Why Do Rabbits Change Color In The Winter

You may notice the wild rabbits in your area changing colors throughout the year. Or you may notice your own pet or homestead rabbit changing color with the seasons. Some rabbits change color drastically and sometimes there is only a slight seasonal change to the color of rabbit fur. Nature is like that…

Many, but not all, rabbits change color in the winter (and again in the summer) as their fur molts. Molting allows the rabbit’s fur to thicken and camouflage for their winter environment and then thin out and camouflage for their summer environment. These are biological changes that have evolved in rabbits over time to help them evade predators and survive.

Actually, healthy rabbits molt 4 times each year. The most notable and heaviest molts are as winter approaches and then as summer approaches.

Often we have a hard time discerning a molt in our farmette or hobby farm rabbits and many of our rabbits do not change color much from season to season. The “wilder” the rabbit, the more likely the rabbit will have heavier seasonal molts as well as more significant color changes from season to season!

How Rabbits Change Color In Winter

As winter approaches, the days grow shorter, the rabbit experiences less sunlight and its body produces less melanin. Also, the rabbit needs to grow a thicker, warmer, coat for winter. Lastly, the rabbit’s darker summer coat will make it stand out in the snowy winter environment; this is not good for a prey animal like a rabbit.

So as winter approaches we have:

Daylight shortens and Less melanin is produced in the rabbit

The need for a thicker coat for survival
The need to change color for survival

These 3 factors trigger the biological process of molting or shedding the current rabbit fur and growing in new rabbit fur that is more suited for survival in the season. Less melanin in the rabbit’s system means the fur will be a lighter color. A lighter color fur is beneficial for camouflage and survival. Similarly, the shorter and colder days trigger the rabbit’s biology to grow in a thicker winter coat, again beneficial for survival.

The molting process is part of the biological evolution of rabbits. For more in-depth information, you may be interested in this article Rabbits Molting!

Why Do Rabbits Change Color In Different Seasons

As we’ve discovered, rabbits change color in different seasons to help them survive. The primary survival benefit of changing color is camouflage – appropriate seasonal fur coloring helps the rabbit hide from predators.

As winter approaches in far north climes, like the North American tundra, that are often covered in snow for months at a time, many rabbits will grow in a bright white coat of fur. Again, this helps them blend in with their environment and helps them evade hungry predators such as coyotes and wolves, and survive the harsh winter.

Why Do Rabbits Have A Lighter Colored Winter Coat

Reasons for a rabbit to have a lighter colored winter fur include:

Camouflage – Helps rabbits hide from predators in the winter environment
Heavier Coat – Helps rabbits stay warm in winter. Do Rabbits Get Cold At Night?
Reproduction – Surviving with less stress means the rabbit can reproduce easier

Less Stress – Being able to hide from predators and stay warm, means less system stress and a healthier rabbit

Alternatively, as summer approaches a stark white coat makes the rabbit stand out in their environment. So, rabbits naturally shed the lighter winter coat as they grow in a darker summer coat that again helps them blend with their environment and increases their chances of surviving and continuing to reproduce.

Why Do Rabbits Have A Darker Colored Summer Coat

Reasons for a rabbit to have a darker colored summer coat include:

Camouflage – Helps rabbit blend in with the environment
Lighter weight coat – Helps rabbit stay cooler in summer
Reproduction – Survival means the rabbit can reproduce

Less Stress – Being able to blend in with the environment and be cooler in the summer heat, means less stress and a healthier rabbit

Why Is My Rabbit Losing Hair

If your bunny is losing hair you may be concerned. Sometimes there are good, healthy reasons for your rabbit losing hair and other times the loss of hair is a serious health concern.

For instance, your rabbit may be naturally molting. Some rabbits do have some temporary bald spots as they naturally molt. Furthermore, some molts are heavier than others. This means that sometimes a rabbit will molt and seem to lose all of its fur, as the new fur continues to grow in, in a matter of just a few days. That’s a heavy molt and could be cause for alarm as you see tufts and tufts, and more tufts of rabbit fur in the hutches.

Additionally, some molts are light or slow, taking weeks, if not months to shed the old fur as the new fur grows in.

Alternatively, if you’re rabbit is losing hair then you may be interested in this article: Why is My Bunny Losing Hair?

Baby Rabbit Fur Changing Color

Baby rabbit fur is a bit unique compared to adult rabbit fur. Baby rabbits or bunnies will molt several times as they reach adulthood. Baby bunnies are born without fur. They grow their “baby fur” coat in the first two weeks of life. At about 4 or 5 months old they will molt and shed their “baby fur” and grow an “intermediate” coat of fur that is likely a different color than their “baby fur”. About 3 or 4 months later, the maturing and still fast growing rabbit will grow its first adult coat. This adult coat may be a different color or shade than the “intermediate coat”.

Do All Rabbits Turn White In Winter?

No, all rabbits do not turn white in winter. Some rabbits that live where there is an abundance of snow in the winter will shed their summer brown coats and grow in a lighter color or white winter coat.

Rabbit Changes Color Over 3 Months – Time Lapse

Final Thoughts on Why Do Rabbits Change Color In Winter

As the fall daylight gets shorter, rabbits produce less melanin which means any new fur that it grows will be lighter in color.

Biologically, the shorter days also tell the rabbit’s body to shed its summer coat and grow in a thicker winter coat.