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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 12:14 pm Post subject: Big rabbit
How big can a wild rabbit get? I've seen one that I'm sure is a wild rabbit as it's the right shape and colour but it's huge. When it hops about it seems to be about two foot from nose to tail I've not seen wild rabbits so large before. I've seen it twice now so I'm not imagining it. Assuming it is a rabbit, is it more likely to be a doe or a buck?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 12:28 pm Post subject:
Given the right conditions, and a lack of suitable predators, they can get to quite a size. Link.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 12:28 pm Post subject:
You sure it's not a hare? If it is a rabbit definately a buck. The biggst I've shot might have been 2 ft stretched out (tip of hind leg to tip of nose) are you talking sat on the ground (tail to nose) or stretched?

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 12:35 pm Post subject:
I did think it might be a hare but it looks very much like a rabbit, apart from it's size. It's always been on it's own which makes me think hare but it's in woodland, I thought hares are more open land animals? Don't think it's a Were-Rabbit, although it seems a bit mysterious.

sally_in_wales
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Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 12:45 pm Post subject:

You've had a good enough look to rule out a small Muntjack? I know they don't really look at all similar, but once or twice I've just glimpsed one out of the corner of my eye as it raids the shrubbery and my first though was 'what a big rabbit' until I got my eyes in gear properly and realised what I was looking at. Obvious once you see the ears or lack of, but in the mists of early morning they can be funny little critters.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 1:00 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Don't think it's a Were-Rabbit, although it seems a bit mysterious.

Sorry. Slow day at the coal face.

Old-Chads-Orchard

Joined: 07 Dec 2005
Posts: 394
Location: Malpas, Cheshire

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:14 pm Post subject:
working at Holyhead port at the mo and there is a section of fenced in grass where the bunnies are getting plenty of food & not hassled/eaten & I have never seen such large rabbits in the wild, fairly tame too, then again being fenced in by chainlink nothing there can get at them

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:42 pm Post subject:

I did have a good long look so definitely not a Muntjack, that's also why I don't think it's a hare as I had a good look at it running and the legs seemed too short to be one.

So, probably a bunny, just a very big one. I'm hoping he has a few ladies about the place and the breed like, erm, rabbits.

Funnily while I wouldn't say he was tame he also didn't seem that frightened of me. Don't think there's been much shooting or public access to the land though.

bodrighy

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 2159
Location: Near Devizes

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:45 pm Post subject:
Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge. Pete

Calli

Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 626
Location: Galway

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:47 pm Post subject:
@offroading.net Oh I know those bunnies well lol Every time I do the ferry crossing I have very agitated salukis watching the bunnies. They are so nonchalant too

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:51 pm Post subject:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

I wondered that as well, theres a road verge not far from here that you see lots of young rabbits grazing in the summer & there is always one or two dark (almost chocolate coloured) rabits amongst them & I can only assume they are from a captive wild cross.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 9:55 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

I've seen escapee domestic rabbits in built up areas (sort of a surreal Father Ted moment) and it had crossed my mind that some genes of domesticated rabbits being in the one I saw but as it was quite a remote place I think it's unlikely.

A google suggests 20 inches is the largest you get a wild rabbit. I assume that's nose to tail with it sitting still, so two foot running sounds reasonable?

jamanda
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 10 10:00 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

You often see black ones here too. They are called melanistic, and I believe it is a fairly common mutation.
Giant ones I don't know about. Where there any Tellytubbies about?

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 10 4:46 pm Post subject:

Jamanda wrote:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

You often see black ones here too. They are called melanistic, and I believe it is a fairly common mutation.

You seem to get them more when warrens are overcrowded; occasionally you get non-albino white ones too. Some people seem to believe that the overcrowding and mutations are related and to do with inbreeding, but equally likely, where there are more bunnies generally, there will be more mutant bunnies.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 10 8:34 pm Post subject:

Brownbear wrote:

Jamanda wrote:

Tavascarow wrote:

Bodrighy wrote:

Could it be crossed with an escaped Flemish giant or something? Just a thought as I know they get pretty huge.

Pete

You often see black ones here too. They are called melanistic, and I believe it is a fairly common mutation.

Also I suppose where there are a lot of rabbits the mutations have more chance of survival.
Few rabbits & they'd get picked off first, especially the white ones.
Though it's been proven that when it comes to breeding the true albinos are always at the bottom of the picking list.
It's natural to reject those that don't fit.

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