Domestic Rabbits

This image is a popular medieval depiction of ladies who are hunting rabbits in a warren using cages and ferrets that was held by Queen Mary Psalter. (inserted from VIER PFOTEN International – gemeinnützige Privatstiftung. (n.d.). How the Rabbit was Domesticated. FOUR PAWS International - Animal Welfare Organisation. https://www.four-paws.org/our-stories/publications-guides/how-the-rabbit-was-domesticated#:~:text=The%20breeding%20of%20rabbits%20gained,build%2C%20coat%20colour%20and%20weight.)

All about Domestic Rabbits

• The domestication of rabbits was a gradual process, starting with their use as a food source and fur source in the Roman period and evolving into their current role as pets. 

• Evidence suggests that humans and rabbits may have had an intensive relationship as early as the Roman period with the earliest written records of captive rabbits appearing around that time. 

Selective Breeding: 

• Choosing parents: When a rabbit with an interesting or attractive fur color appeared, humans would intentionally breed that rabbit with another rabbit that also possessed, or was likely to carry, the genes for that desirable color. 

• Controlling reproduction: By controlling which rabbits mated, they ensured that the offspring were more likely to inherit the desired fur color traits. 

• Reinforcing traits over generations: This process was repeated over many generations. Each time, individuals with the most pronounced or desired fur color were chosen to be parents, gradually increasing the frequency of those genes in the rabbit population. 

• Developing Breeds: Over time, this meticulous selective breeding led to the development of numerous distinct rabbit breeds, each with its own specific fur colors, patterns, and other physical characteristics (like fur length, body size, and ear shape). Examples include pure white rabbits (like New Zealand Whites), black, chocolate, gray, tortoiseshell, chinchilla, and various spotted patterns. 

• Genetic Basis: We now know that rabbit coat color is determined by a complex interaction of several genes, including genes that control the color base (e.g., black or brown), color density, pattern (like agouti or self), extension of dark pigment, and spotting. Breeders learn about dominant and recessive alleles to predict and achieve desired color outcomes. 

In essence, humans bypassed natural selection, which would typically favor camouflage, and instead actively "selected" for traits that they found appealing or useful, resulting in the incredible diversity of rabbit fur colors we see today. 

Here's how it generally worked: 

• Initial Variation: Wild rabbits primarily have an "agouti" or "wild-type" color pattern, which helps them camouflage in their natural environment. However, like all living things, genetic mutations occur naturally, leading to occasional variations in fur color (e.g., solid black, brown, white, or different patterns). In the wild, these unusual colors would often make rabbits more conspicuous to predators and thus less likely to survive and reproduce. 

• Human Intervention (Domestication): Rabbit domestication is believed to have begun around the 5th to 16th centuries, with early records suggesting French monks played a significant role. Initially, rabbits were kept for practical reasons, primarily as a food source (their meat was even considered permissible during Lent). 

• Identifying Desirable Traits: As rabbits were kept in controlled environments, humans began to notice and appreciate variations in their fur color. Unlike in the wild, these "deviant" colors didn't put the rabbits at a disadvantage; in fact, they became aesthetically pleasing or potentially useful for specific purposes (like fur production).