Encyclopedia
Rabbits are small mammals in the order
Lagomorpha of the
family Leporidae, found in many parts of the world. They are sometimes affectionately known as
bunnies or
bunny rabbits, especially by
children. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the
European Rabbit ,
cottontail rabbits , and the
Amami Rabbit . There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with cottontails, pikas and hares make up the Order Lagomorpha. Rabbits generally live for about 4-10 years.
Hares
Rabbits are clearly distinguished from the related
hares in that rabbits are altricial, having young that are born
blind and
hairless; many also live underground in burrows or warrens.
Humans' relationship with rabbits
Humans' relationship with the European or ‘true’ rabbit was first recorded by the Phoenicians over 1,000 years BC, when they termed the
Iberian Peninsula i-shfaním . This phrase is pronounced absolutely identically in
modern Hebrew,
i meaning "island" and
shafan meaning "hyrax",
shfaním being the plural form. Phoenicians called the local rabbits "hyraxes" because hyraxes resemble rabbits in some way, and probably were more common than rabbits at that time in their native
Levant. Hyraxes, like rabbits, are not rodents. The Romans converted the phrase
i-shfaním to its Latin form,
Hispania, and hence the modern word "Spain".
The
European Rabbit is the only species of rabbit to be domesticated. All pet breeds of rabbits - such as dwarf lops, angoras, etc. - are of this species. However, rabbits and people interact in many different ways beyond
domestication. Rabbits are an example of an
animal which is treated as food, pet and pest by the same culture.
When used for food, rabbits are both hunted and raised for meat. Snares or
guns along with
dogs are usually employed when catching wild rabbits for food. In many areas rabbits are also raised for meat, a practice called cuniculture. Rabbit pelts are sometimes used as part of accessories, such as scarves or hats. Rabbits are also very good producers of manure; their urine, being high in nitrogen, makes lemon trees very productive. Their milk may also be of great medicinal or nutritional benefit due to its high protein content.
There are a number of health issues associated with the use of rabbits for meat, one of which is Tularemia or Rabbit Fever. Another is so-called rabbit starvation, due most likely to essential
amino acid deficiencies in rabbit meat and synthesis limitations in human beings.
- by David Pesci
- , BBC News, 28 July 2000
-
Domestic rabbits
A healthy indoor pet rabbit can live 6-12 years. They enjoy throwing around toys and chewing on cardboard. In some instances, they can even become good friends with cats and dogs. Though they are often caged in small areas, they can be free roaming pets similar to cats and dogs, often called 'house rabbits'. Large, inexpensive cages can be custom made from 'Idea-cubes', which can be found in many department stores.
Female pet rabbits may be spayed. There are some health and behaviour benefits from the neutering of male rabbits. If left un-neutered, male rabbits may spray urine in order to mark territory. Most rabbits can be aggressive towards other rabbits unless an effort is made to bond the two over time, spaying/neutering both parties may help make this process successful. It is not a good idea to simply put two rabbits together in the same cage and assume that they will get along. Even normally docile rabbits can become violent when left with an unbonded partner.
Unlike
cats, rabbits cannot be declawed. Lacking pads on the bottoms of their feet, rabbits require their claws for balance, and declawing a rabbit will render it unable to stand, permanently crippling it.
Provided they are well cared for, rabbits can make friendly and playful pets. They are widely kept throughout the world, both indoors and out. Rabbits kept indoors are typically healthier and more social than rabbits kept outdoors. Housed indoors and provided with adequate damage-proofing , rabbits are relatively safe from predators, parasites, disease, and temperature extremes. Rabbits kept outdoors must be provided with shelter, this shelter may be heated in winter , but must be shaded in summer. Domesticated rabbits are most comfortable in temperatures between 10 to 21 degrees Celsius , and cannot endure temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius without assistance such as fans, frozen water bottles, and deep shade. Veterinarians specializing in rabbits recommend a diet consisting of clean water, a small amount of commercial pellets and unlimited grass hay daily. Other vegetables may be fed such as: romaine lettuce , parsley, cilantro, dandelion, and basil. Carrots and fruits should be used sparingly. As commercial feeds are balanced to provide all of the daily nutrients that a rabbit needs, fresh vegetables are not needed daily. They should be fed sparingly and as a treat.
Domestic rabbits should be checked daily as infections and illnesses can occur very quickly. Teeth should not be too long because if they are the rabbit cannot eat. Do not attempt to grind or clip a rabbit's teeth; one is advised to seek a veterinarian. A rabbit's teeth can grow up to five inches a year, but must be worn down to maintain a healthy bite. Rabbits will wear down their teeth best if given a harder commercial pellet to chew. A rabbit's
whiskers are a major sensory organ and should never be clipped.
The eyes should be clean with no crusts evident. Ears also should be clean along with any other part of the rabbit.
They can also be put to sleep on their backs by making sure the head is lower than the body. Safe handling of rabbits may be taught by rabbit breeders and specialists in your area. In the United States, the American Rabbit Breeders Association is a valuable resource for both pet and commercial breeders.In Britain, the British Rabbit Council contains valuable information as well.
Environmental problems with rabbits
Rabbits have also been a source of environmental problems when introduced into the wild by humans. Because of their appetites, and the rate at which they breed, wild rabbit depredation can prove problematic for agriculture. Gassing, barriers , shooting, snaring and
ferreting have been used to control rabbit populations, but most effective are diseases such as myxomatosis , and calicivirus. In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with a genetically modified virus. The virus was developed in Spain, and is beneficial to rabbit farmers. If it were to make its way into wild populations in areas such as Australia, this could create a population boom, since those diseases are the major threats to the rabbits' survival. Rabbits in Australia are considered to be such a big problem that land owners are legaly obligated to control them.
Classification
Rabbits and hares were formerly classified in the order
Rodentia until 1912, when they were moved into a new order
Lagomorpha. This order, in addition to containing rabbits and hares, also includes the
pikas.
Order
Lagomorpha- Family Leporidae
- Genus Pentalagus
- Genus Bunolagus
- Bushman Rabbit, Bunolagus monticularis
- Genus Nesolagus
- Sumatra Short-Eared Rabbit, Nesolagus netscheri
- Annamite Rabbit, Nesolagus timminsi
- Genus Romerolagus
- Volcano Rabbit, Romerolagus diazi
- Genus Brachylagus
- Pygmy Rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis
- Genus Sylvilagus, found in ...
- Forest Rabbit, Sylvilagus brasiliensis
- Dice's Cottontail, Sylvilagus dicei
- Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus bachmani
- San Jose Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus mansuetus
- Swamp Rabbit, Sylvilagus aquaticus
- Marsh Rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris
- Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus
- New England Cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis
- Mountain Cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii
- Desert Cottontail
...
,
Sylvilagus audubonii- Omilteme Cottontail, Sylvilagus insonus
- Mexican Cottontail, Sylvilagus cunicularis
- Tres Marias Rabbit, Sylvilagus graysoni
- Genus Oryctolagus
- Genus Poelagus
- Central African Rabbit, Poelagus marjorita
- 3 other genera in family, regarded as hares, not rabbits
Rabbits in culture and literature
Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility or rebirth. It is possible that as a consequence of this that they have been associated with spring and
Easter as the Easter Bunny. The species' role as a prey animal also lends itself as a symbol of innocence as an animal that seems to wish harm on no one, another Easter connotation. In addition, the animal is often used as a symbol of playful sexuality, which plays off of its perceived image of innocence, as well as its reputation as a prolific breeder.
It is also a common folklore archetype of the
trickster who uses his cunning to outwit his enemies. Well-known examples of this are the
Br'er Rabbit character from African-American folktales and the
Warner Brothers cartoon character
Bugs Bunny.
In the folklore of the United States, a
rabbit's foot is frequently carried as an
amulet, and is often made into a
keychain, where it is thought to bring
luck. The practice derives from the system of
African-American folk magic called
hoodoo.
Anthropomorphic rabbits have appeared in a
host of works of film, literature, and technology, notably the White Rabbit in
Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a work of children's literature [i] by the English [i] m ...
;
Cream the Rabbit from the
Sonic the Hedgehog video game series; in the popular novel
Watership Down, by Richard Adams; and in
Beatrix Potter's works such as
Peter Rabbit.
It is commonly believed that a rabbit, if injected with a woman's urine, will expire if the woman is
pregnant. This is not true. However, in the
1920s it was discovered that if the injected urine contained the hormone hCG, a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women, the rabbit would display ovarian changes. The rabbit would indeed need to be killed to have its
ovaries inspected, but the
death of the rabbit was not the indicator of the results. Later revisions of the test allowed technicians to inspect the ovaries without euthanizing the rabbit.
In
Japanese tradition, rabbits live on the
Moon where they make
mochi — the popular snack of mashed
sticky rice. This comes from interpreting the pattern of dark patches on the moon as a rabbit standing on tiptoes on the left pounding on an
usu, a Japanese mortar. A pop culture manifestation of this tradition can be found in the character known as
Sailor Moon, whose name is Usagi,
Japanese for "rabbit". Similarly, Japanese-American
Stan Sakai's comic book character of
Usagi Yojimbo is an anthropomorphic samurai rabbit based loosely on Japanese swordsman
Miyamoto Musashi.
In Chinese literature, rabbits also accompany Chang'e on the Moon. Also associated with the
Chinese New Year ,
rabbits are also one of the twelve celestial animals in the Chinese Zodiac for the Chinese calendar. It is interesting to note that the Vietnamese lunar new year replaced the rabbit with a cat in their calendar, since rabbits did not exist in Vietnam.
See also
External links
- Association dedicated to the promotion, development, and improvement of the domestic rabbit and cavy.
- British website that offers information for pet owners as well as fanciers.
- The Language of Lagomorphs
- Rabbits as Cultural Symbols in Narrative
- Rabbits as Archetypal Symbols in Literature
- A site dedicated to spreading the knowledge of rabbit medicine and safe medication in rabbits, for the owner and the vet professional.
- House Rabbit Society: An international nonprofit organization that rescues rabbits and educates the public on rabbit care and behavior.
