Common name: European Wild Rabbit.

Scientific name: Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Family: Leporidae

Distribution and Habitat: Extremely common in Madeira and Porto Santo. It lives in areas where food is abundant, ans especially in green areas where there are bushes, slopes and rocks that provide shelter.

Description: These animals are average sized. The adult may measure between 35 and 40 cm in length. The ears measure between 6 and 7 cm. The fur is earth-coloured or dull grey, darker on the head than on the back, except for the belly and the external part of the thighs, which are white. You may see a badly defined light circle around the eyes. The whiskers are brown and not very long. Its tail is brownish grey on the upper part and white underneath, forming a small tuft. The hind feet are elongated.

Conservation statute and Threats: -

Observations: They are considered to be a serious plague to most crops. In the past, they were abundant in the Desertas islands where they constituted a menace to the existent endemic species. However, its number of individuals may have decreased due to the eradication programme carried out by the Madeira's Natural Park.