Oryctolagus

Oryctolagus is a genus of lagomorphs in the family Leporidae. It is currently recognized as containing a single living species, Oryctolagus cuniculus, the European rabbit. The domestic rabbit is generally treated as a subspecies, Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus, reflecting its long history of domestication.

The wild European rabbit is native to the western Mediterranean region, including the Iberian Peninsula, parts of France, and northwestern Africa. It has been introduced widely by humans to many other regions. Natural habitats include grasslands, scrublands, and agricultural areas, where rabbits typically use underground burrows called warrens. They are highly social animals and often live in large colonies within a warrened territory.

Physically, Oryctolagus cuniculus is a small to medium-sized herbivore with a compact body, strong hind legs, and large ears. Coat color varies in domestic forms, while wild individuals tend to be more uniform in brownish-grey tones. Rabbits are flexible feeders, primarily consuming grasses and leafy vegetation, and they rely on rapid reproduction to maintain populations.

Ecologically, European rabbits play significant roles as prey for a range of predators and as herbivores that influence vegetation structure. They have a notable history of human interaction: widespread domestication, extensive exploitation, and, in many regions, declines in wild populations due to habitat loss, overhunting, and disease such as myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease.

Etymology and taxonomy: the name Oryctolagus derives from Greek roots referring to digging. While extinct species have been described under the genus, the living lineage is represented by Oryctolagus cuniculus.