BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Oryctolagus cuniculus
European Rabbit
| Scientific Name: | Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | European Rabbit | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | M-ORCU | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G5 (Apr 2016) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | SNA (Mar 2024) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Exotic | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 7 - Exotic (2005) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Global Reproduction Comments: | Main part of mating season occurs January-June. Gestation lasts 28-33 days. Females give birth to 3-9 young; as many as 6 litters per year. On island in Hawaii, productivity is low: average of 6.6 young/adult female/year (Dixon 1973). | ||||||||||
| Global Ecology Comments: | Gregarious. "Warrens" (extensive burrow systems with many entrances) may occupy an area of more than 1 hectare. Predators include domestic cats, foxes, weasels, etc. | ||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
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Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
Y / N / N / na / |
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| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | Primarily found in short grasses, agricultural pastures, and scrub areas. Digs extensive burrow systems. Young are born in underground burrows in nests lined with vegetation and the mother's belly fur. | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: |
Herbivore: Adult, Immature
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| Global Food Habits Comments: | Grasses and other herbaceous plants. Also may eat bark and twigs of woody plants and agricultural crops. | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: |
Crepuscular: Adult, Immature
Nocturnal: Adult, Immature |
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| Global Phenology Comments: | Active throughout the year. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | 60/ / 2300 | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: |
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| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | Apparently native throughout southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. Introduced to many other regions including: Great Britian; Ukraine; New Zealand; Australia; South America; islands of the central Pacific Ocean (Hawaii: presently on Manana and Lehua); and North America. | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | Hammerson, G. | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Jan 19, 1989 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
Brown, W. Y. 1974. Rabbit destruction of tern eggs. Auk 91:840-841. |
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Dixon, J. D. 1973. Natural history of a small insular population of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), in Hawaii. M.S. thesis No. 1146, Univ. Hawaii. 87 pp. |
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Kramer, R. J. 1971. Hawaiian land mammals. Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, Vermont, and Tokyo, Japan. 347 pp. |
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Tomich, P. Q. 1986. Mammals in Hawai'i. A synopsis and notational bibliography. Second edition. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 375 pp. |
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Walker, E.P. 1964. Mammals of the World, Vol. I and II. The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore. |
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Warner, R. E. 1963. Recent history and ecology of the Laysan duck. Condor 65:2-23. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1989. Species Summary: Oryctolagus cuniculus. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Apr 29, 2026).