J is for ...
If I told you that there was a type of rabbit called a jackrabbit, you would likely believe me based on its name. Jackrabbits (Named Jack due to their Jackass like ears), however, are hares. Hares and rabbits are different species and will not mate. Hares for one do not breed like rabbits.
If you took a cottontail (Native American rabbit) and tried to mate it with a domesticated rabbit, you will find that you are not able. Domesticated rabbit comes from Europe and even though they are more closely related to the cottontail, there are enough biological differences to make mating an impossibility.
Rabbit look similar to hares. Cottontails can look identical to domesticated rabbits but even that makes mating impossible. The main point in biology is that animals are considered to be related if they have a common ancestor. The younger the common ancestor, the higher chance of the animal being more closely related. However, we still have a habit of assuming that similar appearance means closer relation.
Update:
Apparently, there is another animal that looks like a rabbit. It is the Patagonian Mara. It looks like a rabbit with shorter ears and longer legs (Deer like legs). If I saw it in the wild, I will identify it as a rabbit any day. It is a resident of Argentina and it is related to the guinea pig.
If you took a cottontail (Native American rabbit) and tried to mate it with a domesticated rabbit, you will find that you are not able. Domesticated rabbit comes from Europe and even though they are more closely related to the cottontail, there are enough biological differences to make mating an impossibility.
Rabbit look similar to hares. Cottontails can look identical to domesticated rabbits but even that makes mating impossible. The main point in biology is that animals are considered to be related if they have a common ancestor. The younger the common ancestor, the higher chance of the animal being more closely related. However, we still have a habit of assuming that similar appearance means closer relation.
Update:
Apparently, there is another animal that looks like a rabbit. It is the Patagonian Mara. It looks like a rabbit with shorter ears and longer legs (Deer like legs). If I saw it in the wild, I will identify it as a rabbit any day. It is a resident of Argentina and it is related to the guinea pig.
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