It is a great pleasure to welcome all lagomorph researchers to Portugal, and most specially to the 2nd World Lagomorph Conference. Twenty five years after the 1st World Lagomorph Conference organized by K. Myers and C.D. McGuiness in Ontario, Canada, it is now the time to follow their pioneer steps and hold such an event again. From 1979 to 2004, enormous progresses happened in all areas of biology, definitively changing the face of our favourite discipline. This conference will join lagomorph researchers from all over the world, and we hope it will provide the necessary opportunity to discuss the most recent and exciting developments in lagomorph biology, including palaeontology and systematics, ecol- ogy and physiology, pathology, genetics and phylogeography, wildlife management and conservation. It is our wish that the combination of a scientifically outstanding programme and a socially pleasant atmosphere will fuel future collaborations and help to strength the ties between the wide scientific community dedicated to the study of lagomorph biology.