Researchers reveal how domestic rabbits survive in the wild

An international team led by researchers from the Center for Research on Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (BIOPOLIS-CIBIO) of the University of Porto has demonstrated that domestic rabbits survive in the wild thanks to the existence of a genetic component that has now been improved.

In a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, scientists sequenced the genomes of nearly 300 rabbits and found that the rabbits’ “success” in transforming from docile pets into aggressive animals is due to the existence of a wild genetic component.

“Some domestic animals have changed so much since their wild ancestors that it is difficult to guess the relationship, such as Chihuahuas, which are descended from wolves,” said researcher Pedro Andrade, quoted in the statement.

Although these changes are drastic, there are pets that can overcome the challenge of returning to the wild and survive.

“When they do this, we call them feral—populations of once-domesticated species that have successfully adapted to the wild. Rabbits are a classic example,” he emphasizes.

To understand how rabbits establish wild populations, the researchers sequenced the genomes of nearly 300 rabbits, including six wild populations from three continents (Europe, South America and Oceania), as well as domestic and wild rabbits in southwestern Europe.

“Domestic rabbits are so common that we expected these feral populations to consist of domestic rabbits that had re-adapted to the wild, but our results point to a more complex scenario,” said another study author, Miguel Carneiro.

Despite the analysis of six independent colonizations, all wild rabbits “are of mixed domestic and wild origin.”

The researchers found that when readapted to the wild, genetic variants associated with domestication are often eliminated “because these characteristics end up being detrimental in the wild, making the animals more vulnerable to predators.”

“In these populations we do not see completely white or black rabbits, although these colors are very common in domestic rabbits, because these are the colors that are highlighted by predators,” says Uppsala University professor Leif Andersson, adding that the mutation causes a dilution of the fur color.

The loss of domestic characteristics is not limited to coat color, and the team found evidence of natural selection in genes associated with behavior and neurodevelopment.

“Obedience is crucial for pets to live near people, but it will not help a rabbit that is returned to the wild survive, so natural selection removes genetic variants associated with such behavior,” explains Pedro Andrade.

In his statement, researcher Miguel Carneiro also adds that the best mitigation strategy for these species “is to prevent their introduction in the first place.”

“We therefore hope that our study will provide important evidence to help assess and identify future invasion risks,” he concludes.