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Choosing an appropriate diet raises special problems for generalist herbivores, especially in areas where most of the plant species are poisonous. This was the case in our study site, the Bugac Juniper Forest (Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary). The main herbivore of this forest, the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), can choose from about 70 plant species, but several of these are toxic or only of medicinal value. Moreover, even the nutritious species of the sparse vegetation are available only for short periods. The annual mortality rate is extremely high for the young, only those individuals survive that can find suitable places to hide and the least poisonous plants to eat. This selection pressure might force the pups to get information about the edible food types as early as possible, i.e. in the nest from their mother.

This hypothesis was experimentally tested using domestic, chinchilla‐breed rabbits. Three groups of …