Why are wild rabbits harder to tame than pet/meat rabbits?

[bridgetchicken]

Why are wild rabbits harder to tame than pet/meat rabbits (New Zealands, Californian, Lops, etc)?

 

[Qwerty3159]

I would think it’s because domestic rabbits have been domesticated for hundreds if not thousands of generations, while wild rabbits like cottontails or European rabbits have not. Temperament is an inheritable trait, and humans select for it purposely and inadvertently with domestic animals.

Likewise, it would be easier to tame a feral dog that never had human contact than a wild coyote or wolf.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I would think it’s because domestic rabbits have been domesticated for hundreds if not thousands of generations, while wild rabbits like cottontails or European rabbits have not. Temperament is an inheritable trait, and humans select for it purposely and inadvertently with domestic animals.

Likewise, it would be easier to tame a feral dog that never had human contact than a wild coyote or wolf.

Not to mention wild rabbits are born wild. Pet rabbits aren't, so they typically are interacted with very young. Ours were handled typically starting at a week old, depending on the mother.

 

[Paper_Wadder]

Why are wild rabbits harder to tame than pet/meat rabbits (New Zealands, Californian, Lops, etc)?

I had a baby cotton tail and raised it in a large cage. My children could tame it enough to be caught and held without it going crazy. Very gentle but you must have plenty of space for it and acquire them young. Adult cotton tails wont tame just more “tolerate” your presence because they have no choice. They will stay wild.

 

[cassie]

It has to do with the way their brains are wired.

 

[azurbanclucker]

To add to this, hundreds of generations of selective breeding in captivity have helped to reduce the natural prey instinct you see in wild rabbit populations and make domestics more tame. It isn't eliminated, anyone who keeps rabbits knows that they can still be crazy little panic monkeys if you startle them. However, human stewardship of the gene pool has absolutely had an impact on domestics.