View source for European rabbit

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{Hatnote|This article is primarily concerned with the wild animal. For detailed information on domesticated varieties, see [[Domestic rabbit]]. For general information on all rabbit species, see [[Rabbit]].}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = European rabbit
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Pleistocene|Holocene}} Pleistocene to recent<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=233585|title=Fossilworks: Oryctolagus cuniculus}}</ref>
| image = Oryctolagus cuniculus Tasmania 2 (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = 
| image2 = Lautäußerung Kaninchen.flac
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' |errata=2020 |year=2019 |author=Villafuerte, R. |author2=Delibes-Mateos, M. |name-list-style=amp |page=e.T41291A170619657 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T41291A170619657.en |access-date=17 February 2022}}</ref>
| genus = Oryctolagus
| species = cuniculus<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Lagomorpha |id=13500254 |pages=205–206}}</ref>
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| range_map = Oryctolagus cuniculus distribution Map.png
| range_map_caption = Range map:{{leftlegend|orange|Native}}{{leftlegend|purple|Introduced}}
| synonyms = ''Lepus cuniculus'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
}}

The '''European rabbit''' ('''''Oryctolagus cuniculus''''') or '''coney'''<ref name="OED-1">{{cite book|title=OED Online|date=1 March 2018|publisher=Oxford University Press|chapter-url=http://www.oed.com.epl.idm.oclc.org/view/Entry/40913?rskey=FL4OlI&result=1&isAdvanced=false|access-date=25 April 2018|chapter=coney, n.1}}</ref> is a species of [[rabbit]] native to the [[Iberian Peninsula]] ([[Spain]], [[Portugal]] and [[Andorra]]) and southwestern [[France]].<ref name=iucn /> It has been widely introduced elsewhere, often with devastating effects on local [[biodiversity]]. Its decline in its native range due to [[myxomatosis]], [[rabbit hemorrhagic disease]], overhunting and habitat loss has caused the decline of the [[Iberian lynx]] (''Lynx pardinus'') and [[Spanish imperial eagle]] (''Aquila adalberti''). It is known as an [[invasive species]] because it has been introduced to countries on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, and has caused many problems within the environment and ecosystems; in particular, [[Rabbits in Australia|European rabbits in Australia]] have had a devastating impact, due in part to the lack of natural predators there.

The European rabbit is well known for digging networks of [[burrow]]s, called warrens, where it spends most of its time when not feeding. Unlike the related [[hare]]s (''Lepus'' spp.), rabbits are [[altricial]], the young being born blind and furless, in a fur-lined nest in the warren, and they are totally dependent upon their mothers. Much of the modern research into wild rabbit behaviour was carried out in the 1960s by two research centres. One was the naturalist [[Ronald Lockley]], who maintained a number of large enclosures for wild rabbit colonies, with observation facilities at [[Orielton, Pembrokeshire| Orielton, in Pembrokeshire]], Wales. Apart from publishing a number of scientific papers, he popularised his findings in a book ''The Private Life of the Rabbit'', which is credited by [[Richard Adams]] as having played a key role in his gaining "a knowledge of rabbits and their ways" that informed his novel ''[[Watership Down]]''. The other group was the [[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation]] (CSIRO) in [[Australia]], where numerous studies of the social behavior of wild rabbits were performed. Since the onset of myxomatosis, and the decline of the significance of the rabbit as an agricultural pest, few large-scale studies have been performed and many aspects of rabbit behaviour are still poorly understood.

==Naming and etymology==
Because of its non-British origin, the species does not have native names in [[English language|English]] or [[Celtic languages|Celtic]], with the usual terms "cony" and "rabbit" being foreign [[loanword]]s. "Rabbit" is also pronounced as ''rabbidge'', ''rabbert'' ([[North Devon]]) and ''rappit'' ([[Cheshire]] and [[Lancashire]]). More archaic spellings include ''rabbette'' (15th–16th centuries), ''rabet'' (15th–17th centuries), ''rabbet'' (16th-18th centuries), ''rabatte'' (16th century), ''rabytt'' (17th century) and ''rabit'' (18th century). The [[root word]] is the [[Walloon language|Walloon]] {{lang|wa|rabett}}, which was once commonly used in [[Liège]]. {{lang|wa|Rabett}} itself is derived from the [[Middle Dutch]] {{lang|dum|robbe}}, with the addition of the [[suffix]] ''-ett''.<ref name="b177">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=177–179}}</ref>

The term "cony" or "coney" antedates "rabbit", and first occurred during the 13th century to refer to the animal's pelt. Later, "cony" referred to the adult animal, while "rabbit" referred to the young. The root of "cony" is the [[old French]] {{lang|fro|connil}} or {{lang|fro|counil}},{{sfn|CNRTL|2012|loc=[https://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/connil connil]}} of which the [[Norman French|Norman]] was {{lang|nrf|conin}}, plural {{lang|nrf|coniz}} or {{lang|nrf|conis}}.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Anglo-Norman Dictionary |chapter=conin |date=2024 |edition=AND2 Online |publisher=Aberystwyth University |access-date=29 October 2024 |url=https://anglo-norman.net/entry/conin }}</ref> ''Connil'' comes  from the [[Latin language|Latin]] {{lang|la|cuniculus}}.{{sfn|CNRTL|2012|loc=[https://www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/connil connil]}} Its forerunner is the [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|el|κόνικλος}} ({{lang|el-latn|kóniklos}}). The origin of {{lang|el|κόνικλος}} itself is unclear: [[Claudius Aelianus|Ælian]], who lived during the third century, linked the word to [[celtiberian language|Celtiberian]] and later authors relate it to its [[Basque language|Basque]] name ''unchi''; [[Marcus Terentius Varro|Varo]] and [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] connected it to ''cuneus'', which refers to a wedge, thus making reference to the animal's digging ability.<ref name="b177"/> Later study of the etymology of {{lang|la|cuniculus}} has attested to its origin as a diminutive or adjectival form of the root word for "dog" ({{lang|xce|cun–}}) in Celtiberian.<ref name="BallesterEtym">{{Cite journal |last1=Ballester |first1=X. |last2=Quinn |first2=R. |date=2002 |title=''Cuniculus'' 'Rabbit' — A Celtic Etymology |url=http://www.continuitas.org/texts/ballester_cuniculus.pdf |journal=World Rabbit Science |volume=10 |issue=3}}</ref>

The species' dwelling place is termed a warren or cony-garth. "Warren" comes from the [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|wareine}}, itself derived from the Old French {{lang|fro|warenne}}, {{lang|fro|varenne}}, or {{lang|fro|garenne}}. The root word is the [[Low Latin]] {{lang|la|warenna}}, which originally signified a preserve in general, only to be later used to refer specifically to an enclosure set apart for rabbits and hares.<ref name="hart51">{{Harvnb|Harting|Shand|1898|pp=51–52}}</ref> "Cony-garth" derives from the [[Middle English]] {{lang|enm|conygerthe}}, which may be a [[compound word|compound]] of ''connynge''+''erthe'' (cony+earth). The term stems from the Old French {{lang|fro|conniniere}} or {{lang|fro|coninyere}}, and later {{lang|fro|conilliere}}. The root word is the Low Latin {{lang|la|cunicularia}}, the feminine form of the [[adjective]] {{lang|la|cunicularius}}, which pertains to the rabbit (as in the [[specific name (zoology)|specific name]], {{lang|la|cuniculus}}<ref name="BallesterEtym" />).<ref name="b177"/> The [[generic name (biology)|generic name]], ''Oryctolagus'', derives from {{langx|grc|ὀρυκτός}} ({{lang|grc-latn|oryktos}}, "burrowing") and {{lang|grc|λαγώς}} ({{lang|grc-latn|lagōs}}, "hare").<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tsxOAQAAIAAJ&q=oryktos,+dug+up+lagus |title=Naming the living world |date=January 16, 1962 |via=[[Google Books]] |last1=Savory |first1=Theodore Horace }}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
Originally assigned to the genus ''[[Lepus]]'', the European rabbit was consigned to its own genus in 1874 on account of its [[altricial]] young, its burrowing habits, and numerous skeletal characters.<ref name="h203"/> It is superficially similar to the North American [[Cottontail rabbit|cottontail]]s (''Sylvilagus'') in that they are born blind and naked, have white flesh, and little [[sexual dimorphism]]. However, they differ in skull characteristics, and cottontails do not construct their own burrows as the European rabbit does.<ref name="b173">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=173}}</ref> Molecular studies confirm that the resemblance between the two is due to [[convergent evolution]], and that the European rabbit's closest relatives are the [[hispid hare]], the [[riverine rabbit]], and the [[Amami rabbit]].<ref name="h201">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=201}}</ref> 

The following [[cladogram]] is from Matthee et al., 2004, based on nuclear and mitochondrial gene analysis.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Matthee|first1=Conrad A. |display-authors=etal |title=A Molecular Supermatrix of the Rabbits and Hares (Leporidae) Allows for the Identification of Five Intercontinental Exchanges During the Miocene|journal=Systematic Biology|date=2004|volume=53|issue=3|pages=433–477|doi=10.1080/10635150490445715|pmid=15503672 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

{{clade
|label1=Leporidae
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
   |1=''[[Nesolagus]]'' (striped rabbits)
   |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Poelagus]]'' (Bunyoro rabbit)
      |2=''[[Pronolagus]]''&nbsp;(red&nbsp;rock&nbsp;hares)
      }}
   }}
|2={{clade
   |1=''[[Romerolagus]]'' (volcano rabbit)
   |2={{clade
      |1={{clade
         |1={{clade
            |1={{clade
               |1=''[[Sylvilagus]]'' (cottontails) [[File:Wild animals of North America, intimate studies of big and little creatures of the mammal kingdom (Page 511) (Sylvilagus palustris).jpg|60 px]]
               |2=''[[Brachylagus]]''&nbsp;(pygmy&nbsp;rabbit)
               }}
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1=''[[Hispid hare|Caprolagus]]'' (hispid hare)
                  |2=''[[Oryctolagus]]''&nbsp;(European&nbsp;rabbit) [[File:Lepus cuniculus - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica -(white background).jpg|60 px]]
                  }}
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[[Bunolagus]]'' (riverine rabbit)
                  |2=''[[Pentalagus]]''&nbsp;(Amami&nbsp;rabbit) 
                  }}
               }}
            }}
         }}
      |2=''[[Lepus]]'' (hares) [[File:Lepus timidus - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica -(white background).jpg|60 px]]
      }}
  }}
}}
}}

===Subspecies===
{{As of|2005}}, six [[subspecies]] are recognised in ''[[Mammal Species of the World]]'':<ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id = 13500254 | heading = Species ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' }}</ref>
{{Columns-list|
*'''Common rabbit''' ''O. c. cuniculus''
*'''Iberian rabbit''' ''O. c. algirus''
*'''Mediterranean rabbit''' ''O. c. huxleyi''
*'''Cretan rabbit''' ''O. c. cnossius''
*'''Camargue rabbit''' ''O. c. brachyotus''
*'''African rabbit''' ''O. c. habetensis''
}}

Genetic studies undertaken in 2008, however, indicate only two extant subspecies, ''O. c. algirus'' and ''O. c. cuniculus'', native to the Iberian Peninsula, where most of the European rabbit's evolutionary history is centered.<ref name="NFerrand1">{{Cite book |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-540-72446-9 |last1=Ferrand |first1=Nuno |year=2008 |chapter=Inferring the Evolutionary History of the European Rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') from Molecular Markers |title=Lagomorph Biology |publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg |isbn=978-3-540-72445-2 |editor-last1=Alves |editor-first1=Paulo C. |location=Berlin, Heidelberg |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-72446-9 |editor-last2=Ferrand |editor-first2=Nuno |editor-last3=Hackländer |editor-first3=Klaus}}</ref> The two subspecies occupy the south-west and north-east regions of the peninsula, respectively, naturally coming in contact in a region that spans the north-west to south-east,<ref name="biogeogFrancisco">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1111/mam.12306 |title=Unravelling the historical biogeography of the European rabbit subspecies in the Iberian Peninsula |journal=Mammal Review |date=10 November 2022 |first1=Francisco |last1=Díaz-Ruiz |first2=Patricia H. |last2=Vaquerizas |first3=Ana Luz |last3=Márquez |first4=Miguel |last4=Delibes-Mateos |first5=Vicente |last5=Piorno |first6=Francisca |last6=Castro |first7=Esther |last7=Ramírez |first8=Miguel Ángel |last8=Farfán |first9=Jesús |last9=Olivero |first10=Raimundo |last10=Real |first11=Rafael |last11=Villafuerte |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=1–14}}</ref> and likely diverged during the [[Quaternary glaciation]] 2 million years ago.<ref name="BiomFerreira">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1111/bij.12556 |title=Biometrical analysis reveals major differences between the two subspecies of the European rabbit|date=2015 |last1=Ferreira |first1=Catarina Campos |last2=Castro |first2=Francisca |last3=Piorno |first3=Vicente |last4=Barrio |first4=Isabel Catalán |last5=Delibes-Mateos |first5=Miguel |last6=Rouco |first6=Carlos |last7=Mínguez |first7=Luis E. |last8=Aparicio |first8=Fernando |last9=Blanco-Aguiar |first9=José A. |last10=Ramírez |first10=Esther |last11=Iriarte |first11=Candelaria |last12=Ríos-Saldaña |first12=Carlos A. |last13=Cañadilla |first13=Jesús |last14=Arias De Reyna |first14=Luis |last15=Ferreras |first15=Pablo |last16=Alves |first16=Paulo C. |last17=Villafuerte |first17=Rafael |journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=116 |pages=106–116 }}</ref> Subspecies other than ''O. c. algirus'' and ''O. c. cuniculus'' have been recommended for abandonment, as they have very little evolutionary history and [[genetic diversity]], and are likely not [[Autochthon (nature)|indigenous]] to the regions they occupy. Populations considered native to North Africa, such as the subspecies ''O. c. habetensis'', were likely introduced by [[Phonecians]] navigating the [[Mediterranean Sea]].<ref name="NFerrand1" />

{| class="wikitable collapsed" width=99% font=90%
|- style="background: #115a6c"
!Subspecies
!Trinomial authority
!Skull
!Description
!Range
!Synonyms
|----
|'''Common rabbit'''<br />''O. c. cuniculus''<br />([[Nominate&nbsp;subspecies]])
|Linnaeus, 1758
|[[File:O. c. cuniculus skull (dorsal).png|60 px]]
|Longer ears and hind feet, greater body mass overall, less pronounced reverse [[sexual dimorphism]] compared to ''O. c. algirus''.<ref name="BiomFerriera" />

[[Domestic rabbit|Domesticated]].<ref name="MDMTaxPal">{{Harvnb|Delibes-Mateos|Rödel|Rouco|Alves|2023|pp=28–29}}</ref>
|Native to northeastern [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]] and southern [[France]]<ref name="MDMTaxPal" />

Introduced to [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Chile]], [[Africa]], and several Atlantic and Pacific islands
|''brachyotus''<br /><small>(Trouessart, 1917)</small>

''cnossius''<br /><small>(Bate, 1906)</small>

''fodiens''<br /><small>(Gray, 1867)</small>

''habetensis''<br /><small>(Cabrera, 1923)</small>

''kreyenbergi''<br /><small>(Honigmann,&nbsp;1913)</small>

''vermicula''<br /><small>(Gray, 1843)</small>

''vernicularis''<br /><small>(Thompson, 1837)</small>
|----
|'''Iberian rabbit'''<br />''O. c. algirus''
|[[Victor Loche|Loche]], 1858<ref>Loche, V. (1858). [https://archive.org/details/cataloguedesmamm00loch/page/26/mode/2up?view=theater ''Catalogue des mammifères et des oiseaux observé en Algérie'']. Arthus Bertrand, Paris, p. 27.</ref>
|[[File:O. c. algirus skull (dorsal).png|60 px]]
|
|Native to [[Portugal]] and southern [[Spain]].
Introduced to the [[Azores]], [[Madeira]], and [[Canary Islands]].<ref name="MDMTaxPal" />
|''huxleyi''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bose |first=Hannah M |date=27 October 2014 |title=A Look at Rabbits Worldwide |url=https://www.vettimes.co.uk/app/uploads/wp-post-to-pdf-enhanced-cache/1/a-look-at-rabbits-worldwide.pdf |access-date=30 October 2024 |work=Vet Times}}</ref><br /><small>(Haeckel, 1874)</small>
|}

== Fossil record ==
The oldest known fossils of the currently living European rabbit species, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'', appeared in the [[Middle Pleistocene]] age in southern Spain. The first identifiable fossils from ''Oryctolagus'' appeared during the [[Miocene]] epoch, and species such as ''[[Oryctolagus laynensis|O. laynensis]]'', a presumed ancestor of ''O. cuniculus'', and ''[[Oryctolagus lacosti|O. lacosti]]'' were recorded from 3.5 [[Million years ago|Mya]] up until the appearance of ''O. cuniculus'' 0.6 Mya. However, the European rabbit was the only member of its genus to survive to the [[Late Pleistocene]], whereupon it spread from the [[Iberian Peninsula]] to the [[Mediterranean basin|Mediterranean]] and northern Europe.<ref name="Lopez-Martinez1">{{Cite book |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-540-72446-9 |chapter=The Lagomorph Fossil Record and the Origin of the European Rabbit |first1=Nieves |last1=Lopez-Martinez |title=Lagomorph Biology |year=2008 |publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg |isbn=978-3-540-72445-2 |editor-last=Alves |editor-first=Paulo C. |location=Berlin, Heidelberg |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-72446-9 |editor-last2=Ferrand |editor-first2=Nuno |editor-last3=Hackländer |editor-first3=Klaus}}</ref> [[Palaeoichnology|Palaeoichnological]] evidence exists of European rabbits burrowing in and disturbing what are likely [[Neanderthal]] burial sites.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pelletier |first1=Maxime |last2=Royer |first2=Aurélien |last3=Holliday |first3=Trenton W. |last4=Discamps |first4=Emmanuel |last5=Madelaine |first5=Stéphane |last6=Maureille |first6=Bruno |date=1 September 2017 |title=Rabbits in the grave! Consequences of bioturbation on the Neandertal "burial" at Regourdou (Montignac-sur-Vézère, Dordogne) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004724841630207X |journal=[[Journal of Human Evolution]] |volume=110 |pages=1–17 |doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.04.001 |pmid=28778459 |bibcode=2017JHumE.110....1P |issn=0047-2484 |access-date=25 February 2024 |via=Elsevier Science Direct}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Oryctolagus cuniculus 01 MWNH 395.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Oryctolagus cuniculus skull in profile view|''O. cuniculus'' skull in profile]]
[[File:Wild black Oryctologus cuniculus.jpg|160px|thumb|left|Melanistic rabbits are more common where ground predators are lacking, such as on islands or in large enclosures.<ref name="h204-5"/>]]
The European rabbit is smaller than the [[European hare]] and [[mountain hare]], and lacks black ear tips, as well as having proportionately shorter legs.<ref name="h202">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=202}}</ref> An adult European rabbit can measure {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, and weigh {{convert|1200-2000|g|lb|abbr=on}}. The hind foot measures {{convert|8.5-10|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length, while the ears are {{convert|6.5-7.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} long from the [[occiput]].<ref name="h204">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=204}}</ref>

Size and weight vary according to food and habitat quality, with rabbits living on light soil with nothing but grass to feed on being noticeably smaller than specimens living on highly cultivated farmlands with plenty of roots and clover. Pure European rabbits weighing {{convert|5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and upwards are uncommon, but are occasionally reported. One large specimen, caught in February 1890 in [[Lichfield]], was weighed at {{convert|6|lb|2|oz|kg|order=flip|abbr=on}}.<ref name="hart13">{{Harvnb|Harting|Shand|1898|pp=13–15}}</ref> Unlike the brown hare, the male European rabbit is more heavily built than the female.<ref name="b201">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=199–201}}</ref> The [[penis]] is short, and lacks a [[baculum]] and true [[glans]];<ref name="h203">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=203}}</ref> the [[Testicle|testicles]], which are located in scrotal sacs to each side of the penis, can be retracted into the abdomen when food is scarce or when sexually inactive. Rudimentary nipples are also present in male rabbits.<ref name="Varga62">{{Harvnb|Varga|2013|p=62}}</ref>

The fur of the European rabbit is made up of soft [[down hair]] covered by stiff [[Guard hair|guard hairs]],<ref name="Varga62" /> and is generally greyish-brown, though this is subject to much variation. The guard hairs are banded brown and black, or grey, while the [[nape]] of the neck and [[scrotum]] are reddish. The chest patch is brown, while the rest of the underparts are white or grey. A white star shape is often present on kits' foreheads, but rarely occurs in adults. The [[whiskers]] are long and black, and the feet are fully furred and buff-coloured.<ref name="h203"/> The tail has a white underside, which becomes prominent when escaping danger. This may act as a signal for other rabbits to run.<ref name="hart13"/>

[[Moulting]] occurs once a year, beginning in March on the face and spreading over the back. The underfur is completely replaced by October–November.<ref name="h203"/> The European rabbit exhibits great variation in colour, from light sandy, to dark grey and completely black. Such variation depends largely on the amount of guard hairs relative to regular pelage. [[Melanism|Melanist]]s are not uncommon in [[mainland Europe]], though [[albinism|albino]]es are rare.<ref name="h204-5">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=204–205}}</ref>

==Life history and behaviour==
[[File:The Rabbit (1898) 'Maternal instinct'.png|thumb|''Maternal Instinct'' (''circa'' 1898), [[George Edward Lodge|G. E. Lodge]].]]
[[File:20150202Hockenheim6.jpg|thumb|Entrances to a [[warren (burrow)|warren]]]]

===Social and territorial behaviours===
The European rabbit lives in warrens that contain 2–10 other individuals living in smaller groups to ensure greater breeding success.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Daly, J. C. |title=Effects of Social Organization and Environmental Diversity on Determining the Genetic Structure of a Population of the Wild Rabbit, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus''|journal=Evolution|year=1981|volume=35|issue=4|pages=689–706|doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.1981.tb04930.x|pmid=28563139|s2cid=19352143|doi-access=free}}</ref> [[territory (animal)|Territoriality]] and aggression contribute greatly to the rabbits' maturation process, and help ensure survival of the population.<ref name= "Dudzinski 1977">{{cite journal|title=Behavioral Characteristics of Adolescence in Young Captive European Rabbits, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus''|year=1977|doi=10.1002/1098-2337(1977)3:4<313::AID-AB2480030402>3.0.CO;2-Z|last1=Dudziński|first1=M. L.|last2=Mykytowycz|first2=R.|last3=Gambale|first3=S.|journal=Aggressive Behavior|volume=3|issue=4|pages=313–330}}</ref> Females tend to be more territorial than males, although the areas most frequented by females are not defended.<ref name= "Vastrade" >{{cite journal|title=Spacing Behavior of Free-Ranging Domestic Rabbits, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' L. |year=1987 |doi=10.1016/0168-1591(87)90192-4|last1=Vastrade |first1=Françoise M. |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=185–195 }}</ref> Territories are marked with dung hills.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Aggressive and Protective Behaviour of Adult Rabbits ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' (L.) Towards Rabbits|year=1972|jstor=4533471|pmid=4676335|last1=Mykytowycz|first1=R.|last2=Dudziński|first2=M. L.|journal=Behaviour|volume=43|issue=1|pages=97–120|doi=10.1163/156853973x00490|doi-access=free}}</ref> The size of the species' [[home range]] varies according to habitat, food, shelter, cover from predators, and breeding sites, though it is generally small, encompassing about {{ Convert|0.3-0.7|ha|1|abbr=on}}. Except during times of low rabbit density and abundance of high-quality food, male ranges tend to be larger than those held by females. The European rabbit rarely strays far from its burrow; when feeding on cultivated fields, it typically only moves {{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on}} away from its burrow, and rarely {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It may, however, move as far as {{convert|500|m|ft|abbr=on}} after an abrupt change in environment, such as a [[harvest]]. This behaviour may be an antipredator adaptation, as rabbits in areas where predators are under rigorous control may move three times further from their burrows than those in areas without predator management.<ref name="h206-207">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=206–207}}</ref>

The European rabbit is a gregarious animal, which lives in stable social groups centred around females and sharing access to one or more burrow systems. Social structures tend to be looser in areas where burrow construction is relatively easy. [[Dominance hierarchy|Dominance hierarchies]] exist in parallel for both bucks and does. Among bucks, status is determined through access to does, with dominant bucks siring the majority of the colony's offspring. The dominant does have priority access to the best nesting sites, with competition over such sites often leading to serious injury or death. Subordinate does, particularly in large colonies, typically resort to using single-entrance breeding spots far from the main warren, thus making themselves vulnerable to [[Red fox|fox]] or [[European badger|badger]] predation.<ref name="h206-207"/>

===Reproduction and development===
In the European rabbit's [[mating system]], dominant bucks exhibit [[Polygyny in animals|polygyny]], whereas lower-status individuals (both bucks and does) often form [[monogamy in animals|monogamous]] breeding relationships.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} Rabbits signal their readiness to copulate by marking other animals and inanimate objects with an odoriferous substance secreted though a chin gland, in a process known as "chinning".<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1006/anbe.1996.0327|title=Transitory inhibition of scent marking by copulation in male and female rabbits|year=1997|last1=González-Mariscal|first1=Gabriela|last2=Albonetti|first2=Maria Emanuela|last3=Cuamatzi|first3=Evelia|last4=Beyer|first4=Carlos|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=53|issue=2|pages=323–333|s2cid=53166150}}</ref> Though male European rabbits may sometimes be amicable with one another, fierce fights can erupt among bucks during the [[breeding season]],<ref name="l97">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=97}}</ref> which typically starts in [[autumn]] and continues through to [[Spring (season)|spring]]. Occasionally, the mating season will extend into the [[summer]]. Introduced populations in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] experience breeding seasons during the other half of the [[calendar year]].<ref name="Nowak1730">{{Harvnb|Nowak|1999|p=1730}}</ref> A succession of litters (usually three to seven kittens each) are produced, but in overpopulated areas, pregnant does may lose all their [[embryo]]s through intrauterine resorption.<ref name="h207-209">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=207–209}}</ref> Shortly before giving birth, the doe constructs a separate burrow known as a "stop" or "stab", generally in an open field away from the main warren. These breeding burrows are typically a few feet long and are lined with grass and moss, as well as fur plucked from the doe's belly. The breeding burrow protects the kits from adult bucks and predators.<ref name="b214">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=214}}</ref>

The [[gestation period]] of the European rabbit is 30 days,<ref name="b210">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=210–212}}</ref> with the [[sex ratio]] of male to female kits tending to be 1:1. Greater maternal investment over male offspring may result in higher [[birth weight]]s for bucks.<ref name="h207-209"/> Kits born to the dominant buck and doe&mdash;which enjoy better nesting and feeding grounds&mdash;tend to grow larger and stronger and become more dominant than those born to subordinate rabbits.<ref name="l100">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=100}}</ref> Not uncommonly, European rabbits mate again immediately after giving birth, with some specimens having been observed to nurse previous young whilst pregnant.<ref name="b210"/> Female European rabbits may become pregnant at three months of age, but do not reach their full reproductive ability until they are two years old, after which they remain able to reproduce for 4 more years.<ref name="Nowak1730" />

Female European rabbits nurse their kits once a night, for only a few minutes. After suckling is complete, the doe seals the entrance to the stop with soil and vegetation. In its native Iberian and southern French range, European rabbit young have a growth rate of {{convert|5|g|oz|abbr=on}} per day, though such kittens in non-native ranges may grow {{convert|10|g|oz|abbr=on}} per day. Weight at birth is {{convert|30|-|35|g|oz|abbr=on}} and increases to {{convert|150|-|200|g|oz|abbr=on}} by 21–25 days, during the [[weaning]] period.<ref name="h207-209"/> European rabbit kits are born blind, deaf, and nearly naked. The ears do not gain the power of motion until 10 days of age, and can be erected after 13. The eyes open 11 days after birth.<ref name="b210"/><ref name="Nowak1730" /> At 18 days, the kittens begin to leave the burrow. [[Sexual maturity]] in bucks is attained at 4 months, while does can begin to breed at 3–5 months.<ref name="h207-209"/>

==== Dewlaps ====
[[File:Palomino_rabbit_with_kit.jpg|thumb|A palomino rabbit displaying her dewlap beside a month-old kit]]
A [[dewlap]] is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the [[lower jaw]] or [[neck]]. It is a [[secondary sex characteristic]] in rabbits, caused by the presence of female sex hormones. They develop with [[puberty]]. A female rabbit who has been [[Neutering|neutered]] before reaching sexual maturity will not develop a dewlap, and even if a doe is neutered after developing a dewlap, the dewlap will gradually disappear over several months. This also aligns with the results of injecting male rabbits with female sex hormones, specifically the ones from pregnant women's [[urine]]. The male rabbits developed dewlaps, which then gradually disappeared once administration had ceased.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hu |first1=C.-k. |last2=Frazier |first2=C. N. |date=1938-02-01 |title=Relationship Between Female Sex Hormone and Dewlap in the Rabbit |url=http://ebm.sagepub.com/lookup/doi/10.3181/00379727-38-9761 |journal=Experimental Biology and Medicine |language=en |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=116–119 |doi=10.3181/00379727-38-9761 |issn=1535-3702 |s2cid=87987542}}</ref>{{efn|This is not the process of the [[rabbit test]], a common way to test for human female pregnancy in the 20th century; the pregnancy test involved dissecting female rabbits after injection with urine to see if their ovaries had enlarged.{{refn|{{cite news|title=Dr. Maurice Friedman, 87, Dies; Created 'Rabbit' Pregnancy Test|last=Howe|first=Marvine|date=10 March 1991|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/10/obituaries/dr-maurice-friedman-87-dies-created-rabbit-pregnancy-test.html |page=32}}}}}} While it is unclear exactly what function a dewlap performs, pregnant female rabbits will pluck fur from their dewlaps shortly before giving birth to line a nest for their young.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Vennen |first1=Kristine M. |title=Rabbits |date=2009-01-01 |journal=Manual of Exotic Pet Practice |pages=375–405 |editor-last=Mitchell |editor-first=Mark A. |place=Saint Louis |publisher=W.B. Saunders |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-141600119-5.50017-2 |isbn=978-1-4160-0119-5 |pmc=7152457 |last2=Mitchell |first2=Mark A. |editor2-last=Tully |editor2-first=Thomas N.}}</ref>

===Burrowing behaviour===
The European rabbit's burrows occur mostly on slopes and banks, where [[drainage]] is more efficient. The burrow entrances are typically {{convert|10-50|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} in diameter,<ref name="h202"/> and are easily recognisable by the bare earth at their mouths. Vegetation growth is prevented by the constant passing and repassing of the resident rabbits. Big burrows are complex excavations which may descend to depths of several feet. They are not constructed on any specified plan, and appear to be enlarged or improved as a result of the promiscuous activity of several generations. Digging is done by pulling the soil backwards with the fore feet and throwing it between the hind legs, which scatter the material with kicking motions. While most burrows are dug from the outside, some warrens feature holes dug from the inside, which act as emergency exits when escaping from predators below ground. These holes usually descend perpendicularly to {{convert|1-1.2|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, and their mouths lack the bare-earth characteristic of burrow entrances. While kits sleep in chambers lined with grass and fur, adults sleep on the bare earth, likely to escape dampness, with warmth being secured by [[huddling]].<ref name="b202">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=202–205}}</ref> Although both sexes dig, does do so more skillfully, and for longer periods.<ref name="l58">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=58}}</ref>

===Communication===
The European rabbit is a relatively quiet animal, though it has at least two vocalisations. The best-known is a high treble scream or squeal.<ref name="l23">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=23}}</ref> This distress call has been likened to the cry of a piglet.<ref name="b227">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=227}}</ref> This sound is uttered when in extreme distress, such as being caught by a predator or trap.<ref name="l23"/> During the spring, bucks express contentment by emitting grunting sounds when approaching other rabbits. These grunts are similar to shrill [[hiccup]]s, and are emitted with the mouth closed. Aggression is expressed with a low growl.<ref name="b227"/>

==Ecology==
===Habitat===
The European rabbit's ideal habitat consists of short grasslands with secure refuge (such as burrows, boulders, hedgerows, scrub, and woodland) near feeding areas. It may dwell up to [[treeline]], as long as the land is well-drained and shelter is available. The size and distribution of its burrow systems depend on the type of [[soil]] present.  In areas with loose soil, it selects sites with supporting structures, such as tree roots or shrubs to prevent burrow collapse. Warrens tend to be larger and have more interconnected tunnels in areas with [[chalk]] than those in sand. In large coniferous plantations, the species only occurs on peripheral areas and along fire breaks and rides.<ref name="h206">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=206}}</ref>

===Diet===
The European rabbit eats a wide variety of [[Herbaceous|herbage]], especially [[grass]]es, favouring the young, succulent leaves and shoots of the most nutritious species, particularly [[fescue]]s. In mixed cultivated areas, [[winter wheat]] is preferred over [[maize]] and [[dicotyledon]]s. During the summer, the European rabbit feeds on the shortest, and therefore less nutritious grass swards, thus indicating that grazing grounds are selected through antipredator considerations rather than maximising food intake.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} In times of scarcity, the rabbit increases its food intake, selecting the parts of the plant with the highest [[nitrogen]] content.<ref name="h207">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=207}}</ref> Hungry rabbits in winter may resort to eating [[tree bark]]. [[Blackberry|Blackberries]] are also eaten, and captive-bred European rabbits have been fed on [[fodder]] consisting of [[furze]] and [[acorn]]s, which can lead to considerable weight gain.<ref name="b225">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=225}}</ref> The European rabbit is a less fussy eater than the brown hare.  When eating [[root vegetable]]s, the rabbit eats them whole, while the hare tends to leave the peel.<ref name="hart6">{{Harvnb|Harting|Shand|1898|pp=6}}</ref> Depending on the body's fat and protein reserves, the species can survive without food in winter for about 2–8 days.<ref name="h207"/> Although [[Herbivore|herbivorous]], cases are known of rabbits eating [[snail]]s.<ref name="b225"/>

Like other leporids, the European rabbit produces soft, mucus-covered faecal pellets, which are ingested directly from the [[anus]].<ref name="h207"/> The soft pellets are produced posterior to the [[Large intestine|colon]] in the [[hind gut]] soon after the excretion of hard pellets and the stomach begins to fill with newly grazed food. The soft pellets are filled with [[protein]]-rich [[bacteria]], and pass down to the rectum in glossy clusters. The rabbit swallows them whole, without perforating the enveloping membrane.<ref name="l104">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=104–105}}</ref>

===Predators===
[[File:Stoat killing a rabbit.jpg|thumb|Attacked by a [[stoat]], [[Northumberland]], UK]]
The European rabbit is prey to many different predatory species. [[Red fox|Fox]]es, [[dingo]]es, [[Gray wolf|wolves]], [[lynx]]es, [[wolverine]]s, and [[dog]]s kill both adult and young rabbits by stalking and surprising them in the open, but relatively few rabbits are caught this way, as they can quickly rush back to cover with a burst of speed.<ref name="l139">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=139–142}}</ref> Further, evidence from a study in Spain suggests they may avoid areas where the recent [[Feces|scat]] of predators which have eaten rabbit is detected.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Acta Ethologica|date=18 July 2018|pages=163–168|title=European rabbits recognise conspecifics in their predators' diets|volume=21|issue=3|doi=10.1007/s10211-018-0295-6|last1=Prada|first1=Laura M.|last2=Guerrero-Casado|first2=José|last3=Tortosa|first3=Francisco S.|s2cid=52272985}}</ref> Both foxes and [[European badger|badger]]s dig out kittens from shallow burrows, with the latter predators being too slow to catch adult rabbits. Both [[Wildcat|wild]] and [[domestic cat]]s can stalk and leap upon rabbits, particularly young specimens leaving their burrows for the first time.<ref name="l139"/> Wildcats take rabbits according to availability; in eastern Scotland, where rabbits are abundant, they can make up over 90% of the wildcats' diet.<ref name="h204"/> Most domestic cats are incapable of killing healthy, full-grown adults, but will take weak and diseased ones. Does can be fiercely protective of their kits, having been observed to chase away large cats and [[mustelid]]s, including [[ferret]]s, [[stoat]]s, and [[Least weasel|weasel]]s. However, rabbits typically run from mustelids, and may fear them innately. Cases are known of rabbits becoming paralysed with fear and dying when pursued by stoats or weasels, even when rescued unharmed.<ref name="l139"/> 

The European rabbit makes up 85% of the [[European polecat|polecat]]'s diet, and its availability is important to the success of breeding female [[American mink|mink]].<ref name="h204"/> [[Brown rat]]s can be a serious threat to kittens, as they will reside in rabbit burrows during the summer, and attack them in groups.<ref name="hart39">{{Harvnb|Harting|Shand|1898|pp=39}}</ref><ref name="b212">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=212}}</ref> Although many [[birds of prey]] are capable of killing rabbits, few are strong enough to carry them. Large species, such as [[Golden eagle|golden]] and [[sea eagle]]s, may carry rabbits back to their nests, while small eagles, [[Buteo|buzzard]]s, and [[Harrier (bird)|harrier]]s struggle to do so. [[Hawk]]s and [[owl]]s typically only carry off very small kits.<ref name="l139"/>

===Diseases, parasites and immunity===
[[File:Coneju.jpg|thumb|[[Myxomatosis]]]]
The European rabbit is the only species fatally attacked by [[myxomatosis]]. The most lethal strain has a five-day incubation period, after which the eyelids swell, with the inflammation quickly spreading to the base of the ears, the forehead, and nose. At the same time, the anal and genital areas also swell. During the last stages of the disease, the swellings discharge a fluid rich in viral material, with death usually following on the 11th–12th day of infection.<ref name="l116">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=116}}</ref> In Britain, the primary carrier of myxomatosis is the flea ''[[Spilopsyllus cuniculi]]'', while in Australia it is [[mosquito]]es.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

[[Rabbit haemorrhagic disease]] (RHD), also known as viral haemorrhagic disease or rabbit calicivirus disease in Australia, is specific to the European rabbit, and causes lesions of acute necrotising [[hepatitis]], disseminated intravascular coagulation, and haemorrhaging, mainly in the lungs. Susceptible specimens may die within 30 hours of infection. Most rabbits in the UK are immune to RHD, due to exposure to a weaker strain.<ref name="h209-210"/><ref name="hart46">{{Harvnb|Harting|Shand|1898|pp=46}}</ref>

European rabbit immunity has significantly diverged from other [[Tetrapod|tetrapods]] in the manner in which it employs [[Immunoglobulin light chain#In other animals|immunoglobulin light chains]].<ref name="immunoglobulin-light-chains">{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{*}} {{cite journal | last1=Weber | first1=Justus | last2=Peng | first2=Haiyong | last3=Rader | first3=Christoph | title=From rabbit antibody repertoires to rabbit monoclonal antibodies | journal=[[Experimental & Molecular Medicine]] | publisher=[[Nature Portfolio]] | volume=49 | issue=3 | year=2017 | issn=2092-6413 | doi=10.1038/emm.2017.23 | pages=e305 | pmid=28336958 | pmc=5382564 | s2cid=4066391|ref=none}}|{{*}} {{cite journal | last1=Mage | first1=Rose G. | last2=Lanning | first2=Dennis | last3=Knight | first3=Katherine L. | title=B cell and antibody repertoire development in rabbits: The requirement of gut-associated lymphoid tissues | journal=[[Developmental & Comparative Immunology]] | publisher=[[Elsevier]] | volume=30 | issue=1–2 | year=2006 | issn=0145-305X | doi=10.1016/j.dci.2005.06.017 | pages=137–153 | pmid=16098588|ref=none}}|{{*}} {{cite journal | last1=Conrath | first1=K.E. | last2=Wernery | first2=U. | last3=Muyldermans | first3=S. | last4=Nguyen | first4=V.K. | title=Emergence and evolution of functional heavy-chain antibodies in ''Camelidae'' | journal=[[Developmental & Comparative Immunology]] | publisher=[[Elsevier]] | volume=27 | issue=2 | year=2003 | issn=0145-305X | doi=10.1016/s0145-305x(02)00071-x | pages=87–103 | pmid=12543123|ref=none}}|{{*}} {{cite journal | last=Davis | first=Mark M. | title=Molecular Genetics of the T Cell-Receptor Beta Chain | journal=[[Annual Review of Immunology]] | publisher=[[Annual Reviews (publisher)|Annual Reviews]] | volume=3 | issue=1 | year=1985 | issn=0732-0582 | doi=10.1146/annurev.iy.03.040185.002541 | pages=537–560 | pmid=3933533 |ref=none}}}}</ref><ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015">{{cite journal |last1=Pinheiro |first1=Ana |last2=Neves |first2=Fabiana |last3=Lemos de Matos |first3=Ana |last4=Abrantes |first4=Joana |last5=van der Loo |first5=Wessel |last6=Mage |first6=Rose |last7=Esteves |first7=Pedro José |date=2015-09-23 |title=An overview of the lagomorph immune system and its genetic diversity |journal=[[Immunogenetics]] |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=83–107 |doi=10.1007/s00251-015-0868-8 |issn=0093-7711 |pmid=26399242 |s2cid=18131774 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In one case, McCartney-Francis (''et al.'', 1984) discovered a unique additional [[disulfide bond]] between [[Cysteine|Cys]] 80 in Vκ and Cys 171 in Cκ. They suggest that this may serve to stabilise rabbit antibodies.<ref name="immunoglobulin-light-chains" /><ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015" /> The gene ''{{visible anchor|IGKC1}}'', responsible for the principal immunoglobulin light chain,<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=van der Loo |first1=W. |last2=Mougel |first2=Florence |last3=Bouton |first3=Christianne |last4=Sanchez |first4=Maria S. |last5=Monnerot |first5=Monnique |date=1999-01-01 |title=The allotypic patchwork pattern of the rabbit IGKC1 allele b5wf : genic exchange or common ancestry? |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s002510050458 |journal=Immunogenetics |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=7–14 |doi=10.1007/s002510050458 |issn=0093-7711 |pmid=9811964}}</ref> shows high [[amino acid]] divergence between domesticated types and [[Feral animal|ferals]] derived from them. This divergence can be as high as 40%,<ref name="Pinheiro-et-al-2015" /> and indicates high genetic diversity of populations surviving over evolutionary time scales.<ref name=":8" />

==Human relationships with rabbits==
[[File: Oryctolagus cuniculus Finnish National Opera.jpg|thumb|Two rabbits on the steps of [[Finnish National Opera]] in [[Helsinki]]]]
Recent research has shown that all European rabbits carry common genetic markers and descend from one of two maternal lines. These lines originated between 12,000 and 6.5 million years ago when glaciers isolated two herds, one on the [[Iberian Peninsula]] and the other in [[Southern France]]. Humans likely began hunting rabbits as a food source, but further research needs to be done to verify this. Little comprehensive evidence of the relationship of humans with European rabbits is documented until the medieval period.<ref>{{cite web |title= History of Rabbit Domestication -- Western Europe |url= http://www.for-get-me-notrabbitry.com/1/post/2010/12/great-article-on-the-history-of-the-rabbit.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711015632/http://www.for-get-me-notrabbitry.com/1/post/2010/12/great-article-on-the-history-of-the-rabbit.html |archive-date=2011-07-11}}</ref>

Humans' relationship with the European rabbit was first recorded by the Phoenicians prior to 1000 [[Before Christ|BC]], when they termed the Iberian Peninsula ''i-Shaphan-ím'' (literally, the land of the [[hyraxes]]). This phrase closely resembles related [[modern Hebrew]]: ''I'' (אי) meaning island and ''shafan'' (שפן) meaning hyrax, plural ''shfaním'' (שפנים). Phoenicians called the local rabbits 'hyraxes' because rabbits resemble hyraxes in some ways, and hyraxes are native to [[Phoenicia]], unlike rabbits. Hyraxes, like rabbits, are not rodents. One theory states that the Romans converted the phrase ''i-Shaphan-ím'', with influence from the Greek ''Spania'', to its Latin form, ''[[Hispania]]'', which evolved in all the Iberian languages - into Castilian ''España'', Portuguese ''Espanha'', Catalan ''Espanya'' (English "Spain"), and such other variations in modern languages. Different views have been voiced on the precise meaning of ''shafan'', but the balance of opinion appears to indicate that the hyrax is indeed the intended meaning.<ref name="shafan">{{cite book |title=The Camel, the Hare and the Hyrax |chapter=''Shafan'' – the Hyrax |url=http://www.zootorah.com/hyrax/hyrax.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616192614/http://www.zootorah.com/hyrax/hyrax.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2012 |last=Slifkin |first=Natan |publisher=Zoo Torah |year=2011 |isbn=978-965-229-575-0 }}</ref>

Like the Phoenicians, neither the later [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] nor [[Ancient Roman|Roman]] colonizers had a specific name for the rabbit, because the species is not native to [[Greece]] and [[Italy]] (though it is present there nowadays). They commonly called it "small hare" and "small digging hare", in contrast to the [[European hare]], which is larger and does not make burrows. [[Catullus]] used the name ''cuniculus'' (a latinization of the Western [[Iberian culture|Iberian]] word {{lang|el|κόνικλος}}<ref name="BallesterEtym" /> and the etymological origin of the Castilian name ''conejo'', Portuguese ''coelho'' and Catalan ''conill'',<ref>{{Cite book |last1= Corominas |first1=Joan |first2=José A. |last2=Pascual |year=1980 |title=[[Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico]] |language=es |trans-title=Castilian and Hispanic critical etymological dictionary |volume=2 |chapter=conejo |location=Madrid |publisher=Gredos |isbn=84-249-1363-9 }}</ref> and the English name ''coney''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coney|title=Definition of CONEY|website=www.merriam-webster.com|date=23 September 2024 }}</ref>), and referenced its abundance in [[Celtiberia]] by calling this region ''cuniculosa'', i.e. rabbit-ridden.<ref name="BallesterEtym" /><ref name="auto">{{Cite book|last1=López Seoane |first1=V. |year=1861 |title=Fáuna Mastológica de Galicia, ó historia natural de los mamíferos de este antiguo Reino, aplicada á la medicina, á la agricultura, á la industria, á las artes y al comercio |publisher=Manuel Mirás |pages=544 |language=es}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite book|last1=Blázquez |first1=J.M. |year=1975 |title=La romanización |language=es |publisher=[[Ediciones Akal]] }}</ref>{{Page number needed|date=October 2024}}

The European rabbit is the only rabbit species that has been domesticated and all [[List of rabbit breeds|305 global rabbit breeds]]&mdash; from [[Netherland Dwarf]] to [[Flemish Giant]]&mdash; are descendants of the European rabbit. Rabbits are an example of an animal that can be treated as a food, a pet, or a pest by different members of the same culture. In some urban areas, infestations of feral European rabbits (descended from pets) have become a problem. [[Helsinki]], for example, host to one of the northernmost [[:fi:Helsingin villikanit|populations of the species]], had an estimated 2,500 European rabbits at the end of 2006, doubling to 5,000 by autumn 2007.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kemppainen |first=Jouni K. |date=October 2007 |title=Kanit keskuudessamme |trans-title=The rabbits among us |journal=[[Suomen Kuvalehti]]| pages=76–83| language=fi}}</ref> In Iceland, populations of ''O. cuniculus'' are found in urban [[Reykjavík]] as well as in the [[Vestmannaeyjar]] archipelago. In Finland, the introduced European rabbit vies for resources with the native lagomorphs: the [[European hare]] and the [[mountain hare]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

===As an introduced species===
[[File:Okunojima-rabbit.JPG|thumb|right|Feral rabbits on the island of [[Ōkunoshima]]. The European rabbit was introduced and established a self-sustaining population in 1971 after a group of school children released 8 rabbits on the island.<ref>{{Cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130081217/http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/visit/japanese-island-overrun-rabbits-tourists-668568/ |url=http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/visit/japanese-island-overrun-rabbits-tourists-668568/ |archive-date=30 January 2013 |date=13 December 2011 |first=Jessica |last=Ocheltree |title=Japanese island overrun by rabbits, tourists |language=en |website=CNN }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |newspaper=South China Morning Post  |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3120466/japans-rabbit-island-okunoshima-has-dark-and |title=Japan's rabbit island Okunoshima has a dark and deadly history |date=14 February 2021 |last=Thomas |first=Russell |language=en |url-access=subscription}}</ref>]]
The European rabbit has been introduced as an [[exotic species]] into several environments, often with harmful results to vegetation and local wildlife, making it an [[invasive species]]. The first known mention of the rabbit as an invasive species (and possibly the first documented instance of an invasive species ever) was made in regard to the introduction of the rabbit to the [[Balearic Islands]] after the [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus|Roman conquest]] of the first century BCE. According to both [[Strabo]] and [[Pliny the Elder]], the multiplying rabbits caused famines by destroying crop yields and even collapsed trees and houses with their burrowing. The inhabitants petitioned [[Augustus]] for help, who sent troops to curb the rabbit population with the help of [[ferret]]s.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/>

Other locations where the European rabbit was introduced include [[Great Britain]]; two of the Hawaiian Islands ([[Laysan Island]] in 1903 and [[Lisianski Island]]); Oceania's [[Macquarie Island]]; the island [[Ōkunoshima]] in Japan;<ref name=":0" /> Washington's [[Smith Island (Washington)|Smith Island]] and [[San Juan Island]] (around 1900 and later spreading to the other San Juan Islands); several islands off the coast of [[Southern Africa]] (including [[Robben Island]]); and [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} The two accounts over the introduction of rabbits in [[Ukraine]] are conflicting. One holds that the species was brought there in the early 20th century by [[Austrian nobility|Austrian nobleman]] [[Graf]] Malokhovsky, who released them on his estate near the [[Khadzhibey Estuary]], while another holds that rabbits were first brought to [[Kherson]] from [[Switzerland]] in 1894–1895 by landowner Pinkovsky.<ref name="o242">{{Harvnb|Ognev|1962|p=242}}</ref>

====In the British Isles====
The European rabbit is widespread in Great Britain, [[Ireland]], and most other islands, except for [[Isles of Scilly]], [[Rùm]], [[Tiree]], and some small Scottish islands, such as [[Gunna, Scotland|Gunna]], [[Sanday, Inner Hebrides|Sanday]], and most of the [[Treshnish Isles]].<ref name="h205">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=205–206}}</ref> It was likely first brought to Britain by the [[Normans]] after the [[Norman conquest of England|1066 conquest of England]], as no pre-Norman British allusions to the animal have been found. The rabbit was nonetheless scarce or absent throughout most of England a short time afterwards, as warrens are not mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] or any other 11th–century documents. Rabbits became well known, but not necessarily accepted members of British fauna between the 12th and 13th centuries. The first real evidence of their presence is a number of bones from the [[midden]] of [[Rayleigh Castle]], which was occupied from the 11th–13th centuries. The first references to rabbits in Ireland occur roughly at the same time as English ones, thus indicating another Norman introduction. They had become plentiful, probably at a local level, by the 13th century, as indicated by an inquisition of [[Lundy Island]] made in 1274 describing how 2,000 rabbits were caught annually. Subsequent allusions in official documents became more frequent, with the species later becoming an important food item at feasts.<ref name="b184">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=184–189}}</ref>

Truly wild populations increased slowly, primarily in the coastal areas and lowland heaths of [[Breckland]] and [[Norfolk]]. There were notable population increases after 1750, when changes in agricultural practices created favourable habitats, and increasing interest in game management resulted in intensive predator control campaigns.<ref name="h206"/> Although now common in the Scottish lowlands, the species was little known in Scotland before the 19th century. Until then, it was confined to portions of the [[Edinburgh]] district at least as far back as the 16th century, certain islands and the coastal [[sand dune]]s of the Scottish mainland. Although unknown in [[Caithness]] in 1743, the species became well established there by 1793.<ref name="b184"/>

[[Myxomatosis]] entered Britain from France in 1953, and reached Ireland by 1954,<ref name="h209-210">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=209–210}}</ref> prompting the [[RSPB]] to set up "mercy squads" meant to euthanise myxomatous rabbits.<ref name="l115">{{Harvnb|Lockley|1976|pp=115}}</ref> Major myxomatosis outbreaks still occur in Britain, peaking twice annually: in spring and especially in late summer or autumn, though [[Immunity (medical)|immunity]] has reduced the [[mortality rate]] from 99% to 5–33%.<ref name="h209-210"/>

Between 1996 and 2018, rabbit numbers fell by 88% in the east Midlands of England, 83% in Scotland, and 43% across the whole of the UK. Numbers are still falling (in 2021). Pip Mountjoy, Shifting Sands project manager at [[Natural England]], said: "They (rabbits) are actually an endangered species in their native region on the Iberian peninsula. It is surprising for people that rabbits are important in some ecosystems. We think of them as a pest but in Britain they are a keystone species – they act as landscape managers and a lot of other species rely on them." The Shifting Sands project aims to encourage landowners to create safe habitats for rabbits, consisting of piles of branches placed near existing rabbit warrens. Species that depend on rabbits' grazing habits include [[Astragalus danicus|purple milk vetch]], [[Carex ericetorum|rare spring sedge]], [[Veronica verna|spring speedwell]], prostrate perennial [[knawel]], caterpillars of the lunar yellow underwing moth, stone curlew, and the [[Large blue|large blue butterfly]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Barkham|first=Patrick|date=28 November 2021|title=Hope 'rabbit hotels' can help Britain's decimated population bounce back|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/28/hope-rabbit-hotels-can-help-britains-decimated-population-bounce-back|access-date=28 November 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

====In Australia====
{{Main article|Rabbits in Australia}}
[[File:Wild rabbit in grass.jpg|thumb|A feral rabbit on a farm in [[Victoria (Australia)]]]]
Twenty-four specimens of the European rabbit were introduced to Australia in 1859 by estate owner [[Thomas Austin (pastoralist)|Thomas Austin]] in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]. Their descendants multiplied and spread throughout the country due to the lack of natural predators, a conducive habitat (provided by widespread farming), and the mild Australian winters that allowed year-round breeding. Australia's native equivalent, the [[bilby]], was quickly pushed out by the invasive rabbit. (The bilbies are endangered, but are now making a comeback due to government protection.) Between 1901 and 1907, Australia built an immense "[[rabbit-proof fence]]" to halt the westward expansion of the infestation. The European rabbit, however, can not only jump very high, but also burrow underground, making fencing essentially futile.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

During the 1950s, the intentional introduction of a virus that causes myxomatosis provided some relief in Australia, but not in New Zealand, where the insect [[Vector (epidemiology)|vector]]s necessary for the spread of the disease were not present. Myxomatosis can also infect pet rabbits (the same species). Today's remaining feral rabbits in Australia are largely immune to myxomatosis. A second deadly rabbit virus, [[rabbit hemorrhagic disease]] (RHD), has been cleared in Australia as a [[biological control]] agent and has already killed millions of the European rabbits there. RHD was also introduced&mdash;illegally&mdash;in New Zealand with less success due to improper timing.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

====In Chile====
The exact date on which the European rabbit was introduced into [[Chile]] is unknown, though the first references to it occur during the mid-18th century. By the 19th century, several authors referred to the presence of both rabbits and rabbit hutches in central Chile. The importation and breeding of rabbits was encouraged by the state, as rabbits were seen as cheap sources of food for peasants. Whether or not their escape into the wild was intentional is unknown, but warnings over the dangers of feral rabbits were raised during the early 20th century, and the species had propagated dramatically by the late 1920s in central Chile, [[Tierra del Fuego]], and the [[Juan Fernández Islands]]. In the 1930s, the state sought to tackle the rabbit problem by banning fox hunting, though it was later discovered that indigenous [[South American fox]]es rarely preyed on rabbits, preferring native species. In modern times, the European rabbit problem has not been resolved definitively, though a deliberate outbreak of myxomatosis in Tierra del Fuego successfully reduced local rabbit populations. The species remains a problem in central Chile and on Juan Fernández, despite international financing.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Camus |first1=Pablo |last2=Castro |first2=Sergio |last3=Jaksic |first3=Fabián |url=http://socialsciences.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-71942008000100001&lng=es&nrm=iso |title=European rabbits in Chile: the history of a biological invasion |journal=Historia (Santiago) |volume=4 |date=2008 |issn= 0717-7194}}</ref>

===Domesticated rabbits===
{{main|Domestic rabbit}}
[[File:Animal Parcours 08.jpg|thumb|Domestic [[lop rabbit]]]]
The European rabbit is the only rabbit to be widely [[domesticated]],<ref name="Schneider">{{Cite book |last1=Schneider |first1=Eberhard |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199206087.001.0001/acref-9780199206087-e-118?rskey=fRlKyu&result=118 |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-920608-7 |editor-last1=Macdonald |editor-first1=David W. |edition=3 |chapter=Rabbit and Hare Species}}</ref> for meat, fur, wool,<ref name="prodintro">{{Citation |last1=Lukefahr |first1=Steven |title=Introduction |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |pages=23–28 |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0000 |access-date=2024-10-31 |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0000 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1 |last2=McNitt |first2=James I. |last3=Cheeke |first3=Peter Robert |last4=Patton |first4=Nephi}}</ref> or as a [[pet]].<ref name="companionrabbit">{{Cite web |last=Fry |first=Deborah |title=Companion rabbits: Assessing their needs and behaviour |url=https://fabclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Companion-Rabbit-Article.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421213342/https://fabclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Companion-Rabbit-Article.pdf |archive-date=2022-04-21 |access-date=2024-10-31 |publisher=Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians}}</ref> It was first widely kept in [[ancient Rome]] from the first century BC, where [[Pliny the Elder]] described the use of rabbit [[Hutch (animal cage)|hutches]], along with enclosures called ''leporaria.''<ref name="Irving-PeaseFrantz2018">{{cite journal |last1=Irving-Pease |first1=Evan K. |last2=Frantz |first2=Laurent A.F. |last3=Sykes |first3=Naomi |last4=Callou |first4=Cécile |last5=Larson |first5=Greger |year=2018 |title=Rabbits and the Specious Origins of Domestication |url=http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/34474 |url-status=live |journal=Trends in Ecology & Evolution |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=149–152 |bibcode=2018TEcoE..33..149I |doi=10.1016/j.tree.2017.12.009 |issn=0169-5347 |pmid=29454669 |s2cid=3380288 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822215505/https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/34474 |archive-date=2019-08-22 |access-date=2019-09-03}}</ref> The European rabbit has been refined into a [[List of rabbit breeds|wide variety of breeds]]<ref name="Whitman">{{cite book |last1=Whitman |first1=Bob D. |title=Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World |date=October 2004 |publisher=Leathers Publishing |isbn=978-1-58597-275-3 |location=Leawood KS}}</ref> during and since the emergence of [[animal fancy]] in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Amato |first=Sarah |title=Beastly Possessions: Animals In Victorian Consumer Culture. |publisher=University Of Toronto Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4426-1760-5 |location=Toronto, Canada |pages=31–32 |jstor=10.3138/j.ctt18dzs2z |oclc=1124537499}}</ref>

[[Selective breeding]] has been used since ancient times in efforts to raise rabbits with different characteristics, and while domestic rabbits are typically larger than wild rabbits,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tislerics |first=Ati |title=''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Oryctolagus_cuniculus/#3a0538fe6c2441bc4dad900e89213ec7 |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=Animal Diversity Web}}</ref> the various breeds of domestic rabbit exist in a range of sizes from "dwarf" to "giant".<ref name="DAD-IS 2017">{{cite web |date=21 November 2017 |title=Data export: Global Rabbit Breeds by Country |url=http://www.fao.org/dad-is/dataexport/en/ |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=DAD-IS (Domestic Animal Diversity Information System) |publisher=FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)}}</ref> They have as much color variation among themselves as other livestock and pet animals.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zigo |first1=František |last2=Pyskatý |first2=Ondřej |last3=Ondrašovičová |first3=Silvia |last4=Zigová |first4=Martina |last5=Šimek |first5=Vlastimil |last6=Supuka |first6=Peter |date=2020-12-30 |title=Comparison of exterior traits in selected giant and medium rabbit breeds |url=https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/12937 |url-status=live |journal=World Rabbit Science |volume=28 |issue=4 |page=251 |doi=10.4995/wrs.2020.12937 |issn=1989-8886 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310184025/https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/view/12937 |archive-date=2023-03-10 |access-date=2024-10-31 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10251/160037}}</ref> Their fur is prized for its softness; the large [[Angora rabbits|Angora rabbit]] breeds are raised<ref name="rabprobreeds">{{Citation |title=Rabbit Breeds |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |pages=23–28 |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0003 |access-date=2024-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514151434/https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0003 |archive-date=2024-05-14 |url-status=live |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0003 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1}}</ref> for their long, soft fur, which is often spun into yarn.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Samson |first1=Leslie |title=Angora Wool Production |date=2022-05-11 |work=Rabbit Production |pages=292–302 |url=http://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789249811.0022 |access-date=2024-10-31 |edition=10 |place=GB |publisher=CABI |language=en |doi=10.1079/9781789249811.0022 |isbn=978-1-78924-978-1}}</ref> Other breeds are raised for the fur industry, particularly the [[Rex rabbit|Rex]], which has a smooth, [[velvet]]-like coat.<ref name="rabprobreeds" />

===Meat and fur===
In the United Kingdom, rabbit was a popular food source for the poorer classes. Among wild rabbits, those native to Spain were reputed to have the highest meat quality, followed by those in the [[Ardennes]]. As rabbits hold very little fat, they were hardly ever roasted, being instead boiled, fried, or stewed.<ref name="hart222">{{Harvnb|Harting|Shand|1898|pp=222–248}}</ref>

The pelt of the rabbit is heavier and more durable than the hare's.<ref name="petersen">Petersen, Marcus (1914), ''[https://archive.org/details/furtradersfurbea00peteuoft The fur traders, and fur bearing animals]'', Buffalo : Hammond Press, p. 291</ref> [[William Marshall (agricultural writer)|Marshall]] calculated that the value of the skin in proportion to the carcass was greater than that of the [[sheep]] and [[ox]].<ref name="b188">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=188}}</ref> Its fur is primarily used for [[felt]]ing or [[hat]]s. It is also dyed or clipped, and sold as imitations of more valuable furbearers, such as [[fur seal]]. Although cheap and easily acquired, rabbit fur has little durability.<ref name="b191">{{Harvnb|Barrett-Hamilton|Hinton|Wilson|1910|pp=191}}</ref>

===Conservation status===
{{anchor|Status|reason=This subsection's name was changed from "Status" to "Conservation status" on 29 March 2018}} 
Though the European rabbit thrives in many of the locations where it was introduced, in its native Iberia, populations are dwindling. In 2005, the Portuguese [[Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests]] classified ''O. cuniculus'' in Portugal as "near threatened",<ref name="ICNF Red Book">{{cite book|title=Livro Vermelho dos Vertebrados de Portugal ("Red Book")|date=12 December 2005|publisher=Instituto da Conservação da Natureza (ICNF)|isbn=978-972-775-153-2|url=http://www2.icnf.pt/portal/pn/biodiversidade/patrinatur/lvv/resource/doc/mam/ory-cun|access-date=29 March 2018|archive-date=23 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823162406/http://www2.icnf.pt/portal/pn/biodiversidade/patrinatur/lvv/resource/doc/mam/ory-cun|url-status=dead}}</ref> while in 2006, Spanish authorities (SECEM) reclassified it in Spain as "vulnerable".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.secem.es/PDFs/Lista%20roja%20SECEM.pdf|title=SECEM 2006 red list|work=secem.es|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006235917/http://www.secem.es/PDFs/Lista%20roja%20SECEM.pdf|archive-date=2007-10-06}}</ref> In 2018, the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] reclassified ''O. cuniculus'' in Spain, Portugal, and France as "endangered", due to the extent of recent declines. Worldwide, the species is also [[Endangered species|endangered]].<ref name=iucn/>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Rabbits and hares}}
* [[Cuniculture]], on the practice of breeding and raising the domesticated version of the European rabbit
* [[List of rabbit breeds|List of breeds]] of the domesticated version of the European rabbit

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book
|last1=Barrett-Hamilton
|first1=Gerald Edwin Hamilton
|last2=Hinton
|first2=Martin A. C.
|last3=Wilson
|first3=Edward Adrian
|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofbritish22barr
|title=A history of British mammals, v. 2; pt. 2
|publisher=Gurney and Jackson
|location=London
|year=1910
|oclc=1167055925}}
* {{cite web |lang=fr |author=<!--staff writers, no byline--> |title=Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales |trans-title=National Center of Textual and Lexical Resources |url=https://www.cnrtl.fr |date=2012 |website=CNRTL.fr |publisher= |ref={{harvid|CNRTL|2012}} }}
* {{Cite book 
|title=Primates and Lagomorpha 
|publisher=Springer International Publishing 
|year=2023 
|isbn=978-3-030-34042-1 
|editor-last=Hackländer 
|editor-first=Klaus 
|series=Handbook of the Mammals of Europe 
|location=Cham 
|chapter=European Rabbit ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) 
|first1=Miguel 
|last1=Delibes-Mateos 
|first2=Heiko G. 
|last2=Rödel 
|first3=Carlos 
|last3=Rouco 
|first4=Paulo C. 
|last4=Alves 
|first5=Miguel 
|last5=Carneiro 
|first6=Rafael 
|last6=Villafuerte 
|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-34043-8_13 
|editor-last2=Alves 
|editor-first2=Paulo C. 
|chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-34043-8_13}}
* {{Cite book 
|last1=Harris 
|first1=Stephen 
|last2=Yalden 
|first2=Derek 
|title=Mammals of the British Isles 
|publisher=Mammal Society; 4th Revised edition 
|year=2008 
|isbn=978-0-906282-65-6 }}
* {{Cite book 
|last1=Harting 
|first1=James Edmund 
|last2=Shand 
|first2=A. I. 
|url=https://archive.org/details/rabbitwithchapte00hart
|title=The rabbit; with a chapter on Cookery 
|publisher=London, Longmans 
|year=1898 
|oclc=8568146}}
* {{Cite book 
|last1=Lockley 
|first1=R. M. 
|title=The Private Life of the Rabbit 
|publisher=Readers Union Group of Book Clubs 
|year=1976 
|url=https://archive.org/details/privatelifeofrab0000unse 
|isbn=978-0-02-573900-0 }}
* {{Cite book 
|last=Nowak 
|first=Ronald M. 
|title=Walker's mammals of the world 
|edition=6th 
|volume=2 
|year=1999 
|location=Baltimore 
|publisher= Johns Hopkins University Press 
|url=https://archive.org/details/walkersmammalsof0002nowa_d2q4 
|isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8 }}
* {{Cite book 
|last1=Ognev 
|first1=Sergei Ivanovich 
|url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofeastern04ogne 
|title=Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, Vol. 4 
|publisher=Israel Program for Scientific Translations 
|year=1962 
|oclc=863241}}
* {{Cite book 
|last1=Smith 
|first1=David G. 
|title=A dissection guide & atlas to the rabbit 
|last2=Schenk 
|first2=Michael P. 
|publisher=Morton 
|year=2019 
|isbn=978-1-61731-937-2 
|oclc=1084742187}}
* {{Cite journal 
|pmc=7158370 
|date=2013 
|last1=Varga 
|first1=M. 
|title=Rabbit Basic Science 
|journal=Textbook of Rabbit Medicine 
|pages=3–108 
|doi=10.1016/B978-0-7020-4979-8.00001-7 
|isbn=978-0-7020-4979-8 }}
{{refend}}


== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Oryctolagus cuniculus|''Oryctolagus cuniculus''}}
* {{Wikispecies inline|''Oryctolagus cuniculus''|''Oryctolagus cuniculus''}}

{{wiktionary}}

* View the [http://www.ensembl.org/Oryctolagus_cuniculus/Info/Index/ rabbit genome] in [[Ensembl]]
* {{UCSC genomes|oryCun2}}

{{Lagomorpha|L.}}
{{English Game}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q25851}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Leporidae]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
[[Category:Fauna of Gibraltar]]
[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals of North Africa]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]