the most prolific mammals and can reproduce all year round, during which one female rabbit brings from 3 to 5 litters. Puberty rabbits are born at the age of 5-6 months, so rabbits born at the beginning of the year are already able to reproduce in the summer. Rabbits are polygamous animals, although some individuals are monogamous, and males live in the territory of a particular female rabbit.

The gestation period for rabbits lasts from 28 to 40 days, and litters can range from 2 to 12 young, although 4 to 7 are common. The largest litter recorded is 24 rabbits.

American rabbits build nests on the ground; burrowing females make a nest underground, lining the bottom with fluff combed from their bellies.

Newborn rabbits usually weigh 40-50 grams and mature on the 10th day, and on the 25th day they are completely ready for independent life, although they are fed with mother’s milk for another week.

Starting from 3-4 weeks of life, little rabbits begin to eat food in addition to their mother's milk.

Despite caring for the offspring, many females are ready to mate within a few hours after giving birth.

In 60% of pregnancies, the embryos are resorbed, but on average, one female rabbit increases the overall population by 20-30 rabbits per year.

Decorative rabbits: maintenance and care

The wild rabbit was domesticated more than a thousand years ago, and since then various breeds decorative rabbits kept as pets. All potential rabbit owners should be aware that these chewing and digging animals can cause significant property damage.

The rabbit will need a spacious cage, 4 times the size of the animal. Domestic rabbits are very sensitive animals, so the cage is located in a place where there are no drafts or direct sunlight.

The rabbit's home should have a place for a tray, a drinking bowl, a feeder, and preferably for a decorative shelter house. Sawdust, straw or shavings are poured into the tray and changed regularly.

What to feed rabbits at home?

The basis of a domestic rabbit's diet is hay, of which there should always be plenty, feed and water. Feed pellets are important for normal digestion, hay provides thick feces, and water should be boiled and always fresh.

Additional food for decorative rabbits can consist of various herbs: chamomile, mouse peas, alfalfa, chickweed, yarrow, oak in small quantities.

As mineral supplements use salt and vitamin stone, chalk. In summer, young tree leaves are added to the diet, and in winter - conifer branches.

Rabbit breeds with photos and names

Today, in rabbit farming there are many breeds of rabbits, and animals are usually divided according to productivity into several groups depending on body weight and hair length. This classification identifies:

Meat breeds,
Fur (meat-skin) breeds,
Downy breeds,
Decorative and dwarf breeds.

There is also a classification of breeds by country. Below are just a few of the countries:

German breeds of rabbits (German Motley Giant, Riesen, German Ram, German Ober);
Soviet breeds of rabbits (Soviet Chinchilla, Soviet Marder, Russian Ermine, Gray Giant);
French breeds of rabbits (Alaska, French Papillon, Champagne, French Ram, Rex, Chinchilla, Burgundy, Silver, Hotot, Harlequin);
American breeds of rabbits (California, New Zealand White, American Sable, Palomino, Silver Fox, American Fluffy Fold).

Meat rabbits, photos and descriptions

Rabbits of meat breeds have fairly developed muscles, quickly fatten up and have a large slaughter weight. Young animals are ready to be sold for meat at the age of three to four months, and by six months the rabbit produces a good skin. Below is a description of some meat rabbit breeds with photographs:

Burgundy rabbit

This is a breed developed in France. The animals have a slightly elongated body with a short neck and a fairly wide back, chest and croup. Burgundy rabbits grow very quickly and gain weight: at the age of four months, an individual reaches a weight of 4-4.5 kg. This precocity of the breed is very much appreciated by rabbit breeders who raise rabbits for meat.

This is a French breed of rabbit. The animal is distinguished by a strong but harmonious constitution with developed muscles. Silver rabbits have a body length of 54-57 cm, as well as large and wide chests and croup. The weight of an adult rabbit is from 4.5 to 6.7 kg. Distinctive feature breed - a silvery-smoky shade of fur, which is evenly colored throughout the entire skin.

Breeders are still arguing about the origin of the breed and have not come to a consensus about the country in which the Flanders appeared, although they are more inclined to Belgium. Rabbits of the Flanders breed are distinguished by their rather large dimensions: with a slightly elongated body length of 65-67 cm, the weight of the animal can reach 10-12 kg. The color of the thick fur varies from gray to gray-black, grayish-red, sand, silver or white. The Flanders rabbit is very prolific and easy to care for, grows quickly, and is therefore considered one of the best meat breeds.

Rabbits Risen

This is a breed from Germany. Today, Risen rabbits are considered the largest among their long-eared counterparts. With a massive body length of 70-75 cm, some specimens reach a weight of 12-14 kg. The color of the skin can be very different: dark gray, sand, blue, black, brown-gray.

California rabbit

This is a meat rabbit breed bred in the USA. The animals have a special color: the body is white, and the tail, nose, limbs and ears are black, chocolate and gray-blue. The massive, stocky body perfectly meets the criteria inherent in meat breeds. Rabbits of the Californian breed grow quickly: five-month-old animals weigh 3-3.7 kg, and at the age of six months they gain weight up to 6-7 kg.

KEY FACTS
Name: Wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Distribution: Throughout the European mainland and the British Isles; the species has been introduced to other parts of the world, for example, to Australia
Social group size: 30-60 per burrow; 2-8 in a family group
Gestation period: 30 days
Gaining independence: 24-26 days
Territory: 0.25-15 hectares, depending on group size and food availability

A young wild rabbit comes out of a burrow.

The wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is perhaps the most famous animal found in Europe.

Most of us have seen rabbits on TV or in movies, or read about them in books. Many people keep domesticated rabbits, which are not much different from their wild relatives. What is social life wild animals and what happens when they disappear into their underground burrows?

Favorite home

Rabbits lead social image life. They live in colonies in complex underground labyrinths known as rabbit warrens, or burrows. A large burrow provides shelter for dozens of rabbits and can be built and expanded over many generations over hundreds of years. Digging tunnels is primarily the responsibility of female rabbits, while males are more occupied with defending their territories from invaders.

Rabbits choose sloping slopes for their burrows to avoid flooding, the main danger for underground animals. They dig tunnels in dense soils. This is additional protection from predators such as badgers, which often dig up rabbit holes. Each rabbit hutch has one or more main entrances (15-20 cm in diameter), paved with handfuls of earth. Additional exits are dug from the inside and carefully covered with vegetation. When rabbits move within the cage, such inconspicuous exits allow them to avoid being seen by predators. The cage area usually occupies 100 m2; there can be up to 50 secret exits in this area.

Rabbit burrows are connected by many tunnels, the width of which usually does not exceed 15 cm, but in some places they increase significantly in size. Rabbits can move freely throughout the entire territory of their cage, but large enemies such as foxes will not be able to get here. The labyrinthine layout also helps to confuse and small predators that can climb into a hole, such as stoats and weasels.

Family

Each cage contains a large colony of rabbits, but it is divided into smaller ones social groups, or family. Usually from two to six female rabbits unite, and one or two males join them. Female rabbits are often relatives, since they tend to remain in their own family. And young males are not so attached to their relatives: they often join another family or even another cage.

The area of the territory around the burrow can vary from 0.25 to 15 hectares. Rabbits defend their possessions together. Dominant males mark boundaries with musky secretions from the mental gland. In the same way, parents mark their cubs so that in the colony they are not confused with members of another group. The rabbits' latrine is located outside the cage, and the burrow is kept in order. Feces are also used to mark a rabbit's territory.

During mating season rabbits are very attached to their territory and drive away strangers from other cages, especially males. However, after the mating season ends, the border guards relax. At this time, young males strive to find their place in a new family group or colony. Old males, who can no longer be dominant in the colony, or young individuals who have not yet found a permanent home, lead a solitary lifestyle outside the cage. They are called satellite males.

Rabbits are most active in the morning and evening. During the day they hide in burrows or bask in the sun near the entrance.

Baby rabbits at the entrance to their burrow in the fields of Scotland. These cubs have “ears on top of their heads” and a wary appearance - they are always ready to dive underground and run away from danger.

Rabbits' eyes are located on the sides of their heads, which allows them to see everything around them without turning around, and large, movable ears and sensitive hearing help them detect danger. Noticing a threat, the rabbit knocks its hind paws on the ground, warning its relatives on the surface and those in underground burrows. When a rabbit runs away from danger, the bright white tip of its tail serves as a signal to others.

During the mating season, before mating, the male takes care of the female: he circles around her, waves his tail and splashes urine on her. If the female rabbit is interested, she stops and approaches the male, patting her tail as a sign of favor.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy, or the gestation period, lasts 30 days in rabbits. After half the period has passed, the females begin to look for a place for a nest. This may be a dead-end tunnel in a common burrow or a small tunnel located separately from the main cage. Dominant female rabbits gain access to the best and safest places. Females actively fight for them, often injuring each other in fights, and sometimes even killing. When a burrow is overcrowded and there are not enough nesting sites, some female rabbits leave and establish their own burrows.

A few days before giving birth, female rabbits line nests for newborns with dry grass and fur from their tummies. Rabbits are born blind and helpless, but their mothers do not pay them enough attention. The female rabbits leave the babies on their own and cover the entrance to the hole with earth. They visit the nest every night only to feed the babies. It happens that females do not come to the babies and do not feed them for 2 days. Nevertheless, the children survive, and the mother’s rare visits actually help protect the babies: each visit by the female puts the rabbits in danger, because at that moment they can be discovered by predators watching the rabbit.

Hearing in rabbits develops already on the seventh day after birth, and vision on the tenth. At the age of 12 days they become very nimble, and after another 6 days they leave the nest for the first time. Baby rabbits must quickly become independent, because the mother leaves the nest when they are only 25 days old. At this age they begin to take care of themselves. The period of gaining independence is very risky for rabbits. Typically, out of ten babies, only one survives to adulthood. At 5-8 months, surviving individuals are ready to have their own babies.

Wild, or European, rabbit- a cute, sociable animal and the distant ancestor of all breeds of domestic rabbits. It is unusually prolific and easily adapts to life in a wide variety of natural conditions.

HABITAT

In the past, wild rabbits were distributed throughout Europe, but during the Ice Age they survived only in the Iberian Peninsula and North-West Africa. With climate warming, the animals settled again in Europe and Western Asia, and later colonists brought them to Australia. New Zealand And South America. Most often, rabbits live in open meadows, pastures and fields, preferring sunlit areas with sandy soil, ravines and hills. They feel best in temperate climate, but they easily get used to completely different conditions.

LIFESTYLE

Wild rabbits live in large groups. A colony of animals occupies a certain territory, the boundaries of which are marked by urine, as well as the odorous secretion of the anal and submandibular glands. There is a strict hierarchy in the group. The dominant couple occupies the most best places in the center, and subordinate group members live on the outskirts of the colony. Wild rabbits usually live in burrows, but are no less willing to settle in old quarries. The colony is a complex labyrinth of residential burrows and winding underground corridors with a large number inputs. Rabbits lead night image life. In the evening twilight, the animals emerge from their holes, look around the surroundings for a long time and intently, and only when they feel completely safe do they go outside to devote the entire night to feeding. The basis of the rabbit diet is cereals and other herbs, including weeds. During the winter lack of food, the animals gnaw thin twigs and tree bark. Rabbits have a great many natural enemies, so they are constantly on guard. Rabbits are hunted by foxes, wolves, lynxes, forest cats, feathered predators, and sometimes domestic dogs. Sensing danger, the rabbit grinds its teeth and stomps its hind paws to warn its relatives. Having taken to its heels, the rabbit does not run very fast, but nimblely, and the flickering of its white tail serves as an alarm signal for neighbors and distracts the attention of the pursuer. A rabbit, like a hare, digests plant foods in two stages. By eating its soft feces mixed with mucus, the animal compensates for the lack of vitamins (especially group B) and enriches the microflora of its digestive tract. Secondary digested feces no longer contain fiber and are excreted from the body in the form of dry and hard peas. This phenomenon - caecotrophy - allows the rabbit to more efficiently extract nutrients from the food eaten.

REPRODUCTION

The rabbit is famous for its incredible fertility. One female brings up to 6 litters of 2-10 rabbits per year (on average 5-7, maximum 12). The breeding season begins at the end of winter and lasts until the end of summer. During this period, the dominant female chooses the safest burrow in the central part of the colony for the nest. The remaining females of the group are forced to content themselves with burrows on the outskirts of the rabbit town. The female lines the nest with dry grass and hair plucked from her abdomen, and after a pregnancy that lasts about a month, she gives birth to cubs. Immediately after lambing, the female mates again. Baby rabbits are born blind, deaf, naked and weigh from 25 to 40 g. Having barely recovered from childbirth, the mother goes to feed, but often returns to the nest to feed the babies milk. By the end of the first week of life, the baby rabbits grow fur and learn to walk. At 10 days old, babies begin to see clearly, and after another 6 days they begin to eat plant foods.

At the age of one month, the rabbits are already completely independent, and the mother stops feeding them milk. The mortality rate of juveniles is very high, since they are easy prey even for small predators such as badgers, otters and cats.

DID YOU KNOW?

Although farmers consider wild rabbits to be harmful pests, they still provide some benefits. When in the 50s. In the 20th century, their European population was greatly reduced due to viral myxomatosis; fields and vegetable gardens were quickly filled with weeds, including sow thistle.
In the 1st century AD e. The ancient Romans domesticated wild rabbits, valuing their tasty and tender meat. In the Middle Ages, rabbits began to be bred throughout Central Europe, and in the 16th century the first domestic breeds appeared, differing from their wild relatives in size, color and coat length. Currently, there are about 50 breeds of rabbits.
In 1859, European settlers brought 16 rabbits to Australia. Without having natural enemies, the animals began to multiply so quickly that after 30 years their population reached 200 million. Eating vegetation in pastures, damaging crops and spoiling land with their burrows, rabbits turned into a real disaster. According to biologists, their expansion caused the extinction of several species of marsupials.

RELATED SPECIES

The Zaitsev family unites over 40 species of hares and rabbits, inhabiting all continents except Antarctica. Some species of these animals are very numerous and are found in a variety of places, while others are rare and strictly certain territory. Rabbits eat plants and typically live in burrows. These animals are extremely prolific and often cause enormous damage to crops.

It is found on the slopes of volcanoes in the vicinity of Mexico City, forming groups of up to five individuals. It has short ears and grayish-brown fur. Doesn't dig holes.

- the smallest of all rabbits. Inhabits the eastern states of the United States, leading a solitary lifestyle. Can climb branches of bushes.

- lives in the southeastern states of the USA. Swims excellently and builds nests from aquatic plants.

Wild rabbits settle mainly in areas with shrub vegetation and rugged terrain - along gullies, ravines, steep banks seas and estuaries, abandoned quarries. They are less common in forest belts, gardens, parks, and very rarely in arable fields, where modern tillage methods destroy its burrows.

They do not avoid human proximity, settling on the outskirts settlements, in landfills and vacant lots. The mountains do not rise above 600 m above sea level. The nature of the soil, suitable for digging, is important for rabbits; they prefer to settle on light sandy or sandy loam soils and avoid dense clay or rocky areas.

On daily activity A rabbit is greatly affected by anxiety levels. Where rabbits are not disturbed, they are active mainly during the day; when persecuted and in anthropogenic biotopes, they switch to a nocturnal lifestyle. At night they are active from 23:00 to sunrise, in winter - from midnight to dawn.

Wild rabbits are sedentary, occupying areas of 0.5-20 hectares. The territory is marked with an odorous secretion from the skin glands (inguinal, anal, mental). 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 hectare. Rabbits choose elevated areas for digging. Sometimes it makes burrows in rock cracks, in old quarries, under the foundations of buildings. There are two types of burrows:

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 hole 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. The 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 heaps of earth. Rabbits usually do not stray far from their holes and feed in adjacent areas, hiding in the hole 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 higher than 20-25 km/h, but they are 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 an advantage during the breeding season. Most rabbits are polygamous, but some males are monogamous and stay in the territory of one specific female. Males jointly defend the colony from strangers. There is mutual assistance between the members of the colony; they notify each other of danger by striking the ground with their hind paws.

Appearance

A small 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 color of the upper body is usually brownish-gray, sometimes with a reddish tint. The tip of the tail is black or gray. On the back there is a noticeable dark brown streaking formed by the ends of the guard hairs. Black edges are visible at the ends of the ears; there are buffy spots on the neck behind the ears. Along the sides of the body there is a dull light stripe, ending in a wide spot in the hip 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 coloring - black, light gray, white, piebald. There is practically no seasonal color change. There are 44 chromosomes in a karyotype.

Rabbits shed 2 times a year. Spring molting 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 the south of France and northwestern Africa: it was here that these heat-loving animals survived after the last great ice age. However, thanks to human economic activity, the rabbit has spread to all continents except Asia and Antarctica. It is believed that rabbits came to the Mediterranean region 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.

The determining factor for the optimal life activity of the species is the minimum number of days with snow cover per year (up to 37), as well as maximum quantity winters without stable snow cover (on average no less than 79%). If the number of days with snow cover exceeds this indicator, the rabbit population takes on a pulsating character, i.e. in mild winters, in case of overcrowding, rabbits from more southern regions move to more northern ones, where they die again in more harsh winters. The maximum possible threshold is 102 days with snow cover.

Currently, wild rabbits live in most regions of Western and Central Europe, Scandinavia, southern Ukraine, Crimea, North Africa; acclimatized in South Africa. On the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific and Atlantic oceans (in particular on the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira Islands, Hawaiian Islands), rabbits were released specifically so that they would reproduce and serve as a source of food for the crews of passing ships. Total number the number of islands where rabbits were introduced reaches 500; Thus, they live in a wild state on a number of islands of the Caspian Sea (Zhiloi, Nargen, Bullo, etc.), where they were brought in the 19th century. In the middle of the 18th century. rabbits were brought to Chile, from where they independently moved to Argentina. They came to Australia in the city and a few years later - to New Zealand. In the 1950s rabbits from the San Juan Islands (Washington State) were released in the eastern United States.

In Russia and CIS countries

Nutrition

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 its availability. In winter and summer, food differs. In summer they eat the green parts of herbaceous plants; in the fields and gardens they feed on lettuce, cabbage, various root vegetables 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 shoots and bark of trees and shrubs. They “ring” the trunks of cherries and acacias, and in case of hunger they gnaw on the bark walnuts, try to climb trees and bushes to a height of up to 1.5 m. In situations of food shortage, they also eat their own feces (coprophagia).

Reproduction

Rabbits are very fertile. The breeding season covers most of the year. During the year, female rabbits can give birth in some cases up to 2-4 times. So, in Southern Europe, a female rabbit brings 3-5 litters of 5-6 rabbits from March to October. In the northern parts of the range, breeding continues until June-July. Out of season, pregnant females are rare. Populations introduced into the Southern Hemisphere, with favorable conditions breed all year round. In Australia there is a break in reproduction in mid-summer when the grass burns out.

Pregnancy lasts 28-33 days. The number of rabbits in a litter is 2-12, in wild conditions usually 4-7, on industrial farms 8-10. Postpartum estrus is characteristic, when females are ready to mate again within a few hours after giving birth. The average population increase per season is 20-30 rabbits per female cat. In northern populations with less favorable climatic conditions There are no more than 20 rabbits per female; in the Southern Hemisphere - up to 40 rabbits. The number of cubs in the litter also depends on the age of the female: in females younger than 10 months, the average number of rabbits is 4.2; in adults - 5.1; From the age of 3 years, fertility decreases markedly. Up to 60% of pregnancies are not carried to term and the embryos spontaneously dissolve.

Before giving birth, the female rabbit makes a nest inside the hole, combing out the underfur from the fur on her belly for it. Rabbits, unlike hares, are born naked, blind and completely helpless; at birth they weigh 40-50 g. Their eyes open after 10 days; on the 25th day they already begin to lead an independent lifestyle, although the female continues to feed them milk until 4 weeks of life. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 5-6 months, so rabbits from early litters can already reproduce at the end of summer. However, in wild populations, young rabbits rarely begin breeding in their first year of life. In captivity, young female rabbits can bear offspring as early as 3 months. Despite high speed reproduction, due to the mortality of young animals in the wild, the profit of the population is only 10-11.5 rabbits per female. In the first 3 weeks of life, about 40% of young animals die; in the first year - up to 90%. Mortality from coccidiosis is especially high during rainy times, when water floods burrows. Only a few rabbits survive past the age of 3 years. Maximum life expectancy is 12-15 years.

Number and significance for humans

The population size of wild rabbits is subject to significant changes, in some cases it can reach abnormal levels. high level. When they multiply en masse, they cause harm to forestry and agriculture.

They are hunted for fur and meat. The rabbit was domesticated more than 1000 years ago. The livestock industry deals with the issues of breeding rabbits for industrial purposes - rabbit breeding, food products; used for experiments in genetics. Rabbits can also be kept as pets.

Rabbits as pests

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

However, the greatest damage was caused by the spread of rabbits to Australia, where they were introduced in the 18th century. In 1859, settler Tom Austin, who lived in the state of Victoria, released 24 rabbits into the wild, they multiplied, and by 1900 their number in Australia was already estimated at 20 million. Rabbits eat grass, providing food competition to sheep and cattle. They cause even greater damage to the native fauna and flora of Australia, eating relict vegetation and displacing local species that cannot compete with quickly breeding rabbits. Shooting and poisoned baits are used as measures to combat rabbits; In addition, European predators were brought to Australia - fox, ferret, ermine, weasel. In places in Australia, mesh fences are being installed to prevent rabbits from colonizing new areas. The most successful way to combat these pests was the “bacteriological war” of the 1950s, when they tried to infect rabbits with an acute viral disease - myxomatosis, endemic to South America. The initial effect was very large, in many areas of Australia up to 90% of all rabbits became extinct. The surviving individuals developed immunity. The rabbit problem is still acute in Australia and