Then, the act itself lasts about seconds. The real wow factor of rabbit reproduction is how fast they get around to breeding, and how often they can do it. Their breeding season lasts three-quarters of the year, and the does don't have an estrous or "heat" cycle.
They're more or less ready to mate all the time. They don't have a menstrual cycle, either, so there's no special window during which pregnancy can happen. However, the potential for a surging rabbit population because of their prolific breeding is greater than what happens in actuality because of a few factors.
Most notably, about 44 percent of cottontail rabbits die in their first month of life, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Only 20 percent to 25 percent live for a year after birth. That means many rabbits never produce offspring of their own. One reason rabbits have become infamous for their ability to produce so many offspring may be because of a well-known math problem involving the Fibonacci sequence that dates back to , according to Live Science.
In a book on mathematics, mathematician Leonardo Pisano Bigollo, who later came to be known as Leonardo Fibonacci, posed a brain-teasing question along these lines: A male and a female rabbit are placed in an enclosed area. After a month, they mature and produce a litter with one male and one female.
That pair then goes on to have another litter and so on. After a year, how many rabbits would you have? The formula used to derive the answer is called the Fibonacci sequence, and the rabbit problem is well-known and still used in math texts today. The answer to the question posited by Fibonacci is rabbits would be produced in one year based on the scenario presented, Live Science reports.
Rabbit breeds of medium to large size are sexually mature at 4 to 4. The release of eggs in female rabbits is triggered by sexual intercourse, not by a cycle of hormones as in humans. The rabbit has a cycle of mating receptivity; rabbits are receptive to mating about 14 of every 16 days. A doe is most receptive when the vagina is red and moist.
Does that are not receptive have a whitish pink vaginal color with little or no moisture. A veterinarian may be able to feel fetuses in a pregnant doe's abdomen 12 days after breeding. False pregnancy, during which the rabbit shows signs of pregnancy but is not actually pregnant, is common in rabbits. Pregnancy lasts about 31 to 33 days. Does with a small litter usually 4 or fewer kits seem to have longer pregnancies than those that produce larger litters. If a doe has not given birth by day 32 of her pregnancy, your veterinarian may induce labor; otherwise, a dead litter may be delivered sometime after day Occasionally, pregnant does abort or reabsorb the fetuses because of nutritional deficiencies or disease.
Nest boxes should be added to the cage 28 to 29 days after breeding. Continue Reading. Share your thoughts. Add to cart. Tiny Homes On The Move. Related Content. This text can be changed. Join Today! Already a Member? Sign in with your online account. Already a Member but don't have an online account?
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