The Rabbit in Australia

Abstract

Although the introduction, spread, and establishment of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.)) in Australia has been one of the world’s significant ecological events, it has not until very recently stimulated anything in the nature of planned ecological research. For nearly 100 years man has observed, discussed, and experimented with the wild rabbit in Australia, but almost always in an empirical way and in relation to his prime concern to improve methods of destruction and control. In the course of this association, as one would expect, a lot of biological information has come to light which, although mostly scrappy and anecdotal, is of considerable interest and value. This information, when pieced together, provides an outline of the ecology of the species in its Australian habitat and also indicates where more detailed and precise data are required before our ecological knowledge of the rabbit could be regarded as reasonably adequate.