IntroductionThe European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. It represents one of the most economically important mammal species and has therefore been introduced into new ecosystems by humans around the world. Today, the European rabbit can be found in the wild on every continent except Asia and Antarctica. It is widely raised throughout the world for meat, hide and wool production, and is also a popular game animal. Additionally, they make attractive pets due to their easy care and gentle nature. They are also widely used in medical research and for testing the safety of chemicals and consumer products. Morphology The European rabbit, like other rabbits, has 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 cushion the shocks associated with numerous jumps. Color: Grey-brown Size: 38 - 50 cm in length Weight: 1.5 - 2.5 kg Age: up to 9 years*HabitatRabbits prefer dry ecotone habitats below 1,500 m with loose, sandy soil for easy digging. In Central Europe, rabbits have learned to coexist with humans in cities, taking up residence in parks and cemeteries as well as gardens and lawns. Diet Their main diet includes various grasses, however, due to their polyphagous nature, they can switch fodder, so leaves, buds, tree bark and roots are also sufficient. Their diet may also include lettuce, cabbage, root vegetables and grains. Rabbits are a coprophagous species, meaning that to obtain additional nourishment from their food, the contents of the caecum are defecated and re-ingested. In this way, essential nutrients that are released or...... middle of paper ......ication.DiscussionThe introduction of a new or exotic species into a new ecosystem has long been known to threaten the integrity and biodiversity of this ecosystem throughout the world. The European wild rabbit is an excellent model for demonstrating the range of complex effects that an introduced mammal species can have on the ecosystems into which it has been introduced. No other vertebrate is both a keystone species threatened on a native scale and a destructive exotic species on another. . Failure to restore rabbit populations and the ecosystems that depend on them to its native Iberian Peninsula would represent a major failure for the international conservation community, while those tasked with attempting to eradicate introduced species should be alerted to the variety cascading effects that can occur for target species of which much less is known about their ecology.