Without Hunting Click here to see a larger image Rabbits and hares live on all continents except Antarctica. People introduced the European rabbit to Australia and New Zealand. Rabbits are legendary for their reproductive ability. Without natural predators in Australia, the rabbit population exploded to such an extent that they stripped the land of vegetation. The population was finally reduced by the introduction of predators and diseases, but this ecological saga continues.
Rabbits eat many kinds of vegetation including grasses and tree seedlings.
They have been domesticated for food since Roman times. In the wild, rabbits and hares rely on speed to escape predators, and some also rely on burrows and tunnels. Rabbits in popular culture include Bugs Bunny, Brer Rabbit, Peter Rabbit, and the White Rabbit in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland . Our White Rabbit can be seen at right. Its glossy eyes radiate calm mixed with caution.