rabbit question

[Akane]

Some breeds of european rabbit have been able to interbreed with wild native US species. It is documented and may be a lot more common than first thought. This does not seem to hold true for all breeds though.

I don't know if raising rabbits in a colony with lots of fresh foods would impact the taste like it does chickens and eggs. I have heard of a few people who after butchering outdoor colony rabbits never want to deal with caged rabbits again because of the health and meat quality seen in the colony rabbits. That was outdoor colonies with fresh vegetation not a regular in building colony. You could pick up a few cheap rabbits (meat crosses are $5 here) and try them in a "bunny tractor" eating grass on the lawn. You wouldn't be out much and if nothing else you might find you like the taste anyway.

 

[Bunnylady]

Quote:
Can you show me the documentation? I won't believe it until I see it.

The European rabbit is in the genus Oryctolagus. The rabbits of the Americas are all Sylvilagus. The nomenclature system is based on how closely the animals are related to each other. There are plenty of examples of animals of different species that are within the same genus reproducing, but the results are almost always sterile. Interbreeding between genera is very, very rare; the likelihood of viable offspring (let alone fertile offspring) is very remote.

 

[Akane]

I did not save the links or threads about it (there was a long discussion on the district 3 reporter yahoo group too) so I guess you'll have to keep not believing.

 

[d1]

Quote:
Can you show me the documentation? I won't believe it until I see it.

The European rabbit is in the genus Oryctolagus. The rabbits of the Americas are all Sylvilagus. The nomenclature system is based on how closely the animals are related to each other. There are plenty of examples of animals of different species that are within the same genus reproducing, but the results are almost always sterile. Interbreeding between genera is very, very rare; the likelihood of viable offspring (let alone fertile offspring) is very remote.

A wild doe will not let a domesticated buck breed them,however the wild buck will breed a domesticated doe

I found this out 15 years ago when I was breeding rabbits and caught a pair of cotton tails in a hay field while bailing hay

 

[dewey]

Quote:
Can you show me the documentation? I won't believe it until I see it.

The European rabbit is in the genus Oryctolagus. The rabbits of the Americas are all Sylvilagus. The nomenclature system is based on how closely the animals are related to each other. There are plenty of examples of animals of different species that are within the same genus reproducing, but the results are almost always sterile. Interbreeding between genera is very, very rare; the likelihood of viable offspring (let alone fertile offspring) is very remote.

A wild doe will not let a domesticated buck breed them,however the wild buck will breed a domesticated doe

I found this out 15 years ago when I was breeding rabbits and caught a pair of cotton tails in a hay field while bailing hay

Many animals can mate intergenus but producing viable offspring from such a breeding is another matter.

Dogs can breed pigs but the DNA is not compatible for viable offspring.

Regarding the european rabbit and cottontails purported interbreeding...the DNA is not compatible between domestics and cottontails. They are not even in the same genus. Cottontails have 21 pairs of chromosomes while domestic/european rabbit have 22 pair. Any resulting embryos from a mating can not survive cell division to produce viable offspring.

If there's documentation otherwise it would be of great interest to many, especially the world's top experts according to the research I'vecome across so far.

 

[Akane]

21 versus 22 pairs of chromosomes is actually incredibly close. A zebra has 32-46, a donkey has 62, and a horse has 64 and all 3 can interbreed in various ways to create hybrids. Granted they are the same genus but these aren't even the more extreme cases. Differing numbers of chromosomes even by 10 or 20 has not stopped 2 species from creating offspring.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Its quite possible that someone living in Europe would have their dometic bunny breed with a wild bunny there, however a domestic bunny breeding with a wild bunny in N. America isn't likely to produce offspring (though the act of mating could take place I suppose). That is what I understand about this.

 

[dewey]

Quote:
Only if that wild bunny was a european rabbit. All domestics are descended from the european rabbit. In a situation like you spoke of, it would be a domestic breeding with its own kind, though wild, but same species, same genus.

 

[dewey]

Quote:
Close usually only counts in same species and horseshoes.

The mule example doesn't apply to this situation.

It's not only the number (cats and pigs have the amount same, too, yet they're not compatible for viable offspring) but also the composition, and in the case of cottontails, having 21 pair, and domestic, having 22 pair, they cannot form the matched cells needed for viable offspring.

There's a reason why they're classified as different species and genus -- they cannot successfully interbreed.

The proof's in the puddin' as they say, not in theories and hearsay. Right now it's kinda reminding me of that Seinfeld episode "pigman", lol.