I found a rabbit in my boyfriend's yard and I have been looking up internet articles on how to tell a domesticated rabbit from a wild rabbit. Rabbits are often seen eating grass, flowers, and vegetables in our gardens. How can you tell the difference between a wild and a domestic rabbit.? There's a rabbit in my garden & I dont know what to do. Agouti looks brown or tan but it’s actually a banded coat pattern (each individual hair is striped between brown, tan, white and black). Despite this, there is a range of differences. If you need to find a new home for your pet rabbit, please take him or her to a local animal shelter or rabbit protection group, such as the House Rabbit Society . So, it makes sense that you'd want to know how to tell if a rabbit is wild or domestic. Rabbits are wonderful animals that are bred for both companionship and for commercial purposes. Domesticated rabbits are used to having rabbit food and timothy hay provided for them, and may not be able to find food on their own. Domestic rabbits are from the European Rabbit species. You may think they both… Unless it's a dwarf species, domestic rabbits get much larger than wild rabbits. Wild rabbits do not make good pets because they will eventually become "wild", scratching, biting and not wanting to be handled. (Pet rabbits are the same species as the wild European Rabbit.) How can I tell if a loose rabbit in Spain is wild or domestic? Domestic VS Wild Rabbits in Southern Ontario, Canada Respecting or neglecting the unique environmental, dietary and psychological needs of a domesticated rabbit versus a wild rabbit can mean life or death (or at the least, quality and/or quantity of life) for that individual rabbit. The rabbits we keep in our homes are specifically bred to be domesticated pets. Cottontail rabbits, pros at life on the streets, only live for about 1-3 years. However, by looking at some specific clues, you should be able to determine if the rabbit is young (birth to adolescence), adult, or elderly. It can sometimes be difficult to … Lastly, attempts to date the timing of rabbit domestication using genetic methods were clouded by uncertainty in the mutation rate.’ I've seen wild rabbits before but the rabbit that I saw looked WAY WAY WAY DIFFERENT from the wild rabbits that i've seen in my state (Connecticut). Unless it's a dwarf species, domestic rabbits get much larger than wild rabbits. It is certainly not possible to date a rabbit's age down to a particular date or number of years. It still amazes us that people abandon lovely pet rabbits in the wild, believing that they will live off the land," says Mary Morrison after repeated calls to rescue domestic rabbits "set free" in New Mexico (see feature story).Abandoned rabbits are expected to survive in rural and urban areas where even dogs or cats would have trouble existing. Thus, rabbits innately tend to hide their illnesses and injuries. Cottontails differ from hares and domestic rabbits in that they are weaned at two weeks and able to live on their own by four weeks. Therefore, you need to be able to tell a domestic rabbit from a wild rabbit; you would not want to trap a wild rabbit accidentally, as they do not make good pets and should stay in the wild. Wild vs. A domestic rabbit is a rabbit that has been domesticated, which means it is cared for by humans and doesn't live in the wild. It is an unfortunate truth that there is no easy way to tell the age of a rabbit. Some domestic rabbits are also brown but they look different than the wild ones. Oryctolagus cuniculus includes the European rabbit species and its descendants, the world's 305 breeds of domestic rabbit. I don't have any experience with native spanish rabbits. Domestic Rabbits. Lethal methods are ineffective and unnecessary for controlling property damage or rabbit populations. All rabbits have large ears, prominent teeth, and fluffy tails. How can I tell if a loose rabbit in Spain is wild or domestic? The sight of rabbits hopping and playing is a common one for people in rural territories. It is an unfortunate truth that there is no easy way to tell the age of a rabbit. Some domestic rabbits are also brown but they look different than the wild ones. Wild rabbits tend to be a color called agouti, while domestic animals come in a variety of colors. (Pet rabbits are the same species as the wild European Rabbit.) In the US wild rabbits are Cottontail rabbit (Oryctolagus Sylvilagus) they have visible difference sufficient so that it is relatively easy to tell loose wild rabbit from a released pet rabbit. When trying to figure out if your rabbit is sick, always remember rabbits are at the bottom of the food chain and in the wild the weakest are the first to be preyed upon.