Second Generation Problems caused by Rabbits in Australia and their later effects

1. Second Generation Problems caused by Rabbits in Australia and their later effects By: Hannah Husarek Research: Hannah, Valencia, Gabi, and Erielle

2. General Problems • Since the introduction of Rabbits and some other invasive species about 60% of Australian native animals have disappeared • Plant Vegetation has decreased which affects the livestock • Millions of dollars have been lost in crop damage, erosion, and species • Extinction and endangerment of many species

3. The Land • Research shows that one or two rabbits can prevent the growth of plants in an acre by destroying all the seedlings • The overgrazing of the rabbits has left bare fields causing erosion of the fertile top soil resulting in the loss of good farmland • In one area that was observed, rabbits had eaten 80% of all the edible vegetation • Some areas have 1000 or more rabbits per square kilometer • Habitats of animals and plants are shrinking causing isolation of species which can lead to overgrazing, fire, and the habitat being destroyed which then can lead to the extinction of a species. • 600,000 hectares of bush where cleared last year in Australia mostly in Queensland. • The Australians built a 2000 mile “Bunny Fence” in the early 1900s which was supposed to keep the rabbits from getting into the crops but it did not work.

4. Plants and Animals • Most older rabbit are now immune to the different viruses and can only break out among the younger rabbits and are still protected for the first 13 weeks • Rabbits were the biggest prey for foxes and cats in Australia but with decrease in their numbers there in concern for them to hunt the native species in the area • Because of the rabbits overgrazing their was no brush for hiding places and for burrows • One University says that the foxes and the rabbits are a deadly combination and whenever they go native mammal's have vanished • Rabbits that are constantly exposed to the poison 1080 are becoming resistant to it. • 85% of Australia plants are only found in Australia and about 5031 plants are on the Rare and Threatened Australian Plants List and 76 are believed to be extinct.

5. Rabbit Fur and Meat Industry • Fur trade and Rabbit Meat Industry began to suffer from the decease in the rabbit numbers from the various viruses they were ejected • In 1942 a report said that the damage caused by the rabbits was 10 times the amount earned by these industries. • These rabbits don’t breed like other rabbits and the rabbits you join together need to have good traits or it will result in smaller litters and lower survival rate of offspring. • It is hard to crossbreed the rabbits so it is only good if the offspring can produce more or better rabbits then there parents did. • You can’t pick just the biggest healthy looking rabbit to breed because they usually come from smaller liters so you need to look at estimated breeding values (EBVs) for the number of kittens weaned and high growth rate after weaning. The rabbits with the highest EBVs would be the best to use in breeding. • To keep track of the rabbit breeding some of the more successful rabbit breeders use computers and pedigree system to keep track of the EBVs and compare the rabbits with other farms/breeders.

6. The Easter Problem • In Australia the Easter Bunny was replaced by the Easter Bilby because all the destruction the rabbits caused to their habitats • There is less then 1000 Greater Bilbies left and the Lesser Bilbies are all extinct. • Bilbies are marsupials and like rabbits have long ears, soft fur, both hop and are about the same size • Bilbies are almost extinct because of the rabbits • At stores they replaced chocolates of Easter Bunnies to Chocolate Easter Bilbies • Bilbies have even played the role of rabbits in a movie

7. A Video on Some of the Effects Rabbits had in Australia • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rLrg9yrwGKw `