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felipeerias • today at 6:59 AM • 4 replies • view on HN

Rabbits are mainly native to the Iberian Peninsula.


Replies

masklinn • today at 7:07 AM

The european rabbit (and the domesticated rabbit, which descends from it) is native to the Iberian peninsula. There are ~20 extant species called rabbits all over the world (most though not all leporids outside of Lepus, the true hares).

cowl • today at 7:08 AM

well they are native almost everywhere but according to legend it was named i-spn-ya (Land of the Rabbits) by the Phoenician although some suggest that SPN could also have meant North instead of rabbits so land of the north.

telesilla • today at 7:06 AM

If I recall, the word 'España' or 'Hispania' refers to an old word for 'hyrax', for which rabbit were mistaken for. Could be apocraphyl but it's a nice idea.

setopt • today at 7:03 AM

Within Europe, you mean? A quick Google suggest there were native rabbits also in the Americas, Asia, and Africa.