A wild rabbit on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire.
Skomer (Welsh: Ynys Sgomer) is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire in southwestern Wales. It is well known for its wildlife: around half the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the Atlantic puffin colony is the largest in southern Britain, and the Skomer vole (a subspecies of the bank vole) is unique to the island. It is also known for its archeological interest: stone circles, standing stone and remains of prehistoric houses. Skomer is a national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area. Much of the island has also been designated an ancient monument. It is surrounded by a marine nature reserve and is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. There is now a hostel on the island so visitors can remain on Skomer after day trippers have taken the boat home. The European rabbit or common rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to southwestern Europe (Spain and Portugal) and northwest Africa (Morocco and Algeria). The European rabbit is well known for digging networks of burrows, called warrens, where it spends most of its time when not feeding. Unlike the related hares (Lepus spp.), rabbits are altricial, the young being born blind and furless, in a fur-lined nest in the warren, and they are totally dependent upon their mother. Much of the modern research into wild rabbit behaviour was carried out in the 1960s by two research centres. One was the naturalist Ronald Lockley, who maintained a number of large enclosures for wild rabbit colonies, with observation facilities, in Orielton, Pembrokeshire. Rabbits were farmed on Skomer Island for fur and meat.
Size: 5184px × 3456px
Location: Skomer Island Pembrokeshire Wales UK Europe
Photo credit: © Philip Jones / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: cuniculus, cunniculus, europe, horizontal, island, land, mammals, natural, nature, oryctolagus, pembrokeshire, rabbit, skomer, summer, uk, wales, west, wild, world
