Rabbits: The Animal Answer Guide

Index

adults, 54, 61, 65, 70, 71, 86, 136, 188; and growth, 126–27; and life span, 129, 130; and mortality, 69, 129–30; and play, 73, 74 Aesop, 200 Africa, 13, 14, 17, 80, 91, 94, 100, 211 aggression, 52, 67, 69, 72, 125, 148, 154, 171; and fighting, 70–71; and mating, 65, 111, 112 agriculture, 16, 108, 166, 167, 183, 197; in Australia, 163, 165; and habitat loss, 172, 179, 194; and herbicides, 183 Alaska, 89, 94 albinism, 56, 61–63 Alilepus, 26 Allen’s rule, 42–43 Alps, 94, 179 altitude/elevation, 91, 92, 178; and breeding season, 117, 118; and coloration, 52, 56, 58; and litter size, 119; and pikas, 15; and size, 30 American Rabbit Breeders Association, 145, 213 anal glands, 77–78, 79 Animal Welfare Act, 152, 154 Annamite Mountains, 9, 10, 11 Asia, 1, 13–14, 19, 20, 24, 80, 90–91 Australia, xiii, 14, 94, 120, 162, 186, 193; and disease, 103, 104; management of rabbits in, 163–65, 209–10; predators of, 16, 43; rabbitproof fence, 163-64, 165 Balearic Islands, 159, 160 bears, 15, 80, 108, 166 birds, 161–62; nesting by, 108; predation by, 15, 16, 79, 81–82, 87, 108, 140, 193; and water sites, 140. See also buzzards; eagles; owls, ravens; vultures bobcats, 15, 16, 80, 83, 137, 193 body size, 4, 6, 29–31, 32, 40, 42, 72, 85; and fossils, 26–28; and life span, 128; and litter size, 118, 119; and thermoregulation, 96, 97, 98 body temperature, 32, 47, 96, 98, 99, 114, 127; and coloration, 49, 63; and desert conditions, 95–96, 97; and ear size, 42–43, 44, 47, 96; and litter size, 114, 119, 120; and nursing, 123; and sociality, 68; and young, 116, 123, 124-25 body weight, 3, 73, 101, 115, 123, 124, 140; and brown fat, 99, 152; of different species, 12, 26, 29–30, 97; and growth, 126–28; and herbicides, 182; and litter size, 120; of males and females, 31 boxing, 70, 111 Brachylagus, 12 brain, 35, 36, 39, 59, 62, 72–73, 148, 154 Br’er Rabbit, 201 Bugs Bunny, 201 Bunnicula (Howe), 207 Bunolagus, 13 burrows, 68, 80, 95, 99, 137, 146, 147, 164; birth and rearing in, 115, 119, 124, 129; danger from, 160, 161; and European rabbits, 13, 14, 44, 64, 79, 86, 210; formation and use of, 6, 40, 84, 86, 87; and running, 44, 46; as shelter for other species, 108, 109, 110. See also forms; nests buzzards, 82, 108 California, 94, 193 Canada, 13, 94, 184 canids, 79, 80, 81. See also coyotes; foxes; wolves Caprolagus, 13 carnivores, 3, 19, 21, 87, 131, 169, 171, 193; coloration of, 49; and encephalization quotient, 72; food for, 18, 108, 109; metabolism of, 32; predation by, 79–83, 87; and sleep, 40 Carter, Jimmy, attacked by rabbit, 170, 171 Caspian Sea, 94 Caswell Memorial State Park, 175 cats, 19, 21, 63, 71, 80, 152, 169; and Australia, 16, 163, 164; avoidance of, 87; breeding of, 145; domestic, 148; eyesight of, 41; feral domestic, 193; food for, 15, 79; and Macquarie Island, 162; and parasites, 101; and perception, 36, 41; and Toxoplasma gondii, 101; and Tularemia, 170. See also bobcats; lynx Chile, 14, 80, 104 China, 9, 103, 104, 146, 166, 178, 194; culture of, 189, 190, 197, 198, 199, 200; and rabbits as food, 185, 188; species in, 15, 20, 25, 90, 92, 94 clade, crown, 19, 22 climate, 15, 18, 31, 32, 164; and Allen’s rule, 42–43; and breeding season, 117, 118, 162; effects of change in, 172, 176–81, 183, 212; and global warming, 176–77, 178, 194; historical change in, 14, 18, 27 communication, 6, 35, 44, 49, 74–77, 77–79 conservation, 18–19, 93, 165, 173–76, 186–87, 193–95, 209 cottontail, desert, 21, 32, 43, 48, 61, 89, 90, 140; and desert habitat, 95, 96; and thermoneutrality, 98 Index 230 Index cottontail, eastern, 9, 20, 21, 65, 89, 173, 176, 210; and affection, 67; and breeding season, 117; and chin mark, 78; and climate change, 180; coloration of, 51; diet of, 134; and disease , 102; distress call, 74; distribution of, 93, 94; and food, 85; fur of, 59, 61; and gestation, 114; growth rate of, 126; and habitat, 90; and home range, 86; latrines of, 78; and life span, 129; and litter size, 119, 120; nests of, 115, 116; and parasites, 100; polyandry among, 121; swimming by, 48; and vocalization, 74 cottontail, New...