Predators - which include owls, hawks, eagles, falcons, wild dogs, feral cats and ground squirrels - are a constant threat. The low light allows them to hide from predators. This is when they venture out to find food. The busiest time of day for rabbits is at dusk and dawn, according to the Proceedings of the 8th World Rabbit Congress (opens in new tab). Rabbits are very social creatures and live in large groups called colonies. Warrens can be as deep as 9.84 feet (3 meters) underground, according to the Textbook of Rabbit Medicine (opens in new tab). They also have multiple entrances for quick escape.
These tunnel systems are called warrens and include rooms for nesting and sleeping. Wild rabbits create their own homes by tunneling into the ground. Wild rabbits can be found in woods, forests, meadows, grasslands, deserts, tundra and wetlands. Wild rabbits don't have this problem and make their homes in various temperature extremes. (Image credit: Getty Images)ĭomestic rabbits need a regulated environment to protect against heat exhaustion or hypothermia. Rabbit burrows can be found at Okunoshima Island, Japan. Although originally absent from many countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, rabbits have been introduced to these locations during the last few centuries, according to the journal Mammal Review (opens in new tab). Wild rabbits occupy most of the world’s continents, except for Asia and Antarctica, according to ADW (opens in new tab).
While originally from Europe and Africa, rabbits are now found all over the world. They are opportunistic feeders, according to the University of Missouri (opens in new tab), and so also eat fruits, seeds, roots, buds, and tree bark. Their diets include grasses, clover and some cruciferous plants, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. This means that they have a plant-based diet and do not eat meat. Rabbits are herbivores, according to the Journal of Mammalogy (opens in new tab). If there is a lack of natural predators, an area can quickly become overrun with rabbits. In two or three months it is ready to start a family of its own. However, the average number is five.Īfter around three weeks, a kit can care for itself, according to the Wildlife Center of Virginia. So, to ensure that the population grows, rabbits have more babies.Īccording to the Wildlife Center of Virginia (opens in new tab), in each pregnancy a female rabbit produces between one and twelve babies, called kittens or kits. This is because only 15 percent of baby rabbits make it to their first birthday, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW) (opens in new tab). They breed three to four times each year.
Rabbits are known for their insatiable reproductive habits for good reason. (Image credit: Getty Images) Rabbit reproduction A giant continental rabbit, aged 10 months.
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