European Rabbit (Noun)
Meaning
Common greyish-brown burrowing animal native to southern Europe and northern Africa but introduced elsewhere; widely domesticated and developed in various colors and for various needs; young are born naked and helpless.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The European rabbit is a social animal that lives in a large group or warren in the wild.
- European rabbits are threatened by diseases such as myxomatosis and viral hemorrhagic disease, and by predators such as hawks and foxes.
- Domestic versions of the European rabbit make popular pets and long-haired breeds need regular grooming to prevent their fur from matting.
- In Australia the introduction of European rabbits has had dramatic effects on native wildlife and vegetation.
- A female European rabbit can have multiple litters in a year but typically will nurse the young at short intervals for about four weeks before they set out on their own.