Does Australia Really Have A Rabbit Overpopulation Problelm?

 As you might imagine we get asked a lot of rabbit-related questions out here at the ranch.  Anything people want to know about rabbits come our way.  We don’t always have the answer on our finger tips, but we try to get the correct answer as soon as we can.  One question that frequently comes up from visitors who tour the ranch is:  “Does Australia really have a rabbit problem?” The short answer is, "Yes." 

There are many accounts as to why Australia is overpopulated with rabbits. The story we were able to confirm with sources such as Wikipedia goes like this. 

The rabbit overpopulation problem in Australia is said to have originated in 1859 when Thomas Austin - no relation to Steve Austin the bionic man - released a mixture of 24 domestic rabbits and hares into the Australian wild. 

You see while living in his homeland – England – Mr. Austin loved hunting rabbits for sport. When he moved to Australia, he found there were no rabbits; rabbits were not native to his  his new home.  So Austin had his nephew back in England send him rabbits and hares from England. Once the rabbits and hares arrived in Australia  Austin released them into the wild.  They rabbits and hares adapted very well to Australia's climate and vegetation --- but get this ... they had no natural predators in  Australia to keep their population in check.

Austin believed the introduction of a few rabbits would do little harm; all he wanted to do was enjoy his favorite sport  which was hunting" those whywrie  wraskles". The rabbits, however, once set free were extremely prolific and their offspring spread rapidly across the southern continent of the Australia. 

The mild winters allowed the English rabbits to breed all year and the ample food supply was enough to feed countless generations.  With no known predators for the rabbits in Australia the rabbit population exploded.  The over population of rabbits still plaques Australians to this day.

It is estimated that by 1869 (just 10 years after Austin released his 24 rabbits and hares) the rabbit population grew to two million rabbits.  Rabbits shot and trapped each year have no noticeable effect on their population.

Its a fact: the explosion of the Australian rabbit population is the fastest recorded spread of any mammal population on the face of the earth. 

If you have any really good animal trivia you would like to share we would love to hear it.  If we can use it and put it on our blog we will send you one of Ralph's Lucky Rabbit Foot Key Chains.  

 

We Now Have a Face Book Like Page - Please Check It Out

Ralph’s Rabbit Ranch is the fastest growing rabbit ranch in Midwest; we are located in northern Wisconsin in Price County along the historic Lugerville range.    

We recently created a Face Book “Like” Page to go along with our Face Book Friend Page . It’s full of surprising rabbit trivia and entertaining articles the kind your whole family will enjoy.

If you are not a member of Face Book “Google us” or “Bing us” just type in Ralph's Rabbit Ranch or “Ralph's Ranch” so you can get to know us better. Whether you live in the north woods or come up for visits you’ll appreciate all the fun things taking place out at the Ranch.  

If you have questions post a comment. Tammy, Clancy, Stacey, Amanda or I will get back with any questions you may have. Enjoy the rest of this gorgeous summer.

Stay healthy my friends … and eat more rabbits.

Ralph

Animal Trivia # 6

Here's some really fun trivia we think you will enjoy. Most people know that Rabbits are land mammals and that they are avid jumpers. The average adult rabbit can jump as high as 36 inches (that's 3 feet - one yard - that's almost a meter) and as far as 8 feet in length in a single jump.

Now if you think that is cool get ready for this.  The rabbits cousins the Hares are even more adept at jumping.  Hares can put any rabbit to shame when it comes to jumping.  Since we don't raise hares we won't get into the specifics of their jumping abilities.
 
But hear is some really amazing trivia we think you will find of tremendous interest.  Most people know that Elephants are also mammals; however very few people realize that  Elephants are the 'the only land mammals' that cannot jump at all.

Do you have any great rabbit or animal trivia that you would like to share with all of us out here at the Ranch?  If so visit us our Face Book at Ralphs Rabbit Ranch and send us a private message or if you prefer send us an email with your rabbit or animal trivia at: 

ralphsrabbitranch@gmail.com.   

If Clancy, our science consultant, thinks we can use the trivia information you provide on either our Face Book page or our blog we will send you a complimentary Official Ralph's Rabbit Ranch "Lucky Rabbit's Foot Key Chain".  

Thoughts on Aminal Sex

You may have heard rabbits are promiscuous creatures. Well we can confirm that! Out here on the ranch we see a lot of promiscuity within the herd. In addition rabbits generally start to breed around four months of age and if weather conditions permit rabbits will breed all year round.

 

Now what you may not know - and this is amazing - rats are even more licentious then rabbits. Rats frequently have sex up to twenty times each day. 

 

 

And if that is not enough ... are you aware that male bats have the highest rate of homosexuality of all mammals.

 

 

If you find this kind of trivia of interest let us know and we will post more interceding animal sex trivia.

The Winner of the Big Race

Well yesterday - the 4th of July - we had the big rematch ... the rabbit and the turtle (we don't have any Hares and we couldn't find any tortoises. 

As expected the rabbit won by at least a mile.
Even though it was a race worth watching.

4th Of July Wish to All

Its been some time since we posted.  With the warm weather the rabbits keep us hopping.

Wanted to take a moment to wish all our good friends and dear customers a wonderful 4th of July.  Enjoy your family and friends and have a great day.

Tomorrow (the fourth) at about 5PM we are going to have a re-enactment of the "Old Tortoise and the Hare race". We are confident that this time the rabbit will win; but who knows - those painted and box turtles that we have up here on the Luggerville iron range are pretty sly.

We had a race last year and Thumper did win "luckily" over the turtle but we weren't sure most of the time.  Thumper would not race in a straight line ... he must have covered 3 miles jumping around the field to Fred's (that was the turtle's name) straight walk of 50 yards.

Last year we opened the ranch to the public and I think that's what made Thumper skiddish - the crowd scared him - so this year we are opening the ranch to only a select few customers and friends.

Anyway - Have a happy and safe 4th of July.

Ralph

What is a Hodag?

I think because the Rabbit Ranch is only about 83 miles from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, we get a lot of tourists stopping at the Ranch on their way to Rhinelander. After they take a tour of our grounds and play with the rabbits, without exception they wind up asking the ranch hands the same question - What is a Hodag?   

As far as we know, the Hodag is an animal that is unique to the Rhinelander, Wisconsin, area (thank God) although there have been unconfirmed sightings down in Ogema near Carlson road; however that was supposed to have occurred during a severe winter and the Hodags were out forging for food. Luckily, we don't have to worry about Hodags here at the ranch; Hodags don’t come to Lugerville, Fifield, Park Falls, Phillips or Oxbo because they don’t like the climate. The story most of us at the Ranch know goes like this:  

The old timers in the Rhinelander area say the Hodag was first spotted during the spring thaw of 1896 by a Rhinelander pioneer named Gene Shepard. According to Mr. Shepard, a successful logger, the beast sprang at him from a behind pile of white pine logs while he was out working in the woods. Mr. Shepard, who was able to flee the creature, said it was a horrible sight! He said the Hodag is a fierce and frightening looking monster - and there is nothing else like it in north America. It's a hairy creature approximately seven feet long when mature and has a thirty-inch long tail. Adults have studded backbones that are adorned with about a dozen or so white horns; its muscular vise-like jaws bear huge – I mean huge - white tusks. Most menacing of all are its fore and hind legs have razor-sharp claws.  

(This is a picture taken years ago of loggers trying to catch a baby Hodag)

Because the Hodags only graze in the Rhinelander area, the City of Rhinelander has made the Hodag its city symbol. Rhinelander’s biggest recreation area is Hodag Park and school athletic teams are proud to call themselves the "Hodags". One of the largest musical events in Wisconsin is Hodag feast where people from all over the world come out to try and get a glimpse of the Hodag. Even though it has been nearly 110 years since Mr. Shepard's first sighting of a Hodag, many local residents, as well as tourists, say they have had encounters with them in the woods.  

All we can tell you for sure here at Ralphs Rabbit Ranch is that every one of the tourists who have returned back to the Ranch to pick up their packed and wrapped Gabe’s Gourmet Rabbit meat or try on their tailor-made rabbit vests after visiting Rhinelander, are all convinced there are Hodags living over by north U.S. Highway 51 in the Rhinelander, Wisconsin, area. 

For more information about Hodags, take a trip to Rhinelander, Wisconsin and see for yourself.  Don't forget be sure to stop at the Ranch and enjoy the rabbits.  Its not to early to put in your orders for your rabbit lined gloves, ear muffs and undergarments.  You'll need them this fall and you will be glad you ordered them.

Animal Trivia # 4 Eggs

The eggs laid by a typical barnyard hen generally hatch in 21 days.

The eggs of most ducks and geese generally hatch in 28 days.

The eggs of a mallard duck will hatch normally in 35 days.

But surprisingly the eggs if both a parrot and an ostrich will hatch in 42 days; 

What is really amazing about these facts are ...
  
They are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!

Animal Trivia # 3 Goldfish

Don't ask me how they proved it but scientists have proven that goldfish have a memory span of approximately 3 seconds - far, far less then a rabbit?

Animal Trivia # 2 - Beavers

Most people don't realize the potential damage beavers can cause a community.  A single beaver can cut down as many as 216 trees per year?