Description:

The white-breasted outback dog (Austrolagus albapectoralis) is a social austrolagid rabbit native to the Australian continent. These rabbits evolved from the human-introduced European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which was introduced to Australia for hunting purposes. These rabbits quickly began to breed and spread throughout the Australian continent. After the Holocene-Anthropocene extinction events, these rabbits quickly diversified. Most rabbits in Australia are in the family Austrolagidae, which are characterized by their shortened ears compared to their ancestor. In the Novicene, these small lagomorphs fill a role similar to their ancestors, being small, generalist grazers. The most widespread and common of these austrolagids is the white-breasted outback dog. These small rabbits are yellowish-tan with white underbellies and cheeks. They are approximately 35 to 42 centimeters long and weigh between 1.3 and 2.0 kilograms. They have slightly longer claws that allow them to dig their massive burrows.

Distribution:

These animals live in the open plains and grasslands of the Great Australian Plain. They also live in semi-arid deserts on the continent. They also usually pick areas with silty, loam, or clay soils as these soils are the best for burrowing.

Diet:

Given that these animals are grazers, these rabbits mainly feed on grasses, herbs, and leaves. They also feed on fruits, seeds, and other vegetation. They occasionally eat insects and spiders.

Social Behavior:

These rabbits are highly social animals, living in colonies of up to a thousand individuals. Given the number of individuals in outback dog colonies, the area their burrows cover are massive. These colonies often split into different cohorts that are controlled by a dominant male. These males often fight to get control over land and their harem. They usually fight by "boxing" and biting each other. These animals also have a diverse array of calls and vocalizations to communicate with each other. These calls allow these mammals to describe different predators, including their size, distance, and the relative danger the colony is in. These calls often travel through the colony, with several rabbits making the same noise to alert their relatives and smaller groups. This communication suggests that these animals have relatively high intelligence for lagomorphs.

Reproduction:

Outback dogs reach sexual maturity at one year old, but some start breeding at two years. The outback dogs tend to breed with the dominant male of the smaller cohorts. Breeding occurs year-round but usually sees a major increase during the wet seasons. After breeding, the female takes roughly 35 days to gestate. They give birth underground, with the pups being altricial. These pups will stay underground for roughly two months, with the female nursing them the majority of the time.

Predators:

These animals are often prey a majority of carnivorous animals on Australia. Their list of predators include cats, dingoes, foxes, bossums, pouched weasels, hawkpies, other carnivorous birds, snakes, monitor lizards, and crocodiles.

Ecological Importance:

Outback dogs are one of the most important animals for the ecology of the Great Australian Plain, as their burrows create space for other animals to shelter. Snakes, lizards, ground birds, burrowing mammals, and arthropods often use these burrows to hide from predators or escape harsh weather. They also allow predators to grab a quick meal if they can't hunt larger food. These rabbits also improve the health of the soil, increasing the biodiversity of plants, soil-dwelling animals, and microbes. This increase in plant diversity also brings specific herbivores to the region. Without outback dogs, the biodiversity in the Great Australian Plain would not be nearly as high.