Rabbits and eggs have symbolised spring and renewal for centuries, but just as the distinction between religious traditions has blurred over time, so has the distinction between the native European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the Easter Bunny (Oryctolagus fecundus horribilus) which arrived from the Middle East along with Christianity. These species look similar to casual observers but their life cycles are very different. Most lagomorphs can reproduce quickly but the Easter Bunny has a unique strategy. Like the naked mole rats of Africa, Easter Bunnies live in colonies of related individuals descended from a single queen, but their populations are much larger and their queens are far more specialised. Pregnancy transforms them into giant breeding factories that rely on smaller workers for feeding, cleaning and protection. They give birth many times each day and waste no energy suckling young which are nursed by the workers around them. Their routine only stops during winter, when they bear brightly coloured “eggs” instead. When normal births resume in spring, workers roll the “eggs” outside and leave them in thick vegetation. Other animals are drawn to these conspicuous and sweet-smelling “gifts” which are laced with mild toxins. Herbivores that eat too many die or become sterile, and carnivores that eat them often suffer the same fate. In the right conditions Easter Bunnies can destroy whole ecosystems but these conquests are short-lived. Without competition or predators they turn fertile lands to desert then die of hunger and disease.





Sanitised depictions of bunnies – which omit their more repulsive aspects – have proved popular with children, who were traditionally encouraged to gather “easter eggs” every spring to stop animals from eating them. Although these “eggs” were tasty their effects were well known so where possible they were destroyed. When chocolate was first brought to Europe some forgotten visionary hit on the idea of rewarding easter egg collectors with less dangerous substitutes. This was a great motivator; more eggs were gathered every year and bunny populations fell. People all over the world now eat chocolate eggs every Easter, but hardly anyone knows why. Fewer still dare speak the truth, though even stranger tales are told...