World distribution of the Rabbit Oryctolagus funiculus on islands

Abstract

Both domestic and wild‐type European Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) have been liberated on islands all over the world for a variety of reasons: for sport, to farm for meat or fur, as food for other animals or bait for lobster pots, to control vegetation, amuse tourists, and even to conserve representative populations from myxomatosis. Results of these introductions have likewise varied, from complete failure to densities so high as to denude completely the island of vegetation and soil. Some interesting populations have survived remarkably adverse conditions for up to 100 years before becoming extinct. Others provide natural experiments on the effects of introduced predators, competitors, or diseases like myxomatosis. We list 800 islands or island groups on which Rabbits have been liberated, giving name, location, latitude and longitude, and area, followed by date of introduction, type of rabbit, population changes, present status, and effects of the Rabbits on their environment. For many islands information is still meagre or completely lacking; we hope that this provisional list will stimulate readers to send us additions and corrections, or to publish the data themselves.

Indirect effects of invasive species removal devastate World Heritage Island

“…Rabbits were introduced to the island in 1878 by sealing gangs. They initially reached very high numbers and became the main prey of cats, which had been introduced 60 years previously (Cumpston 1968; Jones 1977; Flux & Fullagar 1992; Copson & Whinam 2001). Hyperpredation probably resulted in the extinction of two flightless bird species (an endemic parakeet and endemic rail, Taylor 1979).…”

Multiple prehistoric introductions of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) on a remote island, as revealed by ancient DNA

“…Since the genetic variation in the mtDNA is low in both time periods (Table ) the gene pool was probably not refilled with female hares during these two periods. Many examples of prehistoric translocations of wild animals to remote places have been observed, and lagomorphs have been extensively translocated in prehistory (Corbet, ; Flux & Fullagar, ; Yalden, ; Thulin, ; Kasapidis et al ., ; Masetti & De Marinis, ; Montgomery et al ., ). In view of this, and of the fact that mountain hares, especially the females, have high site fidelity, we find the explanation that mountain hares were brought to the island by human agency during the Stone Age the most likely one.…”

“…The global distribution of lagomorphs has been greatly affected by translocation by humans, for example, in the case of the Mediterranean islands, where both rabbits and hares were introduced in prehistoric times (Kasapidis et al ., ; Masetti & De Marinis, ). Flux & Fullagar () list 800 islands where rabbits were introduced, during the last 300 years in the majority of cases, but there were some examples of prehistoric translocations as early as 1400–1300 bc (Flux & Fullagar, ; Long, ). The brown hare is thought to have been introduced to Britain by humans, since the finds of brown hare bones are more recent than the land bridge that connected Britain to the continent following the Last Glacial period (Corbet, ; Yalden, ; Thulin, ; Montgomery et al ., ).…”

Micro-scale distribution of rabbits on Fuerteventura Island

“…They are reported in more than 800 islands (Flux and Fullagar 1992) and are among the world's worst invasive species (Lowe et al 2000). Rabbits are included in a small group of species responsible for the most damage to invaded islands ecosystems (Courchamp et al 2003).…”