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| Baby Bunny!! Photo source: The Pix Host |
The rabbits that you are probably picturing now have been domesticated since the days of cavemen, but not always for their companionship.
The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has become the variety of domestic breeds that we know today. White with brown splashes, or a granitic gray with big black eyes, or all black with just a tip of white on the nose; bunnies are known for being adorable. But when they were first domesticated, it wasn't for ooos and awws. It was for their meat.
Rabbits were first kept by people in large numbers during the Roman Empire. The Romans kept rabbits as a source of food, helping to transport the rabbits throughout Europe as the empire grew [1].
But the actual domestication of rabbits took place in France behind monastery walls. French monks lived in seclusion but needed a source of meat that could be easily kept within the monastery. Better yet, a food that they could eat during lent.
In 600 A.D. Pope Gregory I declared unborn or newly born rabbits, laurices, to be officially classified as "fish." Although the reasoning behind the declaration was probably more about giving the monks a break than actual taxonomic logic, it did allow the holy-men to consume, keep, and breed the rabbits, since fish was allowed during the days of lent. While never fish, through breeding and selecting for desirable traits, the monks did become officially domesticate the European rabbit [2].
By the 16th century rabbits had spread throughout Europe. Distinct breeds were developed and described, and they were becoming more popular for their fur and adorable attributes, rather than just their meat [3].
From the European continent, rabbits began traveling the world. Often sailors would release colonies of them onto islands to ensure that there would be a large food supply available for future voyages. Today the European Rabbit can be found throughout the world except for Asia and Antarctica.
Of course many islands do not have native rabbits, hares, or even mammals for that matter. The introduction of this glutinous, greedy, and lusting little bunny has destroyed ecosystems world-wide. One of the most dramatic examples is the invasion of rabbits into Australia.
In 1859 Thomas Austin released 24 European Rabbits onto Australia near Victoria [4]. Today there may be 200-300 million rabbits throughout the small continent [5]. On a diet of plenty and with no natural predators, the they multiplied.
Rabbits are natural diggers. They make their burrows underground and will move a considerable amount of dirt to do so. With a small population, digging might not be a problem, but with hundreds of millions of rabbits digging up Australia they have caused major erosion and created an ecological nightmare. It is estimated that 1/8 of all native Australian mammals are in trouble because of the rabbit invasion [5].
By the begging of the 20th century Australia's ecology and agriculture were in trouble. Shooting and trapping were not enough to curb the rabbit population, so to stop their spread the government tried something a bit more grandiose. In 1907, the government finished building the world's longest continuous fence. At over 1100 miles, the fence separates the entire western side of the continent. A second fence was also built, stretching just over 700 miles farther west of the original. But fences break, and rabbits dig, and despite the enormity of the project it was eventually deemed a failure. The rabbits continued their invasion.
Finally, in the 1950s a more drastic approach was attempted. The myxoma virus, endemic to South America, is carried by mosquitoes from host to host and is lethal to almost 100 % of those that catch it. But, with a catch, it only affects rabbits. So in 1950 mosquitoes carrying the myxoma virus were released.
The impact was huge. 90-99% of the rabbits throughout Australia were wiped away in a sea of disease. But 1-10% remained, and they remained because most had a genetic immunity to the disease. So, spreading their immunity throughout the new population, the rabbits procreated and their numbers rebounded with force. Today myxoma is only 40% effective, not enough to keep the numbers in check. Since the failure of the myxoma virus, other diseases have been tried with similar failures [6]. The rabbits continue to invade Australia, having thwarted everything people have thrown at them. It is an ecological war that the rabbits seem to have won.
By the begging of the 20th century Australia's ecology and agriculture were in trouble. Shooting and trapping were not enough to curb the rabbit population, so to stop their spread the government tried something a bit more grandiose. In 1907, the government finished building the world's longest continuous fence. At over 1100 miles, the fence separates the entire western side of the continent. A second fence was also built, stretching just over 700 miles farther west of the original. But fences break, and rabbits dig, and despite the enormity of the project it was eventually deemed a failure. The rabbits continued their invasion.
Finally, in the 1950s a more drastic approach was attempted. The myxoma virus, endemic to South America, is carried by mosquitoes from host to host and is lethal to almost 100 % of those that catch it. But, with a catch, it only affects rabbits. So in 1950 mosquitoes carrying the myxoma virus were released.
The impact was huge. 90-99% of the rabbits throughout Australia were wiped away in a sea of disease. But 1-10% remained, and they remained because most had a genetic immunity to the disease. So, spreading their immunity throughout the new population, the rabbits procreated and their numbers rebounded with force. Today myxoma is only 40% effective, not enough to keep the numbers in check. Since the failure of the myxoma virus, other diseases have been tried with similar failures [6]. The rabbits continue to invade Australia, having thwarted everything people have thrown at them. It is an ecological war that the rabbits seem to have won.
So a reminder as you are biting off the ear on a chocolate bunny this holiday (or after, when they are so much cheaper), munching on rabbits has a long tradition, and gave us the furry friends we have today. Just don't take your chocolate bunny to Australia.
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