Are rabbits changing colour?

blakestyger · « **on:** 21/07/2008 22:21:19 »

Last Friday I saw a black rabbit amongst some wild ones of the usual colour scheme. It was near a village so I thought it may be an escaped pet gone feral. Then this evening I saw two more (young ones) by the roadside with some more 'usual' wild rabbits - eleven miles from the first sighting.

There is a dominant gene for melanism amongst grey squirrels and I understand that this is spreading - I've seen some in Cambridge but not in Norfolk yet.

The question is: is this really spreading to the extent that all squirrels and rabbits will be black eventually and why has this appeared so relatively suddenly?

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #1 on:** 21/07/2008 22:35:50 »

There are billions of rabbits around here (OK, that may be a slight exaggeration) but I have not noticed any that are not the usual colour of a wild rabbit.

Make it Lady · « **Reply #2 on:** 21/07/2008 23:37:26 »

Black rabbits do occur in the wild but are few and far between. It is partly cross breeding. I guess black is a dominant colour. I have seen black rabbits in the wild as far back as 30 years ago so it isn't a new thing.
I'd hate to think that evolution was going to make all animals black!

that mad man · « **Reply #3 on:** 22/07/2008 01:55:27 »

It could be that someone has released a pet black rabbit into the wild and it has bread with a wild rabbit.

It happens with a lot of captive species when released into the wild.

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #4 on:** 22/07/2008 08:00:12 »

Maybe the black ones are on day trips from S E London [

]

blakestyger · « **Reply #5 on:** 22/07/2008 09:02:22 »

Thanks to you all - the day trippers are still here so we're probably looking at a long weekend or even a sabatical if they're here in the autumn.

A biologist I met last spring said that all squuirells could end up black - I'll try and contact her again and clarify that.

Bored chemist · « **Reply #6 on:** 22/07/2008 19:35:35 »

My brother's family have a pet rabbit. If I remember I will ask him if it's changing colour.

blakestyger · « **Reply #7 on:** 22/07/2008 20:02:16 »

Very droll - I think now this may have something to do with genetic drift.

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #8 on:** 22/07/2008 20:25:57 »

Is that the lagoporph equivalent of continental drift?

blakestyger · « **Reply #9 on:** 23/07/2008 13:31:21 »

Not quite.
By the way, if it's not undiplomatic to ask, what's happened to your duel with Bishadi? I didn't think it would dry up so suddenly. He's the only member on TNS so far to communicate entirely in Lolcat. [

]

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #10 on:** 23/07/2008 18:08:28 »

There's no point attempting discourse with anyone who won't answer questions.

Bored chemist · « **Reply #11 on:** 23/07/2008 20:25:53 »

I can tell I'm going to have to steal this put down line "He's the only ... to communicate entirely in Lolcat." for some of the folk I know.

blakestyger · « **Reply #12 on:** 23/07/2008 21:41:05 »

Quote from: DoctorBeaver on 23/07/2008 18:08:28

There's no point attempting discourse with anyone who won't answer questions.

Absolutely right - best left.

opus · « **Reply #13 on:** 23/07/2008 23:24:39 »

my rabbit's not changed colour- it's still pink.

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #14 on:** 23/07/2008 23:32:33 »

Quote from: opus on 23/07/2008 23:24:39

my rabbit's not changed colour- it's still pink.

Is it still rampant too? [

]

opus · « **Reply #15 on:** 23/07/2008 23:40:02 »

it has its moments.

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #16 on:** 24/07/2008 07:53:17 »

Ooooh... I like Moments!

opus · « **Reply #17 on:** 24/07/2008 09:30:43 »

magic!

DoctorBeaver · « **Reply #18 on:** 24/07/2008 15:26:18 »

I can make them disappear like magic!

Are rabbits changing colour?

blakestyger

blakestyger

blakestyger

blakestyger

blakestyger