A new species in Europe. Scientists show the limits of its occurrence

A biologist from the Spanish National Research Council, Rafael Villafuerte, announced the separation of a previously unknown species. In his opinion, the Iberian rabbit, currently considered a subspecies (Oryctolagus algirus), is not the same as the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

A new species of rabbit. Spanish scientists announce

In an interview for Diario de Leon, the scientist listed a number of features that distinguish the Spanish rodent. It is smaller, less adapted to life in areas inhabited by people, and at the same time causes less damage than the European rabbit. The researcher also noted the difference in the taste of the meat of both species.

According to Villafuerte and his colleagues, the Iberian rabbit diverged genetically from the European rabbit about 2 million years ago. He pointed to two “glacial refuge areas.” As he wrote, the first species was found in the Bay of Cadiz, in the southwest of the peninsula, and the second in the Ebro River valley, in the northeast. Then, over the years, their area of ​​occurrence changed.

Where is the Iberian rabbit found?

Nowadays, the Iberian rabbit is most common in the autonomous communities of Castile and Leon and Extremadura. He described detailed observations regarding geographical differences in the occurrence of both species in an article in the journal “Biological Conservation”. He emphasized that the border of contact between the two species runs along a line that crosses the Iberian Peninsula from northwest to southeast.

As noted in Diario de Leon, researchers from Great Britain and Portugal confirm the observations of their colleagues in Spain. The Portuguese noticed that the Iberian rabbit lives in natural conditions only among them and in the western provinces of the neighboring country. They added that the population of this species is decreasing, while the European rabbit remains stable in this respect.