This selection of Irish animals, native or introduced, is taken from the Appletree Press title Animals of Ireland. There will be a number of extracts from the book in coming months. The book contains highly detailed full colour illustrations to complement the detailed explanatory text.

Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
Coinín

Like so many of Ireland's wild animals the ubiquitous rabbit gives the impression of being a native species. In fact, although it is not, it has been in Ireland for at least 750 years and has as legitimate a claim to be regarded as 'native' as other long-standing residents. The Normans introduced them to Ireland and established warrens throughout the country where colonies could be maintained as a food source.

Rabbit colonies are found normally in sandy, dry situations. Uncultivated places like sand dunes, eskers and other 'waste' grounds are favoured. Being highly adaptable animals they are often found at the sandy bottoms of hedgerows or the dry banks of field boundaries. The warren is a labyrinth of tunnels which in certain circumstances cover acres of ground.

Up to half-a-dozen young are produced per litter and there are usually several litters in the year. Indeed, the adage “breeding like rabbits” is well founded and population surplus is a feature of the species. It is so prolific that it is regarded as an agricultural pest often causing widespread damage to crops. Vegetable matter of a wide range forms the diet but they are particularly fond of grasses. They will freely avail themselves of horticultural produce when accessible. Efforts to control the burgeoning populations have generally been clumsy and ineffectual and in the case of myxomatosis unnecessarily cruel. It is likely that effective control would have occurred naturally had their natural predators like Buzzards been permitted to survive in Ireland on a widespread basis.

The Rabbit is immediately recognisable by its white 'puff-ball' tail which is jerked ostentatiously by the fleeing animal. The fur colour is generally grey-brown though there is considerable variation (from almost white to almost black). The overall length of the animal is about 41 cm (16 inches) but it is only about half the weight of the hare – about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb). The ears are long and often held upright but they are shorter and lack the blackish tops of the Irish hare. The legs are much shorter besides, giving it a more dumpy, less leggy look when sitting. Rabbits run away with a bounding, jinking dash, seeking the nearest cover.

Other Medium Mammals from Animals of Ireland include:
Badger |
Fox |
Irish Hare |
Irish Stoat |
Mink |
Otter |
Pine Marten |