European rabbits were first introduced to Australia in the 18th century with the First Fleet, and later became widespread, because of Thomas Austin. Such wild rabbit populations are a serious mammalian pest and invasive species in Australia causing millions of dollars' worth of damage to crops. Their spread may have been enhanced through the emergence of strong crossbreeds.
A European rabbit in Tasmania
Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, rabbit shooting at Barwon Park, Victoria in the 1860s
A load of rabbit skins, Northern Tablelands, New South Wales
The erosion of a gully in South Australia caused by rabbits overgrazing
The European rabbit or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula, western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, often with devastating effects on local biodiversity. Its decline in its native range due to myxomatosis, rabbit hemorrhagic disease, overhunting and habitat loss has caused the decline of the Iberian lynx and Spanish imperial eagle. It is known as an invasive species because it has been introduced to countries on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, and has caused many problems within the environment and ecosystems; in particular, European rabbits in Australia have had a devastating impact, due in part to the lack of natural predators there.
European rabbit
Melanistic rabbits are more common where ground predators are lacking, such as on islands or in large enclosures.
Entrances to a warren
Attacked by a stoat, Northumberland, UK