Some people, looking at cute and fluffy domesticated rabbits, tend to think that their relatives living in cruel wild nature lead the same carefree life and only nibble on the juicy grass growing in the meadows. But this is an erroneous opinion, since each new day for them is a constant struggle for survival. A wild rabbit is always in search of at least some kind of food, regardless of the season, and besides, he still has to hide from all kinds of predators.
Description
That is why these small animals have a body structure that will make it easier for them to survive in the harsh conditions of their natural environment. They are endowed with unique abilities to extract their food from under the snow, have excellent hearing, allowing them to hear the approach of a predator at a distance of thirty meters, even if it is not on the ground, but hovering in the air.
Outwardly similar to a hare, a wild rabbit. Its description can begin with the fact that it is small in size. The body length ranges from 32 to 46 centimeters, while it weighsno more than two kilograms. Its hind legs are smaller than other breeds of rabbits and hares, and its ears are longer.
A wild rabbit is endowed with a heterogeneous color. His photos show that this animal has a brownish-gray coat on top, sometimes with a reddish tint. The belly and tip of the tail are slightly lighter, and a whitish stripe is visible on the sides, turning into a small spot in the upper part of the thigh.
A wild rabbit, unlike a hare, does not change its color during the year, but only happens, as expected, two molts - in spring and autumn.
Where do they live?
Initially, these small animals lived only on the Iberian Peninsula, but thanks to agricultural activities, they were settled on almost all continents except Antarctica and Asia.
At present, the wild rabbit lives in Russia, Ukraine, as well as in many countries of Europe and Africa. In addition, this small animal can be found on the islands of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.
These animals live only where there are bushes and low trees, but can also live in the steppes, forest belts and plantings. Their living conditions differ significantly from the way of life of hares, since a wild rabbit needs a smaller territory for its existence. The family of these small animals can easily get along on the land, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich varies from three to twenty hectares. For a more comfortable existence, they dig holes for themselves, reaching up to thirty meters in length.
Housingsmall animals
Such tunnels can be seen in any open area with difficult terrain, it is there that a wild rabbit digs them for himself. Where this small animal lives, only sandy soil prevails there, so that it is easier and more convenient for it to dig holes for itself.
The harsh conditions of survival forced these animals to hide as deep underground as possible, where they can hide away from predators. There they spend most of their lives. Such holes are dug mainly by females, and this takes a lot of time. They look like a nesting area with three exits to the surface.
Lifestyle
Thus, a wild rabbit in nature can often be found in gullies, ravines, on steep sea shores or abandoned quarries. These animals are not at all afraid of the proximity to humans, so they can even settle on the outskirts of settlements and in various landfills.
When these little animals choose a certain territory for their life, they always mark it with an odorous secret produced by the skin glands. Unlike hares, wild rabbits do not lead an isolated lifestyle, but settle in whole groups (7-11 individuals each). Their families have a rather complex hierarchical structure.
What do they eat?
A wild rabbit, when feeding, does not move further from the hole than a hundred meters. Therefore, his diet is not particularly diverse. Only winter and summer meals differ. During the warm period, small animals eat leaves andgrass. If there are fields and gardens near their dwelling, then these animals eat salads, cabbage, all kinds of root crops and grain crops on them.
As the cold approaches, rabbits move to dry grass and plant parts dug up from the ground. In addition, in winter they can still eat shoots and bark of trees or shrubs.
How reproduction happens
These small animals are considered to be very prolific. They breed almost all year round. Rabbits can bear offspring about three times per season. Pregnancy in these animals lasts about one month. The number of rabbits in a litter can vary from 4 to 12 and depends on the living conditions and the age of their mother. Thus, in a year she can bring from 20 to 50 cubs. A few hours after giving birth, the female is ready to mate again.
Rabbits of this species grow rapidly due to the fact that the very first four weeks after their birth they eat only mother's milk. Five months later, they reach puberty and leave the family, forming their own.
What is the value of these animals for humans?
It turns out that only this species of European wild rabbit has been tamed by humans. Therefore, it is considered the ancestor of all domestic breeds of these small animals without exception.
Their breeding is currently being carried out on the territory of various nature reserves and nurseries. European rabbits are in demand by many breeders, sohow they can be used to improve breeds of domesticated species.
Besides, they are an object of fishing due to their beautiful fur and delicious meat. That is why rabbit breeding is considered one of the most important sectors of world agriculture.
Since the domestication of wild rabbits, more than seventy different breeds of these animals have been bred. Among them are downy, decorative, as well as those used to test new drugs and food in scientific laboratories.
But in addition to being useful, these wild animals in some countries, where there are no predatory animals, can cause great harm to people, eating all crops, damaging fields, crops, and also spoiling the land with their numerous holes. For example, in the Pacific Islands, they completely destroyed the vegetation, which led to soil erosion and the destruction of the coastline that served as nesting seabirds.
Summing up, one can come to the conclusion that these amazing animals are perfectly adapted to living in the wild, so they can support their population.
