rabbit population cycles?

[Pops 19]

i am considering planting european rabbits in the USA. i know the cottontail rabbits here are on 7-9 year cycles (from high population to low population to high again). I was wondering what the population cycle is for european rabbits?

[worthy130 21]

This must be a joke, or have you guys not yet learnt that introducing alien species is a BAD idea .

[The Duncan 802]

Our does can produce 4 or more litters in a year and the young are sexually mature in a matter of weeks. So populations can boom and bust in a matter of a few months.

[Pops 19]

our native small game is on extended depression cycles because raptors are over populated & it is illegal to cull them, and the fur market is in the crapper so mammalian predators are also booming.i think in limited plantings they could help take the heat off the native cottontails. the cottontails have similar prolifacy but because they don't warren they have somewhat higher mortality. in the few places where european rabbits have been released in the USA they haven't exploded in numbers like in Oz. they sustain a little better than cottontails but that's it. the problem i have had is finding basic biological management information.

[stroller 341]

ive hunted rabbits all my life and i think what you intend to do is misguided, honestly you do not want rabbits on your land the damage they do has to be seen to be believed. Enviromental factors aside they like all rodents will reach plague proportions very easily.

 

We have recurring outbreaks of myxi, natural predation, road casualties, hunting and extreme winters but still the populations grow.

[paulus 26]

rabbits populations here are cyclic aswell normally about the 7 to 10 year mark, however dont take another problem back to a place that doesnt have it.

[Hands of Stone 154]

Stroller, if you've hunted rabbits all your life you must like doing it so if the rabbits get out of control itl be more sports for the yanks that release them......