Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Pregnancy and Nursing Management for Embryo-Transferred and Genetically Modified Rabbits
Published on: December 13, 2024
Fertility control of overabundant species; Can it work for feral rabbits?
1Vertebrate Pest Research Services, Agriculture Western Australia.
Abstract:
Demographic changes were monitored in free-ranging European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations in Australia following the surgical imposition of four levels of female sterility (0%, 40%, 60%, 80%). Rabbit productivity decreased with increasing sterility level, but a greater proportion of offspring were recruited into populations with high levels of sterility. Adult rabbits, particularly sterile females, also survived better in the high sterility populations. Thus we were able to experimentally demonstrate that two density-dependent processes were operating on our rabbit populations: one was acting on juvenile survival, the other on the survival of infertile adult rabbits. However, these compensatory mechanisms were insufficient to overcome the effects of sterility in the high sterility populations and the seasonal abundance of rabbits decreased. Female sterility levels of 60%-80% would benefit rabbit control programs by reducing the peaks of rabbit abundance. This effect is likely to be enhanced if fertility control could be integrated with other pest control strategies.
More Related Videos
10:00Methods of Pairing and Pair Maintenance of New Zealand White Rabbits Oryctolagus Cuniculus Via Behavioral Ethogram, Monitoring, and Interventions
Published on: March 16, 2018
07:02Minimally Invasive Embryo Transfer and Embryo Vitrification at the Optimal Embryo Stage in Rabbit Model
Published on: May 16, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Conservation of Declining Populations
Energy Budgets
Conservation of Small Populations