Biology of the Rabbit
by François LEBAS
Directeur de Recherches honoraire de l'INRA
English revised version of "Biologie du lapin" , translated from French by Cathy R. Martin and Joan M. Rosell
Edition 2020
                                                                                                                                  Les dernières modifications

Preamble
version, 2020

  Information source and objectives   This study devoted to the general physiology of the rabbit aims to quickly describe the main functions particularly solicited in rabbits reared for meat production. Originally it was written in French (2000), to constitute the first chapter of a collective work (28 authors) devoted to rabbit pathology. This work was done under the direction of Dr. Juan Maria Rosell-Pujol and published in Spanish (Enfermedades del conejo, 2000, Mundi-Prensa ed., Madrid, volume I, 605 pages & volume II, 598 pages). The 2002 French version available online, was translated in English by Cathy R. Martin and Juan M. Rosell and partly enriched to obtaned this new English version.

As far as possible, in this short study we will try to describe the variations that may be considered as "normal", some say "physiological". Indeed, it is necessary that breeders and people working with rabbits know the amplitude of the variations supported by the these animals, so that they can intervene quickly and thus avoid that the rabbits arrived in a "pathological" situation, often irreversible.

Unless otherwise indicated, the descriptions presented in this study concern medium-sized rabbits, i.e., those with an adult weight of 4 to 5 kg and whose prototype is the "New Zealand White" rabbit. But in the case of "physiological" variations, it is useful to remember that the adult weight of rabbits can vary from 1 kg in "Colored Dwarfs" or "Polish" rabbits, to more than 8 kg in the "Flemish Giant".

       
     
For a quick presentation of the rabbit used for production, you can consult the following pdf presentation file, written initially in French in 2012 and translated in English        Click on the image to open the pdf file
     

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