![]() ![]() Familiarise yourself with these signs and keep a lookout when monitoring your property. Key signs of rabbits include 45 degree cuts on seedlings, rabbit dung, warren and burrow entrances, grazing lines, scratching and ring barking. ![]() Identifying rabbit activity on your property is the first step in managing this invasive species. Rabbits also compete with native wildlife for food and habitat, and their excessive grazing habits often lead to soil erosion and reduced water quality. Rabbits selectively feed on certain species of plants, which affects the regeneration and recruitment, which changes landscapes over time. To put the impacts of rabbits into perspective, seven rabbits account for one dry sheep equivalent. It's estimated that rabbits cost Australian agriculture more than $200 million in lost production each year. It's well known that rabbits have had a disastrous impact on Australia's economy and natural environment. Warrens are essential for breeding as rabbit kittens cannot survive the harsh Australian climate without shelter. The Warren is the key to success of rabbits in Australia as it protects them from predators and weather extremes. One reason for their high reproductive capacity is their ability to dig extensive burrows or warrens. Rabbits also have a high reproductive capacity enabling them to recover quickly from poor seasonal conditions, disease outbreaks, and control efforts. They also prefer to eat plants with the highest nutritional value. Rabbits are shy feeders, and are often wary of new things in their environment. ![]() They gradually graze further from it as it gets darker. rabbits are mostly active from late afternoon to the early morning, often emerging from their war in a few hours before sunset. Understanding basic rabbit biology and ecology helps you to identify the weaknesses that may be exploited in your control program for better results. By the 1920s, rabbits had colonised most of Southern Australia, making them one of the fastest spreading invasive mammals anywhere in the world. The first successful attempt to establish wild populations of rabbits in Australia occurred in the late 1850s. This video gives an overview of the species and the management techniques landowners can use to control them. Rabbits are one of the most destructive invasive species in Australia. Hi, I'm Alex Pattinson, Leading Biosecurity Officer with Agriculture Victoria. The invasion of rabbits in Australia was the fastest of any colonising mammal in the world.Įstablished Invasive Animals Best Practice Management video series The rate of advance varied from 10 to 15 kilometres per year in wet forested country to over 100 kilometres per year in the rangelands. Just seven years after their release, over 14,000 rabbits had been shot on Barwon Park.īy the 1920s, rabbits had colonised most of the southern half of Australia and were present in extremely high numbers. Wild populations of rabbits were first reported on Tasmania by the early 1800’s, but they were unable to establish on the mainland until 1859, when Thomas Austin released at least thirteen wild rabbits at Barwon Park near Geelong. Various domestic breeds of rabbits were brought to Australia during early European settlement. Read more about the classification of invasive animals in Victoria. Rabbits (feral or wild) are declared as established pest animals in the state of Victoria under the C atchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act) ![]()
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