can rabbits dely gestation?

Question
I have a rabbit who has had two litters in quick succession, and now appears to be pregnant again (I can feel kicks in her tummy). She has not been with a male rabbit since about a week into her second pregnancy, when she was impregnated. Could she have been fertilized then, but staved off developing the empryos until that pregnancy was over???
Thanks
Mary

Answer
Dear Mary,

According to the literature I have read, rabbits are not capable of delaying implantation of zygotes/embryos beyond seven days.  So it's not likely that she could have delayed implantation for what sounds like 21 days (if I'm reading your time frame correctly).

However, a recent publication recounts the discovery of a hermaphrodite rabbit who bore several litters sired by other rabbits, and then actually sired "his/her" own litter after being separated from the male rabbits!  I can't find the link at the moment, but I will try if you are interested.

I really doubt your rabbit is a hermaphrodite, but it wouldn't be the first time this has ever happened.  It's more likely, though, that she was impregnated in the normal way.  The timing is strange, however. Anomalies happen in mammals all the time, and we sometimes never figure out why.

Hope that helps.

Dana