AnimalsThe European rabbit is the wild ancestor of all pet rabbits. Rabbits live together in a network of burrows called a warren. Their long ears turn to catch faint sounds, and their teeth never stop growing.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Oryctolagus cuniculus
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Herbivore (eats plants)
- Lives in
- Europe, and many other countries
- Habitat
- Grassland, farmland and gardens
- A young one is called
- kit
- A group is called
- colony or fluffle
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Lagomorpha
- Family Leporidae
- Genus Oryctolagus
- Species Oryctolagus cuniculus
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The European rabbit is listed as Near Threatened. The species is not yet classed as threatened, but it is close and may become so soon.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.