My good friend Alex was visiting our hobby farm after returning from a trip to Siberia. Alex is a first generation American and many of his relatives are in Siberia.
Alex saw our Hobby Farm Heaven rabbits in their hutches and remarked that he had seen several rabbits in Siberia.
That got me thinking about, Where Do Rabbits Live? More specifically, where do bunny rabbits live in the world? Where do rabbits live in their many habitats around the world?
Rabbits live on 6 of the 7 continents. They do not live on Antarctica. They make their homes in a broad range of climates and habitats including: grasslands, forests, deserts, tundra, wetlands, highlands and lowlands. Rabbits live in underground burrows, hollowed out logs, small caves, thickets and brush piles.
Where Do Rabbits Live In The Wild?
Rabbits are very social animals and in the wild they live in family groups called a colony. Most often rabbits live in rabbit holes, or underground burrows. A group of connected burrows is called a warren.
What Do Rabbits Live In?
A rabbit or rabbit family may make its home in:
- An underground burrow
- A Hollowed out log
- A Hollowed tree trunk
- A Small cave or under a rock outcropping
- At the base of a large evergreen pine tree whose long, thick, sloping branches create a wind block and keep the base dry in all seasons
- A thicket or heavy pile of brush that creates a wind block and keeps the rabbits dry in all seasons
Why Do Rabbits Live In A Burrow or Warren?
Rabbits have adapted to many climates and provide food for predators in those many climates.
Rabbits live in underground burrows and warrens because:
- The burrow provides them with a safe place to rest and hide from predators, as well as to raise their young. It helps protect them from their primary predators such as coyotes, foxes, and owls.
- Additionally, the burrow provides shelter from the elements such as wind, rain, snow, sleet, extreme heat, and extreme cold.
- A burrow below the frost line is naturally climate controlled to be 50 to 65 degrees F (about 10 to 18 C) and this is a very comfortable temperature for the rabbit.
What Biome Do Rabbits Live In?
Rabbits live in all five of the major biomes:
- Aquatic
- Grassland
- Forest
- Desert
- Tundra
What Habitats Do Rabbits Live In?
There are several habitats in each of the 5 major biome. Rabbits live in a wide variety of habitats around the world. These habitats include:
- Forests and Woodlands
- Meadows on the edges of forests and woodlands
- Swampy wetlands and lowlands
- Deserts
- Jungles and Rainforests
- Frigid Tundra
- Grasslands
- Mountain Highlands
Do Rabbits Live In Jungles?
Yes, at least one type of rabbit is known to live in the jungle, more specifically the jungles of Sumatra in Indonesia. It is referred to as the elusive Sumatran Striped Jungle Rabbit.
Here is a world famous video of the elusive Sumatran Striped Jungle Rabbit.
Notice it’s small ears and striped coat.
What Climate Do Rabbits Live In?
Officially, climates are divided into five classification groups by the Koppen Climate Classification system. The five groups are known by their designated letter and are as follows:
- A Tropical or Equatorial Zone – The latitudes at or near the equator.
- B Arid or Dry Zone – For example, the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico.
- C Warm/Mild Temperate Zone – The middle latitudes between the tropics and the polar regions.
- D Continental Zone – For example, much of the interior of North America.
- E Polar Zone – For example, the Arctic.
Rabbits live in each of these 5 climate classifications. Again, rabbits live on 6 of the 7 continents, including the Arctic.
Can Rabbits Live In A Chicken Coop?
Here at Hobby Farm Heaven we do not recommend mixing rabbits and chickens.
Rabbits can live in a chicken coop, but not while chickens are also living in the coop. Further, you may want to modify the coop to provide for more air flow.
That said, a typical chicken coop may be easily modified to be a very suitable hutch for some rabbits.
Can Rabbits Live In Cages?
Yes, Many rabbits live in cages and many hutches have wire mesh floors.
Most domesticated rabbits are housed in cages or hutches that use wire mesh.
The wire mesh floors of cages and hutches allow rabbit poop to accumulate below the cage or hutch so that the rabbit is not moving around in and sitting in its poop.
Where Do House Rabbits Sleep?
House rabbits are rabbits that live in a house. They live in their owner’s home. Often a room is dedicated to the rabbit or the rabbit is allowed to wander inside an area that is gated or fenced off using a low fence, similar to what you might use to contain a toddler.
Many house rabbits sleep in a pet travel carrier and learn to pee and poop in a litter box.
How Do Rabbits Live In The Winter?
Here is a post about Rabbit Life During The Winter!
Can Rabbits Live In Hot Weather?
Yes, rabbits can live in hot weather. In particular, rabbits that are indigenous to desert regions have adapted to the desert climate and can live in hot weather.
Here’s a great video about Rabbits Living in the Desert
Frequently Asked Questions Related To
What Habitat Do Rabbits Live In?
What Is A Group Of Rabbits Called?
A group of rabbits is called a Fluffle; or a colony.
What Is The House Of A Rabbit Called?
Most often Bunnies live in a burrow or a system of connected burrows that is called a warren. The house of a rabbit it called a burrow, or a warren.
What Do Rabbits Need To Live?
Rabbits need quality food, shelter, and protection from predators… A mate is also very helpful.
What Is A Rabbit Tractor?
Find out more about Rabbit Tractors in this post – Rabbit Tractor Pros And Cons!
Final Thoughts on Where Do Rabbits Live?
As we’ve discussed, bunnies live on 6 of the 7 continents, inhabit all 5 biomes of the Earth, prosper across all 5 Koppen Climate Classifications and are fruitful in many different habitats within those broad structures.
Rabbits are versatile, adaptable, social animals. But, they also need their quiet time… as prey animals, they need a home where they feel safe from predators, safe to reproduce and safe to wait out a storm.
Rabbits of the wild most often dig a burrow for their home and often enough several burrows are connected to form a warren.
A colony of rabbits lives in a warren.