After the Romans conquered Spain in 206 BC they exported the wild rabbits in other countries for food. Originally the rabbits were held in enclosures surrounded by walls. Brown hares could not be kept because they ran against the walls and injured themselves trying to escape and as they are flight animals. In 1000 AC rabbits first became pets. French monks kept them in cages and selected them according to tameness, adaptability and rapid growth.
Category: Mammal
Stem type: wild rabbits 2000 years ago
Weight: 1,0 kg – 9,0 kg
gestation period: ca. 30 days
feed: grasses, herbs, vegetables, bark
Power: meat, fur; 8-12 hatchlings in one litter; up to 3 litters / year