European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

European Rabbit

“ Ideas are like bunnies. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. ”

– John Steinbeck

Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae

Genius: Oryctolagus

Species: Oryctolagus cuniculus

Subspecies: Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus

Descendant: rabbits

Named by: Carl Linnaeus

Year Published: 1758

Size: 50 cm tall in height; 40 cm in length; 1 – 2.5 kg in weight

Lifespan: 9+ years

Type: 

Title: 

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Good

Threat Level: ★★

Diet: Herbivorous 🌿🌱🍊🌾🐌

Elements: n/a

Inflicts: n/a

Weaknesses: Fire, air, electric, ice, arcane, metal, fae, time

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: 

European Rabbit, Iberian Rabbit, Algerian Rabbit, or Coney (Oryctolagus cuniculus), is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula, western France, and the northern Atlas mountains in Northwest Africa. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, often with devastating effects on local biodiversity.

Etymology

The word rabbit itself derives from the Middle English rabet, a borrowing from the Walloon robète, which was a diminutive of the Middle French or Middle Dutch robbe.

Physical Appearance

The European rabbit is smaller than the European hare and mountain hare and lacks black eartips, as well as having proportionately shorter legs. Unlike the brown hare, the male European rabbit is more heavily built than the female. The fur of the European rabbit is generally grayish-brown, but 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-colored. The tail has a white underside, which becomes prominent when escaping danger. This may act as a signal for other rabbits to run. The skin color of European rabbits was pinkish brown like that of Mediterranean people, and the eye color was dark or light brown.

Abilities

Nothing too much; it is not known to attack. The best-known is a high-treble scream or squeal. This distress call has been likened to the cry of a piglet. This sound is uttered when in extreme distress, such as being caught by a predator or trap.

Ecology

The European rabbit is a generalized herbivore, eating a diverse diet of grasses, leaves, buds, tree bark, and roots. Gardeners know them to eat lettuce, cabbage, root vegetables, and grains. The European rabbit is prey to many different predatory species. Foxes, dingoes, wolves, lynxes, wolverines, and dogs kill both adult and young rabbits by stalking and surprising them in the open. However, relatively few rabbits are caught this way, as rabbits can quickly rush back to cover with a burst of speed.


Further, evidence from a study in Spain suggests they may avoid areas where the recent scat of predators that have eaten rabbits has been detected. Unlike the related hares, 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 mother.


The European rabbit lives in warrens that contain 2–10 other individuals living in smaller groups to ensure greater breeding success. Territoriality and aggression contribute greatly to the rabbits' maturation process and help ensure the survival of the population. Females tend to be more territorial than males, although the areas most frequented by females are not defended. Territories are marked with dung hills.


However, the Iberian lynx and the Spanish imperial eagle, two of its most reliant predators, have also declined in their natural range due to the diseases myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus, as well as overhunting and habitat destruction. With the exception of the Southern Ocean Islands, which do not include Antarctica, it has been introduced to nations on all continents and has caused numerous issues with the environment and ecosystems. In particular, European rabbits in Australia have had a devastating impact because there are few natural predators there, with the exception of quolls, eagles, monitor lizards, dingos, feral cats, and venomous snakes.

Behavior

Nothing too much; they hopped away from attacks, and the rest of the fluffle or colony of rabbits ran away from predators who targeted them. Aggression is expressed with a low growl.

Distribution and 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, in order to prevent burrow collapse. The Iberian Peninsula and small areas of France and northwest Africa also found this rabbit. Domesticated rabbits may be found worldwide.


Tamed

All rabbits slowly approach survivors holding carrots, golden carrots, or dandelions, and they are tamed by feeding.

Lore

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. Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth, and have long been associated with spring and Easter as the Easter Bunny.


The species' role as a prey animal with few defenses evokes vulnerability and innocence, and in folklore and modern children's stories, rabbits often appear as sympathetic characters, able to connect easily with youth of all kinds related to sometimes, both Jesus and Eostre in the same Holy Week.

Gallery

Chronological Appears

This species was found in every episode of Earth Responsibly Universe with the Frozen series, The Owl House, Assassin's Creed, Monster Hunter, The Avengers, Agents of Shield, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Venom, Street Fighter, Z Nation, The Walking Dead, every movie in 20th Century Studios, Mobile Legends, and Star Wars as part of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure and Tangled Movie.

Foreign Languages

Trivia