Rabbits are active, furry animals
belonging to the Lagomorph order, which are herbivores, meaning that they feed
solely of plants.(1) They are closely related to the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and
even though they are domesticated, they still exhibit a lot of the same biology
and behaviour as of its wild relatives. Even though they are regarded as
popular pets, with over 1 million of them kept in captivity in the UK (2),
rabbits have specific needs, which can be very difficult to fulfil when kept in
cages, sadly making them one of the most neglected pets in the world. In order
to understand the requirements needed to keep a pet rabbit, it is important to
know where they come from and how their relatives live.
About three thousand years ago, the Iberian Peninsula was discovered by the Phoenicians. Because of their maritime trading culture, they travelled around the Mediterranean Sea, discovering the area that separates the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean. On one of their journeys, they must have become aware of an unknown species of animals, and fascinated by these springy animals that lived in underground burrows, eating grass and dancing around during twilight, they decided to take some of them back home, and the animals were gradually spread around the Mediterranean area. (3) The Romans started keeping them in cages, to keep a constant meat supply, and they were later introduced to many parts of the world through the means of trade.
About three thousand years ago, the Iberian Peninsula was discovered by the Phoenicians. Because of their maritime trading culture, they travelled around the Mediterranean Sea, discovering the area that separates the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean. On one of their journeys, they must have become aware of an unknown species of animals, and fascinated by these springy animals that lived in underground burrows, eating grass and dancing around during twilight, they decided to take some of them back home, and the animals were gradually spread around the Mediterranean area. (3) The Romans started keeping them in cages, to keep a constant meat supply, and they were later introduced to many parts of the world through the means of trade.
The European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus
(click on the image to go to its original source)
(click on the image to go to its original source)
It was probably the
French monks during the Middle Ages that laid the foundation for today's
domesticated rabbits, keeping them in cages. As the flesh of younger rabbits
were not regarded as meat, the monks were allowed to eat their meat, also
during Lent.(2) (3) Somewhere between 500 and 1000 AD the monks
began to selectively breed the rabbits in order to produce different qualities
of meat and fur.
Rabbits would escape
from their enclosures quite so often, and those who managed to survive, formed
colonies in rural areas in several countries. The English wild rabbits, for
example, are more closely related to the monks' domesticated rabbits than their
original predecessors from Spain.
Rabbits as family
animals were long a rarity, and until the mid-1800s they were mostly bred as
livestock, valued for their meat and warm fur. With time they would become more
and more popular, and are now kept as pets all over the world, even though
their biology and behaviour is still closely linked to that of their wild
predecessors.
References
(3) The Great Book abour Rabbits, Marit Emilie
Buseth. Tun Forlag, 2010.
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar