This past winter we didn’t see any rabbit tracks on our hike in the woods next to our hobby farm. I teased my youngest, William, saying that the local rabbits had hibernated for winter.
He turned to me and asked “Do Rabbits Hibernate During The Winter?” and I told him:
No, rabbits do not hibernate during the winter, niether do rabbits migrate. Rabbits remain active throughout the winter and year round because they must forage for food at all times.
Read on to learn how rabbits adapt to the extreme cold of winter!
Do Wild Rabbits Hibernate In Winter
No, wild rabbits do not hibernate in winter. Rabbits remain active all year round, continuously foraging for food!
Do Rabbits Migrate In Winter
No, rabbits do not migrate in winter. Rabbits remain in their indigenous, primary habitat through the winter and throughout the year.
When Do Bunnies Hibernate
Bunnies do not hibernate! There is never a time of year or season when bunnies hibernate.
Can Bunnies Hibernate
No, bunnies can NOT hibernate. Bunny rabbits have not evolved to hibernate, a state which involves minimal metabolic activiy. Rabbits’ body and physical systems are not designed for a winter hibernation.
Do House Rabbits Hibernate
No, house rabbits do not hibernate. They, like their wild cousins, remain active through the winter and throughout the seasons of the year.
What Do Rabbit Do During The Winter
In the winter, rabbits do the following:
Bunnies do spend more time in their burrow or warren. Note also that some rabbits do not have a proper burrow. Some rabbits will make their home in a hollowed out log or at the base of a large evergreen tree, such as a hemlock.
The overhanging branches of a large, healthy evergreen tree can create a nice living area at the base or trunk of the tree where the many layers of branches keep out rain, snow and wind.
Bunnies forage for food – see below how their winter forage or diet may be different from their summer forage or diet. To a large degree, rabbit’s eat according to what is available, according to what is “in season”.
Bunnies Mate Less – Like many animals, rabbits tend to mate less during a harsh winter.
Their natural instinct, or natural evolutionary biology, has them mating less during winter because food is generally more scarce in winter and therefore it is harder to feed and care for baby rabbits and young bunnies during winter. The rabbit’s gestation period averages 31 days, which is a long time in colder months!
Rabbit’s Feel the Predator Pressure – Every wild animal is a little hungrier during the winter, which means there is even more predator pressure on the wild rabbit population during the winter.
Rabbits are prey and provide food for several types of predators. Some of the primary rabbit predators are: fox, coyote, owl, eagle, hawk, bobcat, lynx, wild dog. None of these predators hibernate, all are hungry and actively hunting during the winter.
Additionally, the winter environment and its starkness can be beautiful, however it generally means that the rabbits have fewer places to hide from predators!
Rabbit’s Use More Energy Staying Warm – Rabbits are designed for cold temperatures, and prefer cold temperatures over hot temperatures. Remember that rabbits neither sweat nor pant.
As such, it is hard for them to cool themselves in hot temperatures. So, by design, with their thick fur coats and furry, pad-less feet, rabbits are very cold-hardy. Like many animals that live in climates that have harsh winters, if dry and out of the wind, then rabbits can thrive in some very cold temps.
All of this said, Rabbits will use a considerable amount of their energy to stay warm in the winter.
How Do Rabbits Survive in Winter
Here are some ideas of just how rabbits survive in winter:
- They continue their crepuscular foraging for food when their predators are less active.
- They stay dry.
- They grow in a thicker winter coat of fur.
- They stay out of the wind, except to forage for food.
- They conserve energy, except to forage for food.
- They hide from predators in their warm burrows, warrens, hollowed logs, protective thickets, etc. If your fenced yard provides safety from predators and food, then you may find a rabbit or two frequenting your yard.
- They eat according to local availability; they eat what is available in the season.
How Do Rabbits Survive The Cold Winter
Wild rabbits often find or dig a burrow, or a warren – a system of connected burrows with other rabbits in their rabbit colony. The parts of the burrow that are below the frost line are a stable 55 degrees Fahrenheit (about 12.8 degrees Celsius).
This is a very comfortable temperature for the fur coated and fur footed rabbit.
Like many animals that have adapted to a winter climate, as long as the rabbit stays dry and out of the wind, a rabbit can withstand some very cold temperatures.
What Do Rabbits Eat In Winter
Rabbits forage for and eat the vegetation that is available to them in their native environment.
During winter, this may mean far less grass, hay and herbs and far more twigs, branches, bark, and evergreen foliage. If there is no snow cover then bunnies can often find meadow hay or tufts of hay, along with small evergreen bushes to nibble on.
When there is a significant snow cover and the meadow hays are not accessible, then bunny’s may nibble on bushes and shrubs that are tall enough to not be buried by the snow, along with the thinner bark of saplings.
Last, but not least, during a hard winter, rabbits will ingest their poop, to send it through their digestive system a second time and absorb more nutrients.
This is not to be confused with rabbits eating their cecotropes. This is a winter season practice of rabbits eating their actual poop in order to obtain more nutrients from their food.
Rabbit’s do not stockpile food for winter like a beaver or a squirrel.
A rabbit is like the grasshopper in Aesop’s fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The ant worked and stored up food for winter. The grasshopper played all day, shunning work, not saving up food for the hard winter.
Maybe I took that fable lesson too far out of context…rabbits have surely adapted to be cold-hardy and are expert foragers, they simply do not stockpile food supplies!
Where Do Rabbits Sleep In Winter
In winter, rabbits sleep where they are sheltered from the rain, snow, wind and predators. There are several primary places that rabbits sleep in winter:
- Burrow or Warren – A dry,underground burrow or warren is ideal for a rabbit. The rabbit is hidden from predators, is comfortable in the 55 degree burrow, and is dry.
- Hollowed Log or Tree Trunk – A dry hollowed log or tree trunk can also be a pretty good winter home for a rabbit. If the rabbit can keep dry and be sheltered from the wind, then it is also very likely a suitable hiding place or shelter from predators.
- Heavy Thicket or Brush Pile – Some thickets are robust enough to shield the rabbit from rain, snow, and wind, and also predators.
How Do Wild Rabbits Keep Warm in Winter
Wild bunnies keep warm in winter by finding a hiding spot that keeps them sheltered from the rain, snow and driving wind.
Rabbits also grow in a thicker, warmer coat for winter. In addition, they do not have pads on their feet, instead the bottom of their feet are furry to keep them warm.
Without a doubt, rabbits do use more of their energy in winter to keep themselves warm. This Journal of Physiology research article shows how some baby rabbits metabolized fat (stored in both brown adipose and white adipose tissue) to help keep their bodies warm.
The big takeaway for us here at Hobby Farm Heaven, is that the study confirms that rabbits don’t have much fat to begin with…rabbit meat is a very lean meat and rabbits don’t store much fat on their bodies.
Wild rabbits are lean, even in the summer when food is generally plentiful, so that they can run fast to evade predators.
A Rabbit Hutch Or Cage For Winter
Domestic rabbits that are not housed in a climate controlled shelter (like inside our home living spaces), need a dry shelter with as little wind exposure as possible.
Most domestic rabbits are not House rabbits, so they live most of their lives in a hutch or cage.
The great majority of rabbit hutches and cages are either outside or in a shed or barn that is not climate controlled. When setting up the location of your outdoor rabbit hutch, consider the predominant winter wind direction, and how dry the location is throughout the stormy seasons of blowing rain, snow, etc.
On the stormiest of winter nights you may opt to cover the rabbit hutch with a heavy tarp or blanket. The covering will help keep precipitation and driving winds out of the hutch and will help your rabbit stay dry and maintain body temperature.
Here are some excellent videos about Rabbits In Cold Weather
How Bunny Rabbits Stay Warm
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Do Rabbits Hibernate During The Winter
Do Rabbits Hibernate In The Fall?
No, rabbits do not hibernate in the fall season. As discussed above, rabbits do not hibernate at all! Rather, they remain active throughout the winter and year round.
How To Help Wild Rabbits In The Winter
If you are experiencing an unusually harsh winter, then the wild rabbits that live near you are also experiencing a harsh winter.
They may benefit from you leaving them some food. The best food for them is quality hay and the best place to put it is in a sheltered location. Placing several armfuls of quality hay at the base of a row of evergreens, or the base of a hedgerow, allows the rabbits to eat and hide from predators.
Do Rabbits Store Food For Winter?
No, rabbits do not store food for winter.
Wild rabbits may take some hay and twigs into their burrow, or hollowed out log, or hiding place under a massive evergreen tree, to fashion a bit of a nest or “bed”. And in the dead of winter, the rabbit may actually eat some of the hay and twigs from its winter nest. However, this is not to be considered as a rabbit storing up food for winter.
Final Thoughts on Do Rabbits Hibernate During The Winter
Rabbits do not hibernate during winter nor do they migrate during winter.
Rather, when snow covers meadow hay rabbits go out daily to find and eat twigs, bark, saplings, and bushes that are not covered by the snow.
Bunnies stay warm in the winter by staying dry and staying out of the wind. Burrows, hollow logs, thickets, and large evergreen trees shield rabbits from rain, snow and wind.
Finall, bunnies grow a thick winter fur coat and are much more cold-hardy than heat tolerant. As such, these lagomorphs are very capable of surviving harsh winter months!