2007-03-07 05:36:01 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
In Australia, rabbits are the most serious mammalian pests, an invasive species, and are responsible for the extinction of about as many native animals as the fox. Annually, European Rabbits cause millions of dollars of damage to agriculture.
The effect of rabbits on the ecology of Australia has been devastating. One eighth of all mammalian species in Australia are now extinct (rabbits are the most significant known factor), and the loss of plant species is unknown even at this time.
Rabbits are also responsible for serious erosion problems as they eat native plants which would have retained soil. Some of this erosion may also be the result of settlers clearing much of Australia's land for farming and housing.
Rabbits were first introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788, but the current infestation appears to have originated with the release of 24 wild rabbits by Thomas Austin on his property, Barwon Park (near Winchelsea, Victoria), in October 1859 for hunting purposes. While living in England, Austin had been an avid hunter, regularly dedicating his weekends to rabbit shooting. Upon arriving in Australia, which had no native rabbit population, Austin asked his nephew in England to send him 24 grey rabbits, five hares, 72 partridges and some sparrows so that he could continue his hobby in Australia by creating a local population of the species. Many other farms released their rabbits into the wild after Austin.
Rabbits are extremely prolific creatures, and spread rapidly across the southern parts of the continent. Australia had ideal conditions for a rabbit population explosion. With mild winters, rabbits were able to breed the entire year. With widespread farming, areas that may have been desert, scrub, or woodlands were instead turned into vast areas with low vegetations, creating ideal "rabbitat". Humans were directly responsible for the initial release of the rabbits, and indirectly responsible for modifying the Australian landscape for ideal rabbit survival.
Within ten years of the 1859 introduction, the original 24 rabbits had multiplied so much that two million could be shot or trapped annually without having any noticeable effect on the population.
It was the fastest spread ever recorded of any mammal anywhere in the world. Today rabbits are entrenched in the southern and central areas of the country, with scattered populations in the northern deserts.
2007-03-07 05:45:43 · answer #1 · answered by raven_your_dream 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A rabbit and a hare are very diverse animals, on an identical time as the two being rodents. If it restores existence to hair, it somewhat is not vulnerable to repair existence to rabbits as properly. If it did, it would say so on the tin. additionally if it replaced into any good it would a minimum of spell hare appropriate. Hair grows on your head, hare is an animal with a matching visual allure to a rabbit. purely my way of telling you it somewhat is not an extremely humorous humorous tale.
2016-10-17 12:05:34 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Regular ones.Wild rabbits,hares and foxes were taken there by early European settlers so they could be hunted. Their numbers exploded and they are now a serious pest.
2007-03-07 15:48:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bunny rabbits
2007-03-07 06:03:07 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
rabbits imported into Australia many years ago from the U.K. to provide meat for people colonising the continent
2007-03-07 05:42:02 · answer #5 · answered by barn owl 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
European Rabbits
♥♥
2007-03-07 05:41:06 · answer #6 · answered by leavemealonestalker 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wild rabbits introduced from europe
2007-03-07 05:39:41 · answer #7 · answered by aleks 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The ones that were introduced there.
2007-03-07 05:41:26 · answer #8 · answered by bluebonnetgranny 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bert and Elsa.
2007-03-07 05:38:48 · answer #9 · answered by Moorglademover 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋