European Rabbit

 

Characteristics

The European Rabbit is a small mammal that is grey-brown or sometimes black. Its size ranges from 34 to 50cm in length and can weigh in at 1.1 to 2.5 kg. It has long ears, large hind legs and short fluffy tails. It also has four sharp incisors that continuously grow throughout its lifetime.

 

Behaviour

European Rabbits are social animals but are extremely territorial and aggressive. Territoriality and aggression contribute greatly to the rabbits' maturation process and help ensure survival of the population. Mature male and females are better at fighting off predators. Competition between males can often lead to severe injury and death. Rabbits use their powerful back legs as weapons, kicking at an opponent's underside, as well as biting and scratching with the front paws.

 

Diet

The European Rabbit is a herbivore. Its diet consists of vegetation such as wheat, grass and a range of vegetables.

 

Predators

•           Foxes

•           Mink

•           Stoats

•           Polecats

•           Wildcats

•           Birds of Prey

•           Domestic Cats

•           Weasels

•           Badgers

 

Distrubution and Abundance

The feral European Rabbit is one of the most widely distributed and abundant mammals in Australia. Feral rabbits live in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, woodland, heath and forest, but they can also achieve high densities in some farming land and even suburban Sydney. However, they are most prevalent in arid and semi-arid areas of western New South Wales.

 

Habitat

European Rabbits live in medium sized colonies known as warrens. During the day, rabbits prefer to reside at vegetation patches which they use for protection from predators. At night, they move into an open prairie to feed.

 

Impacts

European Rabbits cause severe damage to the natural environment. Grazing and burrowing by rabbits can cause serious erosion problems, reduce recruitment and survival of native plants, and modify entire landscapes. Rabbits also threaten the survival of a number of native animal species by altering habitat, reducing native food sources, displacing small animals from burrows, and attracting introduced predators such as foxes. Rabbits are believed to have contributed to the decline or disappearance of a number of species in NSW. Rabbits are eaten by introduced predators such as foxes, wild dogs and feral cats, which can result in artificially high populations of these pest animals in some areas. If rabbit numbers decline, suddenly the pests turn their attention to native prey, causing 'hyper-predation' impacts on native animals.

 

Management

Feral rabbit control is complicated because of welfare and harvesting issues. A combination of traditional control techniques and biological control holds the best promise for reducing feral rabbit populations and minimising the danger they cause.