What are rabbits? First of all, for those that still don't know - rabbits are not rodents - they belong to a different order of animals, and the ever-growing razor sharp incisors is where the similarity ends - it is an example of "convergent evolution" (wikipedia article) (PBS article) and is not uncommon in nature.
Rabbits belong to the order Lagomorpha, but there are a number of different species in this order. In most places besides the deep wild, you are likely to run into just two types of rabbits, and it helps to know whether or not the animals needs your help.
Scientifically speaking, rabbit species break down as follows:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Lagomorpha
- Family: Leporidae
- Genera:
- Pentalagus
- Bunolagus
- Nesolagus
- Romerolagus
- Brachylagus
- Sylvilagus
- Poelagus
- Oryctolagus (this is the common domestic rabbit that does NOT belong outside, running loose!!) - the following list of recognized breeds includes, but is not strictly limited to:
- American
- American fuzzy lop
- American sable
- Angora
- Argente
- Beveren
- Blue of Sint-Niklaas
- Blue of Ham
- Blanc de Bouscat
- Blanc de Hotot
- Brazilian
- British Giant
- Britannia Petite
- Californian
- Checkered Giant
- Chinchilla
- Cinnamon
- Dutch
- Dwarf Hotot
- Enderby Island Rabbit
- English Spot
- Flemish Giant
- Florida White
- German Grey
- Havana
- Himalayan
- Jersey Wooly
- Lilac
- Lionhead
- Lops
- Mini rex
- Mini Satin
- Netherland Dwarf
- New Zealand
- Polish rabbit
- Rex
- Rhinelander
- Satin
- Siberian
- Silver
- Silver Marten
- Silver Fox
- Smoke Pearl
- Sussex
- Swiss Fox
- Tan
- Thrianta
- Thuringer
- Vienna
What kind of rabbit is that in my backyard? For samples of all sorts of domestic rabbits, you can visit our adopted pages which show the wide variety of different breeds and what they look like.
Sometimes you see rabbits in your backyard, your garden, or when you're out and about. Some of these rabbits are actually jackrabbits, or hares, and are wild - they are not domestic and should be left alone. Wild animals do not thrive in captivity (sometimes they do if they are in the care of experts), but in general, leave them alone. They should not have any contact with human beings.
Jackrabbits don't need your help and should be left alone. Please take the time to learn the features that distinguish them from the many varieties of what you also may see in your backyard or garden - an abandoned domestic rabbit that has no inherent survival skills and has an average life-expectancy after abandonment of just three days after being abandoned. It will either freeze to death, starve, be torn apart by predators, have an unfortunate encounter with a car or human, or perhaps even other feral rabbits (abandoned domestic rabbits that have learned to survive in the wild).
The common pet rabbit is from the genus Oryctolagus and is a descendant of the European rabbit. If you see such a rabbit, this is not an animal that belongs in the wild and was, for some reason, abandoned to fend for itself. This is an animal in desperate need of rescue. Please call your local rabbit rescue (the best reference would be from petfinder.com and the "Find Animal Welfare Groups" search box on the left side. If you cannot find any local rescues, please call a local animal control officer or anyone you know who might be able to help, as this animal's life is in grave danger