Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
Maximum longevity: 9 years Observations: Although in the wild females reach full sexual maturity at the age of 2 years, in domesticated animals females can reproduce when they are only three months old. There are many anecdotes concerning the longevity of rabbits. It has been estimated that both in the wild and in captivity they rarely live more than 9 years (Ronald Nowak 1999). A rabbit in Australia called "Flopsy" reportedly lived 18.8 years in captivity after being caught in the wild (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/), but this record cannot be confirmed. Record longevity in zoos and parks is only 7.9 years belonging to one female at Frankfurt Zoo (Richard Weigl 2005). Further studies are necessary to better estimate the maximum longevity of these animals.