European rabbit

Description:

Wild Oryctolagus cuniculus can weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 kg, and are usually 38 to 50 cm long. Domestic individuals may be larger. The coat is generally grayish, with black and brown, sometimes red sprinkled throughout. The underside of the body is paler gray, and the underside of the tail is white. Melanistic specimens are not unusual. Oryctolagus cuniculus has smaller ears and shorter, less powerful legs than its cousin the hare. Oryctolagus cuniculus is the ancestor of all domestic rabbits.

Habitat:

The preferred habitats of this species include dry areas near sea level with soft, sandy soil for easy burrowing. Brushy fields are preferred for the cover they provide, but forests are also inhabited. Cultivated land was once well-suited, but this is no longer the case due to modern plowing techniques which destroy rabbit burrows. Particularly in central Europe, Oryctolagus cuniculus has learned to coexist with humans in cities, making its home in parks and cemeteries as well as gardens and lawns. Human activities, particularly the spread of agriculture, have often inadvertently helped this species to colonize new areas.

Notes:

Spotted in National Park Veluwezoom, Holland.(sources:see reference)