Is the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) a threatened species in spain? Sociological constraints in the conservation of species

Virgós, Emílio; Cabezas-Díaz, Sara; Lozano, Jorge

doi:10.1007/s10531-006-9054-5

Cited by 76 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…ArtiWcial refuges are currently being used to reintroduce or maintain rabbit populations elsewhere (e.g. Gea-Izquierdo et al 2005) as rabbits are declining in several areas (Virgós et al 2007a). These artiWcial warrens could be used as part of a management strategy to dissuade rabbits from settling in road embankments, by placing the artiWcial warrens away from the roads.…”

Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The presence of rabbits adjacent to roads increases polecat road mortality

2008

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Road mortality is an increasing problem for terrestrial vertebrate conservation due to the increase of both road numbers and vehicle Xow. We hypothesize that the probability of a predator being killed on the road is related to the presence of its prey adjacent to the road, which is likely to be related to the use that these predators make of road verges. We aim to identify the features of speciWc stretches of road where road-kills of a predator (European polecat) occur in Mediterranean landscapes, including the presence of its main prey (European rabbit) and landscape and road features. We compared 85 100 m long stretches of road where at least one road-kill was recorded with 104 stretches without any road-kill in a dry agricultural landscape in central Spain. We used regression analysis to investigate the relationship between road-kill occurrence and the features in the 67% of the cases. Road-kill stretches were characterised by greater numbers of rabbit burrows in the road verges and by higher traYc Xow and speed (i.e. higher speed limit, lower proportion of heavy vehicles, wider road and lower proportion of unbroken central lines). Road-kill stretches also had more metres built over bridges and lower densities of people. We validated our best model with a dataset (the 33% of the cases) not included in its development, which correctly classiWed 82% of road-kill stretches and 89% of non-road kill stretches. Our results highlight the need for taking into account food resource distribution when studying causes of animal road-kills.

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Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The presence of rabbits adjacent to roads increases polecat road mortality

2008

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“…(Wilkinson and Fitzgerald, 1997), in the present research it was scored lower as a pet when compared with all the domestic breeds. Thus, in some countries it is regarded as a pest (Wilkinson and Fitzgerald, 1997) while in Spain it is a common game species (Virgós et al, 2007) whose meat is also marketed and widely appreciated, particularly in the region where this research was carried out (González-Redondo et al, 2010b).…”

Section: Rabbit Breeds and Varieties Preferred As Petsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In several countries, such as the UK and USA, the rabbit is regarded as a common but relatively unknown exotic pet species (McBride et al, 2004;AVMA, 2007) and attitudes to this animal have changed markedly in the last two or three decades as a consequence of the increase in the household rabbit population (McBride et al, 2004). In Spain, however, the rabbit has traditionally been regarded as mainly a meat-producing animal (Lebas et al, 1996) or a game species (Virgós et al, 2007) while its pet-oriented farming and presence in the pet shops is very recent, although rapidly increasing (MARM, 2010b). Therefore, the rabbit is perceived to a relatively high degree as a livestock species by young people, although in this category it was rated much lower than other farmed species (Table 1).…”

Section: Conclusion: Ambivalence Of Young People Toward the Rabbitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions among university students in Seville (Spain) of the rabbit as livestock and as a companion animal

Redondo

Contreras-Chacón

2012

World rabbit sci.

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ABSTRACT:The rabbit has various utilities and roles, mainly as a meat-producing animal, game species, companion animal, laboratory animal or pest. Among these roles, rabbit breeding for meat has traditionally prevailed in the Mediterranean countries. However, in recent decades the practice of keeping this species as a companion animal has been on the rise; a factor that could be changing public perception of the rabbit. A survey of 492 university students from Seville, Andalusia, Spain, was conducted to determine young people's perceptions of the rabbit as livestock and as a companion species. The rabbit received the lowest score when regarded as livestock compared to the pig, cow, goat, sheep and hen. Regarding companion animals, young Spanish people preferred the dog and cat. The rabbit and the hamster were rated at the same level as a pet, while the budgerigar was rated lower than these 2 mammals by women and higher by men. The goldfish occupied the last position among the pet species in the women's perceptions. With regard to the perception of various rabbit breeds and varieties when evaluated as pets, it was found that the pet Lop Dwarf, Netherland Dwarf, Angora and Lionhead breeds were rated higher than a typical meat breed (New Zealand White) and than the wild rabbit. The gender of the young people surveyed influenced their perception of the rabbit. Women rated the rabbit lower as livestock while they rated it higher as a pet, also rating the pet rabbit breeds higher than men did. It is proposed that, in keeping with the rabbit's attributes related to its cuteness, conceptually linked with pets, young Andalusian people's perception of the rabbit is ambivalent and this perception might partly be shifting from perceiving it as livestock to regarding it as a pet.

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“…Oryctolagus cuniculus also has economic and cultural importance in Mediterranean countries that have significant hunting activity (e.g. Spain and Portugal), mostly based on small game species (Virgós et al, 2007;Sánchez-García et al, 2012). Although it is also distributed in North Africa, as well as in Mediterranean and Atlantic islands, Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus (Loche, 1858) is considered endemic to the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, while Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus occupies the northeastern part of the peninsula and remainder sites where the species occurs (Branco et al, 2000;Carneiro et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-weaning growth of endemic Iberian wild rabbit subspecies, Orycto lagus cuniculus algirus, kept in a semi-extensive enclosure : implications for management and conservation

Ferreira

2014

World Rabbit Sci.

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Abstract:Little is known about the endemic Iberian wild rabbit subspecies, Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus, despite its importance in Mediterranean ecosystems. An individual's physical condition is of undisputed importance when evaluating the quality of habitats or restocking enclosures to assess the corresponding population status. We analysed post-weaning body weight and growth of 351 individuals of the endemic Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus subspecies under semi-natural conditions in a breeding enclosure in central Portugal. From these data, we described and estimated growth rates for juvenile and adult stages, and 3 sigmoidal growth models were developed. Body weight showed a linear growth of 0.00765 kg/d until 0.6 kg, whereafter it began to decrease steeply until 1 kg (<0.005 kg/d between 0.6 and 0.7 kg, <0.003 kg/d between 0.7 and 0.9 kg, and <0.001 kg/d then on). An age prediction linear growth equation was estimated for individuals up to 0.6 kg. The von Bertalanffy model best described the observed body weight growth. Juvenile body weight growth of Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus is lower than that of the widespread Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus. Our data revealed that Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus seems to be smaller, grows less and for less time than Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus, according to the literature. Body weight of the studied individuals seems to be more similar to free-living than to cage-bred individuals, according to the literature. These results should provide important indicators to assist managers and conservationists in accessing habitat quality for wild rabbit populations.

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Is the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) a threatened species in spain? Sociological constraints in the conservation of species

Abstract: The Wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an endemic species of the Iberian Peninsula and is essential for the conservation of endangered predators.

Cited by 76 publications

References 36 publications

The presence of rabbits adjacent to roads increases polecat road mortality

The presence of rabbits adjacent to roads increases polecat road mortality

Perceptions among university students in Seville (Spain) of the rabbit as livestock and as a companion animal

Post-weaning growth of endemic Iberian wild rabbit subspecies, Orycto lagus cuniculus algirus, kept in a semi-extensive enclosure : implications for management and conservation

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