Rabbit

Scientific Name: Oryctolagus cuniculus

Family: Leporidae

Appearance: Smaller than hares, rabbits have grey-brown fur, long ears and pale tails.

Body length: 34-50 cm Tail length: 4-8 cm

Weight: 1.1-2.5 kg

Natural history: Rabbits were probably introduced to the UK for food by the Romans. They live in large groups in underground warrens.

Rabbits reproduce very rapidly. The invasive population in Australia increased from 24 introduced individuals in 1859, perhaps to as many as 10 billion by 1920. The disease myxomatosis was introduced to help control them, but has been unable to eradicate these widespread pests there.

 (C) Philip Stephens (shared under a CC BY NC 2.0 license)