Expert: Dr. Endre Sos
Co…

In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with a genetically modified virus. If it were to make its way into wild populations in areas such as Australia, it could create a population boom, as those diseases are the most serious threats to rabbit survival. A popular culture manifestation of this tradition can be found in the character title character of Sailor Moon, whose name is Usagi Tsukino, a Japanese pun on the words “rabbit of the moon. This is thought to date back to early times in the quarrying industry, where piles of extracted stone (not fit for sale) were built into tall rough walls (to save space) directly behind the working quarry face; the rabbit’s natural tendency to burrow would weaken these “walls” and cause collapse, often resulting in injuries or even death.

Rabbits have six incisors, or front teeth, four on the top and two on the bottom. Nonburrowing rabbits make surface nests called forms, generally under dense protective cover. While the European rabbit is the best-known species, it is probably also the least typical, as there is considerable variability in the natural history of rabbits. In gardens, they are typically kept in hutches -small, wooden, house-like boxes- that protect the rabbits from the environment and predators. In many regions, rabbits are also bred for meat, a practice called cuniculture.

Rabbits graze heavily and rapidly for roughly the first half hour of a grazing period (usually in the late afternoon), followed by about half an hour of more selective feeding. In rabbits, the cecum is approximately 10 times bigger than the stomach, and it, along with the large intestine, makes up roughly 40% of the rabbit’s digestive tract. Most rabbits are relatively solitary and sometimes territorial, coming together only to breed or occasionally to forage in small groups.

1. You can let an unwanted pet rabbit out into the wild and it will be OK

The average domesticated rabbit will not last long in the great outdoors. Most fall prey to local predators such as dogs, cats and big birds, very quickly. It may be true that pet rabbits possess some inbred “prey instincts”, they have never had to rely upon on them and really have no clue what to do in the wild. If you can no longer care for your rabbit, try to find him a good home, or as a last resort hand him over to a local pet shelter.

2. You can pick a rabbit up by his ears.

Rabbits ears are not a handle. How would you feel if someone tried to pick you up by your ears? Well, rabbits feel the same way. The correct way to handle a bunny is to scoop it up, supporting its body with both hands. This myth probably gained popularity thanks to those magicians who do “rabbit hat tricks”, a practice that magicians guilds now frown on.

3. Pet store rabbit treats are good for your bunny’s health.

This is for the most part false. The brightly colored treats you see in the pet store are designed to appeal to you, not your rabbit. These treats often contain way more sugar and dried fruits and nuts than the average rabbit’s digestion system can handle.

4. Rabbits are silent animals.

New rabbit owners may be very surprised by the range of noises that their pet bunny makes, and they vary greatly from breed to breed. It may go from a low “buzzing” noise to a contented purr. A rabbit that feels threatened will often let out a very shrill scream.

5. Cats and Rabbits can be bred to create Cabbits.

Since these are two completely different species, it’s hard to believe that anyone falls for this particular myth but the “cabbit” theory is alive and well. It may be the strange way that cat breeds such as the manx , which do move in a way that is almost a hop that helped get it started. However, as far as anyone knows, cabbits only really exist in Japanese Anime cartoons.

Danger, Danger Everywhere.

The New England Cottontail, like most wild animals, is great prey for bigger species, such as owls, foxes and hawks. They also face danger from another rabbit species, the Eastern cottontail, a bigger, faster breed introduced from Europe to America in the 1920’s by private hunting clubs to increase the available game population. These rabbits bully their smaller cousins out of their homes, taking over the few suitable habitats that remain.

A Plan to save the Cottontails?

In attempt to prevent the New England Cottontail following species like the Columbia Basin Pygmy rabbit into total extinction, the York Landtrust in Maine has declared 2009 the “Year of the Cottontail”. A plot of land known as Highland Farms, actually an abandoned and over grown golf course, has proved to be one of the last places in Maine where the New England Cottontail continues to breed and thrive. It has also become the new home of several other threatened species, including the American Woodcock and the black racer snake. The trust is trying to preserve these unique conditions and duplicate them in other areas. They also plan to begin constructing artificial burrows and adding more of the scrubby brush and hedgerows that the New England Cottontails need to thrive.