Ontogeny of the responses of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) to aerial and ground predators

The responses of adult (6-9 months old) and young (5-8 weeks old) rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) to their natural predators were tested. The aims of our experiments were to investigate whether (i) inexperienced rabbits would avoid a stuffed goshawk but not a non-bird-like control object and (ii) ad ult rabbits would behave differently toward an aerial and a terrestrial pre dator model on their first encounter, and (iii) to compare the inherited an tipredator behaviour of adult and young rabbits toward the two types of pre dators. We tested only naive rabbits and used a stuffed goshawk and fox as predators. Our results showed that under controlled laboratory conditions ( i) a stuffed predator could elicit avoidance behaviour in rabbits without p revious experience with predators; (ii) adult rabbits behaved differently t oward the stuffed fox and goshawk; (iii) the behaviour of young rabbits was less differentiated, and their "quantitative" response developed into the adults' well-structured defensive behaviour without any experience with pre dators.