2007-02-28 07:50:33 · 10 answers · asked by Nuvoletta 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
The rabbits we keep as pets are all descended from European rabbits that have been bred as domestic animals for hundreds of years. Humans have selected certain traits (color, size, ear length, etc) they consider desirable and bred just for that. Certain colors are recessive and need intensive selection to breed true (show up generation after generation). Other colors are dominant.
Wild rabbits (in the US) are considered "Agouti" colored, meaning the hair shaft has several colors (brown, black, tan, white) that viewed from a distance look brown. This coloration has developed to better camouflage it from predators.
Our domestic rabbits don't need such protection. Imagine a white rabbit running around in the woods. It would be easily visible to hawks, fox, cats, etc. (Another reason not to "dump" pet rabbits in the wild, thinking they can fend for themselves.)
2007-02-28 08:06:35 · answer #1 · answered by Blue Giants 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, all animals have the occasional "mutation", which is when one baby is born different because one or more of the genes is damaged or just came out wrong. This can affect color, ear size, or just about anything.
In nature mutations don't usually do well. In fact, most mutations don't even get born. The ones that make it are more visible, or they have problems adapting, so they are quickly removed from the population by predators. So, they don't have a chance to spread the new genes.
Humans have taken these mutations and kept them alive. These "different" rabbits now carry the genetic code for the change (like a white spotted rabbit). If you breed that "different" rabbit to a normal rabbit, you'll get mostly normal, but Some "different" babies.
By selectively breeding animals in this way, we've managed to get a wide variety of animals that couldn't exist in nature. This is true with dogs, ducks, chickens, and almost all domestic animals.
Hope that helps some.
2007-02-28 10:06:52 · answer #2 · answered by Theresa A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pet rabbits are different in colors compared to the wild ones, do to the fact that there is no need for camouflage as a pet rabbit has nothing to fear from praetors as the wild ones do.
Also pet rabbits are breed for them to have different colors, and as such are breed so far way from the colors that they would normal have in the wild.
It also depends on what kind of rabbit it is. There are so many different breeds out there that it is hard to tell where they originally came from.
Hope this helps answer your son's question.
2007-02-28 08:01:24 · answer #3 · answered by rainbowlillie3587 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were bred with different colours because people liked the look or to use the fur.
A brightly coloured wild rabbit would be an obvious target to predators and would be eaten long before it was old enough to breed.
2007-02-28 15:10:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply, it is caused by domestication. A few years back a Russian fur "farmer" decided to breed his most tame foxes to the most tame foxes. As the foxes became more tame and easy to handle some odd traits began to show up. One of the major surprises was that their beautiful silver coats became patchy in color. The scientist think that the hormones (such as adrenaline) were less present in the tame foxes (and less produced by the adrenal glands) and that it allow a different set of genes to be expressed allowing such traits as color and tail shape to change.
More than likely it is the same thing with pet rabbits. Only the difference with them is that once such traits (including ear shape and size) showed up, people selectively breed for those traits creating "breeds" of rabbits.
2007-02-28 12:05:46 · answer #5 · answered by SabrinaD 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hes Smart !
Thats A Good Question !
I Think It Depends On Where The Pet Ones Come From Or Something Like That ! :P
2007-02-28 07:59:42 · answer #6 · answered by dO yOu wanna piece Of me :-D[8]? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Domesticated rabbits have been bred to provide diffent purposes. I bred Jersey Wolly rabbits for along time. I bred specific rabbits to get diffrent colors. Wild rabbits are all the same breed and color there fore you will get the same color.
2007-02-28 08:26:18 · answer #7 · answered by Erin H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
part of the reason has to do with camouflage and blending into their natural habitat. you wouldn't see a white rabbit living in the woods, or a black rabbit living in a snowy environment. they adapt just like other animals along with humans.
2007-02-28 08:48:17 · answer #8 · answered by guitarist_147 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
pet rabbits don't need to camouflage . with wild rabbits the majority are brindle coloured you wild find black ones they need these colours to blend in. that's my theory hope its helped
2007-03-01 01:18:25 · answer #9 · answered by debbie s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually about the same depending on where you are.
2007-02-28 07:53:36 · answer #10 · answered by allyalexmch 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋