What Does a Rabbit Burrow Look Like?
Rabbit burrows, also called rabbit holes, have a main entrance surrounded by a mound of dirt that leads into an often complex series of underground chambers. There can also be additional entrances without mounds. Rabbits live in groups, and the depth of a burrow can reach close to 10 feet below the surface and span almost 150 feet.
The living chambers within the burrow can have a height between 1 to 2 feet. A grouping of rabbit holes is referred to as a warren. North America is home to more than half of the world’s rabbit population. Woods, forests, meadows, wetlands, deserts and grasslands all serve as habitats for rabbits. The European rabbit, oryctolagus cuniculus, prefers dry areas with soft soil where burrowing is easier. Rabbits have also learned to coexist with human populations and can be found in the local parks, lawns, gardens and cemeteries in cities.
Rabbits are herbivores and basically nocturnal. They leave their burrows at night to seek food, and return in the early morning. Because they are prey animals and hunted by foxes, badgers and other larger animals, they are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. Burrowing is one of the ways they attempt to avoid predation. They also possess a 360-degree-wide field of vision and will, like other prey animals, sleep with their eyes open.
