European Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
European Rabbits practice cecotrophy, digesting their food twice by eating their own soft, nutrient-rich fecal pellets directly from the anus to maximize nutrient absorption.
- Scientific name
- Oryctolagus cuniculus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Lagomorpha › Leporidae › Oryctolagus
- IUCN Red List status
- Endangered
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grasslands, meadows, heathlands, agricultural fields, and woodland edges with loose, sandy soil suitable for burrowing.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, consuming grasses, clover, wildflowers, leaves, and occasionally bark and twigs during winter.
- Range
- Spain, Portugal, France, United Kingdom, Australia (introduced), New Zealand (introduced)
- Size
- 34 to 50 cm in length, weighing 1.2 to 2.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 1 to 3 years in the wild
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat loss, intensive agriculture, overhunting, and devastating viral diseases such as myxomatosis and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHDV).
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and generally timid. Observe from a distance of 5-10 meters to avoid causing stress. Do not attempt to corner or handle wild rabbits, as they may kick or bite defensively. If scratched or bitten, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice to prevent infection or zoonotic transmission.
The European rabbit or common rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) is a species of rabbit native to southwestern Europe (Spain, Portugal and Western France) and northwest Africa (Morocco and Algeria). It has been widely introduced elsewhere, often with devastating effects on local biodiversity. However, its decline in its native range (caused by the diseases myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus, as well as overhunting and habitat loss), has caused the decline of its highly dependent predators, the Iberian lynx and...
Photo: Alexis Lours, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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