Breeding season and fertility of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L) in North Canterbury, New Zealand

Research Article

J. Bell

Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, P.O. Box 31-011, Christchurch

Abstract:

Breeding season and fertility of Oryctolagus cuniculus (L) in North Canterbury, New Zealand, were determined from the dissection of 6692 rabbits between 1968 and 1970. The breeding season lasted for 243 days during spring, summer and early autumn. The seasonal fertility of the population was 29 young per female per season. This was higher than that found for rabbits in Hawke's Bay but no different from populations studied in Great Britain or Australia. The higher rate recorded in North Canterbury compared with Hawke's Bay is due to the longer breeding season and not to any change in litter size

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Breeding season and fertility of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L) in North Canterbury, New Zealand