What Do Wild Rabbits Eat? A Guide To The Natural Wild Rabbit Diet

6
30063
wild rabbit diet

What do wild rabbits eat? It’s tempting to feed a wild rabbit if you see one regularly, but they are pretty great at foraging and finding the right resources. Wild rabbits eat a range of things, depending on what’s available in their location and at that time of year. Wild rabbit diet will be different in summer and spring to it is in autumn and winter. However, in general for proper nutrition and growth wild bunnies will eat a range of grasses and flowers. These cute little herbivores thrive on feeding on weeds, shrubs and leaves. They aren’t big fans of vegetables, but in the colder months will happily chow down on twigs, pine needles and even bark! Any meat or dairy products are off the table, and some vegetation is toxic to them. Today we are going to look at how wild rabbit diet compares to what we feed our pet bunnies, and share tips on what to feed a wild rabbit if you end up temporarily adopting a wild rabbit. We’ll help you get familiar with your pet bunnies’ ancestor’s diets and how to help a wild baby bunny in need of a good meal.

What do wild rabbits eat? And is it possible to replicate this diet for our pets? In this article we will take a look at the average diet of a wild rabbit, and how you can use this to make sure your bunny has the best possible food and feeding schedule.

Wild rabbit diets vary depending on where they live. As herbivores, rabbits will eat plants, but no meat or animal products. Their main staple is fibrous green plants, which are great for their digestive system and teeth. But what else do wild rabbits eat? Let’s find out.

What Do Wild Rabbits Eat Compared With Pet Rabbits?

First things first, let’s take a look at what the natural diet of a wild rabbit is. Odds are, if you’ve ever observed a pet bunny, you know exactly what they eat. But, wild rabbits do not always have access to the wide array of vegetables and commercial rabbit foods that their domestic counterparts consume. Most pet owners feed their rabbits plenty of hay, greens, and fresh veggies. So what do wild rabbits eat?

In the summer, the answer might seem easy: “Well, grass and flowers, of course!” But can rabbits really live off of grass and flowers? Their domestic counterparts, after all, eat a more varied diet. Plus, what about in the winter? What do rabbits eat when there is snow on the ground and no grass to be seen? It is easy to see how this question can get complicated very quickly. So let’s take a look at a natural wild rabbit diet.

wild rabbit diet

Natural Wild Rabbit Diets

Rabbits are, first and foremost, herbivores. This means that they only eat plants and avoid meat and animal parts. One long-term study done on European rabbits, in fact, discovered that wild rabbits very rarely, if at all, consume or even try to consume meat of other animal parts.

In the rare instances that wild rabbits did consume meat, it was actually their own young. So, we can safely assume that wild rabbits don’t need meat. They thrive off of a diet of plants alone. Still, this is a very vague answer and could do with some narrowing down.

What Plants Do Wild Rabbits Eat?

Wild rabbits consume green plants whenever available. This includes things such as clover, leafy weeds, grasses, shrubs, and leaves. But it will vary depending on what is available to the rabbits, and what time of year it is.

Wild rabbits eat plenty of grass, which acts as roughage and is good for their digestive systems. However, wild rabbits are extremely picky with their food. They prefer fresh florae over all else, and are even sometimes described as climbing trees to reach the fresh leaves above.

Why Are Wild Rabbits So Picky?

Wild rabbits will eat the part of the plant with the highest nitrogen content first. They prefer foods that they can eat quickly and easily. If a leaf is particularly tough and is going to take longer than a second to tear, your average wild rabbit is going to find a different food source.

Do Wild Rabbits Eat Vegetables?

Interestingly, wild rabbits do not actually prefer veggies. They will not consume carrots if green, leafy vegetation is available instead. So, if you’re wondering “Do wild rabbits eat carrots?” the answer is, “Yes, they will, but it’s not their favorite.”

The same applies to most other vegetables. Although we like to give our own pet rabbits lots of fresh veggies, wild rabbits will eat whatever nutrient-dense foods are available.

What Do Wild Rabbits Eat in the Winter?

Obviously, fresh, green foliage is not available in the winter time. So what do wild rabbits eat in the winter? This really depends on the specific location. In areas that don’t see much snowfall, rabbits will mostly stick to dried, dead plants and whatever green stuff they can find.

Actually, in many places in the southern United States, there are green plants growing nearly all year around. Rabbits in these areas will stick to grazing on the few green plants they can find – even if they aren’t their favorite. This is true where I live. Rabbits can be seen grazing in fields all year around because there are usually at least a few green plants still standing.

What Do Wild Rabbits Eat When There Are No Greens?

As is necessary for survival, wild rabbits do not usually eat foods based on their taste buds. Instead, their diet consists largely of what is available. However, this does not mean that wild rabbits do not like some foods more than others. In fact, it has been found that wild rabbits do prefer certain types of plants.

As was previously stated, rabbits do not actually prefer carrots. Instead, they would much rather munch on things like apple, peach, and cherry tree leaves and bark. They also prefer spruces and firs, as opposed to oaks. Alongside these particular foods, rabbits prefer the greenest, freshest vegetation. So you might say, that’s a wild rabbit’s favorite food.

How Much Water Do Wild Rabbits Need?

Water is actually extremely important for wild rabbits’ diet. In fact, one study actually discovered that water intake was actually more important than food intake when it came to a rabbit retaining its weight. In other words, rabbits who were provided with limited water but plenty of food lost significant weight when compared to your average rabbit.

This is due to the rabbit’s particular digestive system. Simply put, wild rabbit food requires a lot of water to digest. When this water isn’t available, they simply cannot digest the food they consume!

What Does This Mean?

This might be one of the large reasons rabbits prefer fresh, green plants to others. These plants simply have the highest water content. So, they allow the rabbit to fulfill its daily water need on top of providing nutrients and energy.

This is opposed to dry plants and bark, which do not contain very much water. If the rabbit eats these types of plants, he or she would have to find drinkable water elsewhere. This would take up valuable grazing time and increase the rabbit’s exposure to predators.

Basically, the choice to eat plants with a high water content simply makes sense for wild rabbits. This might also explain why domestic rabbit’s diet is somewhat different from that of a wild rabbit’s diet. A domestic rabbit has ready access to water, and does not need to rely so heavily on its food to provide it.

When Do Wild Rabbits Eat?

Now that we know the answer to the question “What do wild rabbits eat?” let’s explore when wild rabbits eat.

Rabbits tend to eat around dawn and dusk. These are the safest times for the wild rabbits to escape from their burrow or thick undergrowth and graze. Mostly, this is because predators are generally less active at these times. Plus, the dim lighting makes it difficult for predators to spot the wild rabbit.

When the sun begins to rise or set, wild rabbits will graze vigorously. They often return to the same area each day, and so already know where their favorite plants are located. After their stomachs have been somewhat filled, they will slow down and more selectively graze until the area is no longer safe.

what do wild rabbits eat

How Long Do Rabbits Spend Eating?

In all, these wild rabbits will only spend about two thirty-minute periods grazing a day. Of course, this timetable can change depending on location and time of year. In the winter, a rabbit might have to spend more time grazing due to the lack of food and need to find water.

During these periods of intense feeding, rabbits will excrete hard fecal pellets. However, when they are resting, they excrete “cecotropes.” These droppings are actually extremely nutritious. They are one of the main reasons rabbits can survive harsh winter conditions with little food.

What Do Wild Rabbits Eat As Babies?

Everything we’ve looked at so far applies to adult wild rabbits. So what do wild baby rabbits eat?

Domestic rabbits will start to forage and eat solid foods in a matter of weeks. But wild baby rabbits take even less time to develop to this stage. They will rely on their mother’s milk at first. But will develop quickly and begin to forage alongside their mother.

As they start to forage, they will pick out the same types of food as their mother. So, once they are weaned off of milk, they will be eating the same nutrient-dense leafy green plants.

Feeding a Wild Rabbit

First, veterinarians do not recommend feeding wild rabbits. However, if you find that you are caring for a wild rabbit as a result of an accident or other traumatic event, there are some things you should remember about feeding them.

You can provide hay, such as oat hay or timothy hay, in place of or in addition to grass. If you are feeding grass, make sure it has not been treated with chemicals.

Wild rabbits can eat pellet foods designed for domestic rabbits, but only in small amounts, as they are so nutrient-rich. They can also have green leafy vegetables – but not ones that cause gas, as they cannot pass it.

Finding Baby Wild Rabbits

Please note, baby bunnies are difficult for humans to raise. Survival rates are not high when wild infant rabbits are taken care of by humans.

Plus sometimes humans accidentally take them away from adult rabbits who have left the nest for a short time. In the case of baby rabbits, getting them to a wildlife rehabilitation center quickly is your best bet.

what do wild rabbits eat

What Do Wild Rabbits Eat?

Wild rabbits are actually very picky eaters, choosing to eat fresh, green vegetation over most vegetables.

In the winter, they can survive off of tree bark and twigs if the snow cover prevents them from reaching the dried grasses on the ground.

Truly, wild rabbits are extremely resilient and can survive in extremely tough conditions.

Do you have any memorable experiences with wild rabbits? Let us know in the comment section below!

More Bunny Guides

If you love learning about rabbits – both wild and domestic – you’ll enjoy the following guides.

  • Rabbit Care
  • Can Rabbits Eat Spinach?
  • Rabbit Breeds
  • What Eats Grass?
  • Social needs of bunnies

References and Resources

6 COMMENTS

  1. Many years ago in Texas we cared for 2 ‘orphaned’ cottontails Benny & Joon for ~3 weeks. A vet suggested we nurse them with bottles of kitten formula which the bunnies took readily but would nip our fingers & knawed so much on the nipples that they didn’t last long. B&J did accept lettuce for a few days before we released them to a wooded area after realizing they would never be tame enough for pets.

  2. I am raising a wild bunny. Some one brought me a three week old cotton tail one nite, said it was a demon rabbit. It so happens it’s made my life very interesting. Her name is Pop Pop she is very social. She won’t let you touch her when she hears a different voice, she will always come out to investagate who it belongs to. Pop Pop will come over , jump up on the couch hop over to you and walk over you to who ever else is on the couch sniff them and if you try to pet her, hops to the floor or table. She does not like affection, but instead loves attention. She comes when I call her name or affer her cage has been cleaned,(to see if there are new treats and food) she is free roam , She has a little pillow in back of the couch she lazes on, until she wants to kick up her heels, doing her 180 and runs around the room to next and back again. To look at her is to love her. When I sleep at nite she will hop up and sit on me . I can feel her walking on me until she finds that one comfortable spot and sits, but should I move a little she high tails it off me. So you can’t tell me the are wild, they just prefer not to be touched although they love verble attention,she also likes a one sided conversation and a good listener. She is now about three months old and learning.

  3. I have a wild rabbit that visits the patio at my condo. seems quite young but not a baby anymore. It likes to lick our patio furniture. have put out lettuce, but it ignores this. was just curious about this

  4. IAM raiseing a wild bunny that came here I think it’s mother was killed it’s alot of predators around I have a fenced in back yard I started feeding it I have a opening under my house with a wire fence over it and made a hole just big enough for it to get in and out of I put a little house under there with straw so it goes and comes as it pleases it has been here about 2 months now I buy food for it and ha be a water bowl it drinks from it was real scared at first but now it will take things out my hand and stays in the yard I might have done wrong but I love animals and just didn’t want it to be caught or not get a chance to live as long as it can it seems to be happy and secure here

  5. Hello, my name is Tisha. And I recently caught a wild baby Jackrabbit….I’m not sure of his/her age, and when I caught her a lil over a week ago, she still had traces of the umbelical cord still attached… So, I have been bottle feeding it, first can was kitten replacement formula, then I switched to making my own so it’s more affordable…. Equal parts of dry milk and evaporated milk and then twice the amount per scoop of warm water and she’s drinking a full bottle now…. I call her a she, but I can’t tell a difference, so if anybody has any ideas, as a matter of fact, I was gonna wait till the rabbit got older to tell, lol… But my first puppy was a chihuahua and somebody told me she was a boy so I named the dog Jessie boy, 2 months later, my daughter informed me that she was a girl, so her name became Jessie Girl…..and I hope that I have the same relationship with my new rabbit as I do her.. She’s been with me 6 years now…… My biggest question now is, where can I find domesticated rabbits??? There is nothing here where I live in west texas and don’t really care to travel for them,.. Can they be shipped to me? I’ve tried everything but can’t find any domesticated rabbits…tia and thanks for all the info given

  6. There is 3 baby bunnies in my backyard they r about 2-3 days old. The mother comes every evening to feed them. They r so cute

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here