The feet are well furred beneath and have large, straight, claws. Domestic breeds of this species of rabbit began in French monasteries between A.D. 600 and A.D. 1000. They are now a popular pet worldwide and are of considerable economic importance. The rabbit is an herbivore and feeds on grasses, herbs, roots, the bark of trees and shrubs, as well as cultivated plants. Here at the zoo rabbits are fed grass hay, green leafy vegetables and a small amount of alfalfa rabbit pellets.
Females enter estrus just a few hours after giving birth and soon mate again.
They thus have the potential to bear 5- 7 litters and more than 30 individual young each year.