Introduction
The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to southwestern Europe and Northwest Africa. It represent one of the most economically important mammal species and has therefore been introduced into new ecosystems by humans all over the world. Today the European rabbit can be found, in the wild, on every continent except Asia and Antarctica.
They are raised extensively worldwide for meat, skin and wool production, as well as being a popular game animal. Furthermore, they make attractive pets due to their easy maintenance and gentle nature and are also widely used in medical research and for testing the safety of chemicals and consumer products.
Morphology
The European rabbit, like other rabbits, have long ears, large hind legs, and short, white tails. They move forward by hopping, using their powerful hind legs, which are equipped with fur padding to dampen shock from extensive hopping.
Color: Grey-brown
Size: 38 - 50 cm in length
Weight: 1.5 - 2.5 kg
Age : up to 9 years*
Habitat
Rabbits prefer dry ecotone habitats below 1500m with soft, sandy soil for easy burrowing. In central Europe, the rabbits have learned to coexist with humans in cities, making their homes in parks and cemeteries as well as gardens and lawns.
Diet
Their primary diet includes various grasses, however, due to their polyphagous nature they can switch forage, so leaves, buds, tree bark, and roots also suffice. Their diet can also consist of lettuce, cabbage, root vegetables, and grains. Rabbits are coprophagous species, that is, to obtain extra nourishment from their food, the contents of the caecum are defecated and reingested. This way, essential nutrients which are released or ...
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Discussion
The introduction of a new or exotic species, into a new ecosystem has been long known to threaten the integrity and biodiversity of that ecosystem worldwide. The European wild rabbit is an excellent model to demonstrate the range of complex effects that an introduced mammalian species may exert on ecosystems into which it has been introduced.
No other vertebrate is both a threatened keystone species on a native scale and a destructive exotic in another. Failure to restore rabbit the populations, and the rabbit-dependent ecosystems across its native Iberian peninsular would represent a major failure for the international conservation community while those charged with attempting to eradicate introduced species should be alerted to the variety of cascade effects which may occur for target species of which far less is known about their ecology.
In the rabbits, the invaders come to take over the land that did not belong to them to use it for there own use. A very similar theme is in avatar, the humans only come to Pandora to mine a very rare rock that is worth a lot of money. The humans have no appreciation or tolerance for the natives and their cultural. In the book there a large uses of size and position to show the power of the white man with his guns and machines as opposed to the Aboriginals with just their spears to protect them. The illustrator chooses to use a double page spread to construct a picture of the British ship arriving at the beginning of the story. He exaggerates the size of the ship and the white rabbits in uniform to show how they overpower the tiny numbat creatures on the shore which have been made to look tiny in comparison. This exaggeration gives the viewer an idea of how powerless and terrified the natives must have felt to see the first white men invade their
rabbits can't get across but kids can. They jump to the store with sweetness on
...rupt native species and ecosystem hence making the restoration of both evolutional and ecological potential almost impossible. Whereas Donlan (2005) concluded that re-wilding North American is the best conservation strategy to the African and Asian threatened megafauna, meanwhile re-wilding will restores the evolutionary and ecological potentials in the process. In my point of view, Pleistocene re-wilding must not be implemented simply because the introduced species might fail to adapt to the new environment. High costs and disease outbreak are another challenge that can’t be ignored.
Feral swine are considered to be in the top 100 problematic invasive species. Sus scrofa are native to Eurasia and North Africa, but are currently found on all continents except Antarctica (Timmons et al, 2012). Swine arrived in North America in 1493. Escaped domestic swine were the first to begin the feral swine population, and when settlers first arrived, there continued to be an increase in escaped pigs. Hunters would intentionally release swine to build up sport hunting. Many of these released swine were domesticated European wild boar mixes (Kaller & Kelso, 2006).
Not every author has the same opinion on certain creatures' status as living things. The extract from "Watership Down" by Richard Adams and the article "From Hutch to House Pets A Rabbit is the Perfect Companion, Even Inside the Home" by Susan Clark are written from a different format of text and therefore have different persuading technique on rabbits as subject matter. These two pieces are concerning rabbits, however, the authors regard rabbits as animals with different intellectual levels.
Efrafa is separated into Marks, and each Mark has a designated time for feeding, socializing, and all other things rabbits do above ground (Adams 233-234). In addition to an Owsla, Efrafa has a Council, Mark Captains, guards, sentries, and patrols. The chief rabbit of Efrafa is General Woundwort, a fierce and violent leader who has absolute power (Adams 304). General Woundwort has no problem with killing an insubordinate rabbit or anyone who challenges his actions. This strict management of the rabbits’ lives oppresses the rabbits and makes most of them depressed and unhappy. The way Efrafa is operated is similar if not almost identical to a totalitarian regime such as the Soviet
The successful use of animal research testing continually offers more answers to advanced technology and medicines. Many human and animal lives have already been saved even though animals are used for research to discover the answers for cures and treatments. The laws governing the research facilities ensure the utmost care and protection for the animal’s safety is monitored along with any research conducted by researchers and their staff. As we look to the future, animal research is a very significant part of discovering new advanced technologies, treatments for diseases, and with new surgery techniques to extend the lives of humans and animals.
A different scenario takes place when an alien species is transported to a new area. Although direct competition with similar species is still a problem, the new kid in the block may have no natural pests and diseases. Thus, large stands of monocultures can occur. It is generally accepted that one plant species will support 10 species of animals. If one species takes over 99% of a given habitat dozens if not hundreds of species are lost from that area and some populations are stressed enough that extinction is possible.
The common name of a current invasive species found in California is the European Rabbit. The scientific name is the Oryctolagus cuniculus. European rabbits are grayish brown with commixed ebony, brown and reddish hairs on its back, light brown to beige fur on its underside, a beige ring around its eyes, and long ebony-tipped ears. It ranges from 13.5 to 20 inches (34-50 cm) in length and has a diminutive bushy tail that is 1.5 to 3.75 inches(4-8 cm) long. It ranges in weight from 2.25 to 5.5 lbs (1-2.5 kg), so it's a deceptively diminutive and cuddly-looking rabbit. The European rabbit looks homogeneous to a rodent in many ways. In addition, it genuinely belongs to the order of lagomorphs, along with hares and pikas. European
When hunting, Pumas use their powerful legs and have been able to achieve running jumps of 40 feet when it comes to hunting. Since the Pumas are about 35-85 kilograms, and 1100-2000 millimeters in length, it is relative to the size of the Cheetah, which makes it able to hunt so well.
On the first level, when foreign, but previously non-invasive species is first introduced to a new area, the new species may play a role in a community that was previously unfulfilled; it may fill a vacant niche in the ecosystem. Originally this new species may be seen as a useful contributor to its new surroundings because it has only (temporarily) increased biodiversity in the area (Meinesz, 2003).
The likelihood of the four-toed hedgehog going extinct is very improbable. They have an extensive range and are very stable in regards to their wildlife population. They continue to grow in the wild and animal experts have not seen any alarming declines in the population rates. Hence, they have a minimal conservation status. But with the four-toed hedgehog’s development into a popular exotic household pet, there have been some concerns about the threatening of the native populations in Africa. Luckily, there is a breeding stock that is present in the United States that supplies this pet demand. Furthermore, it is prohibited to transport the four-toed hedgehog animals out of Africa to the pet trade market. These regulations allow for the native populations to flourish (Nichols 2014)
Romania is a country with rich biodiversity (ecosystems, species and genetic diversity) and a high percentage of natural ecosystems 47% of the land area of the country is covered with natural and semi-natural ecosystems. The natural integrity of forest ecosystems is indicated by the presence of the full range of European forest fauna, including 60% and 40% of all European brown bears and wolves, respectively. Europe’s largest wetland, the Danube Delta, also lies predominantly in Romania. Major grasslands, caves, and an extensive network of rivers, add to the ecosystem richness. Important for Romania as well as for all Europe, is that the territory of Romania is a confluence point between biogeographic regions between arctic, alpine, west and central European, pannonic, balkanic, sub Mediterranean and even eastern colchic. The high level of geographic diversity in Romania and the consequence of its location as a biological confluence place have produced a floral diversity that includes over 3,70...
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
What animal is black and white and loved all over the world? If you guessed the giant panda, you're right! The giant panda is also known as the panda bear, bamboo bear, or in Chinese as Daxiongmao, the "large bear cat." Actually, its scientific name means "black and white cat-footed animal." Giant pandas are found only in the mountains of central China. They live in dense bamboo and coniferous forests at altitudes of 5,000 to 10,000 feet. The mountains are covered in heavy clouds with torrential rains or dense mist throughout the year. Giant pandas are bear-like in shape with striking black and white markings.