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Black Rabbits

  • 26-06-2014 7:58pm
    #1
    dar 1993
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭


    hi all was out waliking around looking at a bit of land im shooting the other evening this land is full of rabbit saw 2 black rabbits was just wondering whats the reason for the black fur heard its to do with the population or numbers of rabbits in an area was just curious
    cheers Darragh


Comments

  • #2
    dodderangler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    dar 1993 wrote: »
    hi all was out waliking around looking at a bit of land im shooting the other evening this land is full of rabbit saw 2 black rabbits was just wondering whats the reason for the black fur heard its to do with the population or numbers of rabbits in an area was just curious
    cheers Darragh
    2 possibilities.
    1. Could've of been pet rabbits and have been released into the wild by previous owners.
    2. In a area where there is a serious amount of rabbits about inbreeding will occur and if enough of it happens then the kits can come out black, white or mix of both and can also be darker brown like a hare or light brown.
    A lot won't last long as they stand out like sore thumbs and are easy to be spotted by predators.
    I've even after a white rabbit for two years on my permission but havint been out in a while.


  • #3
    viper123
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 519 ✭✭✭viper123


    Black rabbits were used by gamekeepers maintaining warrens in the centuries gone past, there were introduced in proportion to the overall numbers of rabbits as it made it easier to keep a count. i.e. count all the black rabbits and then multiply by the proportion. It was used to indicate if poaching was taking place. I'm sure what you're seeing now is a legacy from this practice.


  • #4
    tisgrand
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38 ✭tisgrand


    Domestic rabbits came from wild European rabbits, so the multitude of colours available in domestic stock from selective breeding by man would not be possible if it wasn't already in their genes. Black rabbits are not from escaped pets but simply melanistic. Melanin is the colour pigment found in blood. If an animal has more melanin than normal when developing in the womb (or egg), it will have darker fur (or feathers) than its siblings. Too little and it will come out paler than normal (as with albinos). I read about one in a thousand wild rabbits are born black, though i suspect more. In some areas with strong populations you can see quite a few around and they survive well, not standing out as a white one would. Ive also seen other colours such as ginger, though they are far less common


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