European Rabbits

2011 Ecology ProjectBy Eric Jiang

EUROPEAN RABBITSIntroduction to European Rabbits

Physical DescriptionScientific Classification

The European Rabbit is a small, grey-brown (or sometimes black) mammal ranging from 34–45 cm (13-18 inches) in length, and is approximately 1.3-2.2 kg in weight.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae

Genus: OryctolagusLilgeborg, 1873

Species: O. Cuniculus

INTRODUCTION AND SPREADEuropean Rabbit introduction to Australia

Introduction to AustraliaThe Spread of Rabbits

The European Rabbit was introduced to Australia because back then when the first settlers came from Europe, there was nothing to hunt. So they were introduced to Australia so that hunter could hunt them. Buts nobody knew that they reproduced so quickly that they now are damaging Australia’s ecological system. In 1859, 24 rabbits were introduced in less than a century their population rose to 600 million.

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS

The Ecological Effects of the European Rabbit being introduced to Australia

Ecological Effects

Since their introduction to Australia, the European Rabbit plays a role which kill other species. At this stage we don’t know is the European Rabbit killing any flora. Rabbits often kill young trees in orchards Rabbits are also responsible for serious erosion problems as they eat the native plants, leaving the topsoil exposed and vulnerable to sheet gully and wind erosion, the removal of this topsoil is devastating to the land as it takes many thousands of years to regenerate.

CONTROL MEASURESMeasures that are in place to control the European Rabbit

Control Measures

A Royal Commission was held to investigate the situation in 1901. Once the problem was understood, various control methods were tried to limit or reduce the population of rabbits in Australia. These methods had limited success until the introduction of biological control methods in the latter half of the 20th century.

Techniques used to kill rabbits

Shooting rabbits is one of the most common control methods. However, this has little noticeable effect on rabbit populations. Destroying warrens through ripping (a procedure where rabbits are dismembered or buried alive as a bulldozer dragging sharp tines is driven over their warrens/burrows) ploughing, blasting, and fumigating is widely used especially on large farms (known as 'stations'). The sandy soil in many parts of Australia makes ripping and ploughing a viable method of control, and both tractors and bulldozers are used for this operation.

Biological Measures I

Releasing rabbit-borne diseases has proven somewhat successful in controlling the population of rabbits in Australia. When released, the population dropped from 600 million to an estimated 100 million. But the remaining rabbit’s genetic changed to grew resistant to this drug.

Biological Measures I

To combat this trend CSIRO developed and accidentally released calicivirus (also known as Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease or RHD) in 1996. The success of the virus was found to be higher in extreme heat. This was because it appears there is another calicivirus in the colder, wetter areas of Australia, and that this virus was immunising rabbits against the more virulent form.