a genus of gnawing rodent animals, included in the same family with the hares. The rabbit is smaller than the hare and has shorter ears and shorter hind legs. Its coarse fur in its native state is of a nearly uniform brown color, but under domestication the texture changes and the color may become pure white or pure black, piebald, gray or other hue. Rabbits are natives of all temperate climates, and in the wild state they congregate in sandy pastures and on hill slopes. They breed several times a year, beginning at the age of six months, and produce from five to seven or eight at a birth. They are so prolific that they may easily become a pest, as in Australia, if not kept in check. They feed on tender grass and herbage and sometimes do great damage to young trees by stripping them of their bark. Rabbits make affectionate pets, and sometimes exhibit considerable intelligence. The skin of the rabbit, cleared of hair, is used with other skins to make glue and size. The fur is employed in the manufacture of hats and to imitate other and more valuable furs.