Myxomatosis or Fighting

[SikaHunter]

Hi Guys

I was out tonight after a few bunnies and I shot this one. It was a male and full of fleas and living well away from all other bunnies. When I retrieved it I found it with a number of cuts and scabs on its face and ears. I took photos as it did not look like what I have normally though to be the clinical appearance of Myxy. I was thinking it might have been as a result of fighting. What say you???

 

[The Singing Stalker]

Pure guess, mixy. Await the opinions of others with interest.

 

[Millerich]

Could be fighting, but we do see lesions like that in myxy vaccinated rabbits that have immunity that stops them getting full blown disease, but they’ll get skin lesions. A wild rabbit with some natural immunity could theoretically develop the same.

 

[Night òwl]

Looks similar to myxy from the pics , could be recovering from it .
What was the overall condition of the rabbit like , I find with myxy they can be a little underweight

 

[levigsp]

Recovered myxi victim

 

[Rogerp]

As levigsp said

 

[Selous]

My suspicion would be recovering from Myxomatosis

 

[Buchan]

Lesions are too symmetrical to be bites, Myxo

 

[Millerich]

Atypical myxomatosis — Frances Harcourt-Brown

www.harcourt-brown.co.uk

See link.

 

[Pellet Pinger]

Looks a bit ginger for a rabbit, big whiskers and a long snout.
Sure it’s not a juvenile hare?

 

[Rogerp]

Definitely a rabbit

 

[Pellet Pinger]

Definitely a rabbit

I stand corrected but I’m not so sure, now I’m on my iPad going from the last 2 images I’m saying immature hare, I shoot a lot of both but I’ve never seen a rabbit that ginger and with such a rough coat, round here they are more grey and smoother as the image below. Rabbit bucks normally have a blunter fatter head than the does and from pic 3 this fella has a narrow head and you can see his black tips appearing on his ears in the other images. Also the fact it was shot on its own and its eye is more hare like for me.
Be interesting to see if the OP has a full image.

 

[C h r i s]

How dark was the meat?

 

[SikaHunter]

Ok all thanks for the advice on this matter. It was probably a rabbit recovering from Myxi as suggested in a number of posts. Sorry I shot it now as it may well have passed that recovery gene to others.

Just to reply to some of the comments. It was definitely a rabbit. No long legs at the back and no hares in the vicinity. Colour may well have come from a domesticated rabbit that was released at some stage. I have seen some with black and white fur not too far from this location. ...there are no hares near here. I am afraid i do not have a full body picture. The meat was normal rabbit colour and not dark at all

The overall condition of the rabbit was very good and no loss of weight or signs of ill health. That was the main reason I though the lesions might have been as a result of fighting.

 

[bogtrotter]

Definitely a rabbit no doubt what so ever.
And while ginger wild rabbits are not that common neither are they rare.

 

[levigsp]

I stand corrected but I’m not so sure, now I’m on my iPad going from the last 2 images I’m saying immature hare, I shoot a lot of both but I’ve never seen a rabbit that ginger and with such a rough coat, round here they are more grey and smoother as the image below. Rabbit bucks normally have a blunter fatter head than the does and from pic 3 this fella has a narrow head and you can see his black tips appearing on his ears in the other images. Also the fact it was shot on its own and its eye is more hare like for me.
Be interesting to see if the OP has a full image.
View attachment 260435

Rabbit all say long, nothing like a hare.

 

[Tim.243]

Looks a bit ginger for a rabbit, big whiskers and a long snout.
Sure it’s not a juvenile hare?

Hope you never included quarry ID when you sent in to open up your ticket lol

 

[samdk]

Hope you never included quarry ID when you sent in to open up your ticket lol

If you can’t tell a leveret from a rabbit by its appearance then its location and behaviour should tell you.

Imo if you still struggle to ID the two then you should not be shooting!

 

[foxhunter]

I stand corrected but I’m not so sure, now I’m on my iPad going from the last 2 images I’m saying immature hare, I shoot a lot of both but I’ve never seen a rabbit that ginger and with such a rough coat, round here they are more grey and smoother as the image below. Rabbit bucks normally have a blunter fatter head than the does and from pic 3 this fella has a narrow head and you can see his black tips appearing on his ears in the other images. Also the fact it was shot on its own and its eye is more hare like for me.
Be interesting to see if the OP has a full image.
View attachment 260435

Rabbit As said above if you cant ID your quarry you shouldn't be shooting.

 

[foxhunter]

Rabbit As said above if you cant ID your quarry you shouldn't be shooting.

Get loads of different coloured rabbits