__fg_link_0__ due to its smaller size, the body of a more squat shape, the hind limbs longer than the forelegs. The color of the coat ranges from sandy to dark gray-brown; the back is reddish, the abdomen and the lower part of the tail are white; this latter detail is especially evident when the Wild rabbit is on the run. Cases of melanism are frequent.

WILD RABBIT: Habitat and distribution range

Il Wild rabbit it is gregarious, has a family-type social organization, in which the colonies are made up of founding adult individuals and their descendants. Probably originating from the Mediterranean scrub, the Wild rabbit it frequents floodplain and riparian areas of rivers (even embankments along railway lines), where it finds the type of soil suitable for digging burrows and vegetation suitable for providing refuge from predators; it also inhabits plains and hills, up to 800-1000 m asl, in areas with scarce snowfall and abundant food reserves (Spagnesi & De Marinis, 2002). The wild rabbit it spends a good part of the day inside the burrows dug underground (called “rabbit hutches”), coming out mainly in the early morning, at dusk or at night. The shelters are usually dug in sandy-clayey soils and are equipped with numerous secondary exits, to ensure the possibility of escape. The wild rabbit it reaches maturity at 8-10 months of age and reproduces during most of the year, with the exception of the colder months. Gestation is 28-31 days and the young (5-12) become independent after only 4-5 weeks of life. Adults of wild rabbit they mark the borders of familiar territories with smell, rubbing a secretion of the chin glands on stones or branches, as well as depositing small scattered piles of urine and feces. The species feeds on grasses, buds and shoots; in winter they are dedicated to the tender bark of plants. It is believed that in 2000 BC the Wild rabbit was present only in the Iberian Peninsula and then colonized most of the European continent for subsequent introductions, already begun by the Phoenicians and Romans. More recently, the wild rabbit it was introduced by man on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica; kept in captivity for food, it escaped and naturalized, spreading widely. In Italy the wild rabbit it is mainly distributed along the main rivers and in the moors of the upper Po Valley and, in a fragmented way, in some central-southern regions, in the major islands and in some archipelagoes (Prigioni et al., 2001).

WILD RABBIT: Population size and trend

At high densities it forms colonies of more than 20 adults. Population densities of wild rabbit in Europe they range from 0,5 to 10 (exceptionally 25-100) individuals per hectare. All the continent's contingents, including Italy, suffered severe collapses in the 50s due to myxomatosis, which is still present in some areas (Mitchell-Jones et al., 1999).

WILD RABBIT: Conservation and management

There are no particular conservation concerns for wild rabbits , and hunting has little impact on this species, given its high fecundity. Unfavorable factors may include the progressive reduction of riverbank environments and natural vegetation zones in floodplains. In high-density areas, rabbits can cause damage to tree species, especially poplar plantations during the early years of plant development, and to tree nurseries; prevention can be achieved by using fencing at the base of trunks (Prigioni et al., 2001). Since in the past, artificial repopulation was achieved through the use of individuals crossed with domestic breeds, complex management practices are currently required to conserve the species (Spagnesi & De Marinis, 2002).