Shawn
Well-Known Member
Anybody know, which domestic breed is most closely related to wild rabbits?
Wild > Domestic
- Thread starter Shawn
- Start date
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In some places I believe that the wild rabbitsare a totally different variety, and can't breed with domestic rabbits,although in other places they can.
So assumably, in some places they are not related at all. In others they may be, not sure how or what though, lol.
So assumably, in some places they are not related at all. In others they may be, not sure how or what though, lol.
ra7751
Well-Known Member
Hi Shawn,
In the US, all domestic rabbits are bred from European wildrabbits. Cross breeding and other manipulations with geneticshave provided us with many different breeds. The cottontail,and other rabbits in the US, are native. They are a differentspecies technically....if I remember correctly, the difference is twochromosomes. Domestics and wild rabbits can conceive, but inlaboratory testing the embryo died after the fourth celldivision. However, we had some friends that had some NZ thatescaped into the woods. There were some very odd lookingcottontails running around for a year or so. Maybenothing...but they sure were lightly colored and larger than mostcottontails.
Randy
In the US, all domestic rabbits are bred from European wildrabbits. Cross breeding and other manipulations with geneticshave provided us with many different breeds. The cottontail,and other rabbits in the US, are native. They are a differentspecies technically....if I remember correctly, the difference is twochromosomes. Domestics and wild rabbits can conceive, but inlaboratory testing the embryo died after the fourth celldivision. However, we had some friends that had some NZ thatescaped into the woods. There were some very odd lookingcottontails running around for a year or so. Maybenothing...but they sure were lightly colored and larger than mostcottontails.
Randy
tamsin
Well-Known Member
Domestic rabbits are Oryctolagus cuniculusalso known as the european rabbit. That's the same as the wildrabbits in the UK. In the US wild rabbits are Cottontails(Sylvilagus).
The selective breeding to get the different breeds we have in domestic rabbit doesn't change the species.
Wild rabbits are agouti coloured. I'd say cross breeds tend to getcloser to wild bunnies in shape than most recognised breeds. Maybedutch/polish are closest?
The selective breeding to get the different breeds we have in domestic rabbit doesn't change the species.
Wild rabbits are agouti coloured. I'd say cross breeds tend to getcloser to wild bunnies in shape than most recognised breeds. Maybedutch/polish are closest?
Shawn
Well-Known Member
Thanks. Any other ideas would be appreciated
