Rabbit Reproduction - Anatomy & Physiology

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BACK TO REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
BACK TO SMALL DOMESTIC MAMMALS



Male

  • Male rabbit is known as the buck.
  • Two testes
    • Descend at ~12 weeks of age
      • Inguinal canal remains open.
    • In the adult male they lie in two almost hairless scrotal sacs.
  • Scrotal sacs are cranial to the penis (In the majority of placental mammals they lie caudal to the penis).
  • No nipples

Female

  • Female rabbit is known as the Doe.


  • Bicornuate duplex uterus.
    • Two seperate uterine horns.
    • No uterine body
    • Each horn has its own cervix
    • Two cervices open into a single vagina.
  • Mesometrium is a major fat storage organ.


  • Age of sexual maturity varies with breed.
    • Small breeds mature at ~5 months
    • Larger breeds mature as late at as 8 months.


  • Induced ovulator with no well-defined oestrous cycle.
  • Periods of sexual receptivity every 4-6 days.
  • Oestrus period lasts ~14 days.
  • Ovulation occurs within 10 hours of coitus.
  • Breeding season January-October in the UK.


  • Gestation period is 28-32 days.
  • Pseudopregnancy may occur.
    • Lasts 18 days.


  • Litter size 4-12.
  • Young are altricial
    • Born hairless, deaf and blind.
    • Totally dependent on their mother for the first few weeks of life.
    • Protected from the environment and predators by the nest which is made by the Doe using hair from the dewlap.
    • If the nest is disturbed, the Doe may cannibalise the offspring.


  • Doe has 4/5 pairs of nipples.