| The Feral Rabbit |
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| History: Imported From England In 1859 For Sport Hunting First Released In Barwon Park (located in Winchelsea Victoria) by Thomas Austin By 1910 Rabbit Covered Most Of Its Present Day Range Did Not Spread Naturally - Fire, Flood, Lack Of Food, Hunting Pressure, Man (Largest Source Of Spread) |
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| Ecology: Native To The Dusty Plains Of Spain And Northern Africa Found In Habitats Ranging From Deserts To Coastal Plains Social Animals Sexual Maturity At The Age Of 3 To 4 Months Litters Usually Are 3 To 7 Kittens Can Have Up To 7 Litters Per Year Burrowing Animals Grazing Animal That Feeds On Grass, Herbage, Bark, And Roots Numbers Can Increase 10-12 Fold In One Year |
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| Impact: Considered A Nuisance Animal Agricultural Damage Displace Native Marsupials Compete With Native Species For Food And Habitat Evict Native Burrowing Species Native Wildlife Poisoned & Trapped By Control For Rabbits Food Source For Feral Cats & Foxes That Prey On Native Species Radically Changes Ecosystem Removing All Perennial Grasses And Shrubs Kill Trees By Ring Barking, Digging To Eat Roots, Eating All Replacement Seedlings Cause Soil Erosion By Removing Ground Cover Decrease Grazing Capacity Of Land Hurting Livestock Industry Huge Monetary Costs In Damages & Control |
| Control: Trapping Rabbit Proof Fencing Warren Ripping Fumigation With Toxic Chemicals Poisoning With Bait Material Such As Apples Or Carrots Biological Control With Diseases Such As Myxomatosis Future Control With Immunocontraception |
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