Whether a rabbit lives in a hole depends entirely on the species and their natural behaviors regarding shelter. While many people picture a rabbit disappearing down a deep tunnel, this is only accurate for some species. The answer is split between those that construct complex, permanent underground networks and those that live primarily above ground, plus a third type of temporary digging behavior common to both.
The True Underground Residents
The image of a rabbit living in an extensive underground home is primarily based on the European Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus. Native to southwestern Europe, these highly social rabbits construct elaborate, permanent tunnel systems known as warrens.
A warren functions as a complete underground colony, providing secure shelter, nesting sites, and protection from predators and weather. The complex is characterized by multiple interconnected passages and chambers, often containing numerous entrances and exits that serve as escape routes. Burrows can vary significantly in depth, ranging from 600 millimeters to over 2,500 millimeters depending on the soil type. Within the warren, social groups center around a dominant male and territorial females.
Rabbits That Live Above Ground
The majority of rabbit species, including the widespread Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, do not live in permanent holes or tunnel systems. These rabbits rely on camouflage and dense surface cover rather than subterranean dwelling for their daily lives.
Their homes are typically shallow depressions scratched out in the soil, hidden beneath dense vegetation like thickets, high grass, or brush piles, which are known as “forms.” A form is a non-structural, temporary resting place used for concealment and resting, not for long-term habitation.
Cottontails thrive in areas that offer a mixture of open foraging space and thick, low-growing escape cover, such as forest edges and hedgerows. While they may occasionally use a pre-existing burrow dug by another animal during severe weather, they do not construct their own residential tunnels.
The Temporary Nursery Burrow
Almost all female rabbits, even those that live primarily above ground, will dig a temporary hole specifically for reproduction. This small, isolated excavation is called a nesting burrow or nursery burrow, and it is used only to house and protect the young kits.
The female digs this short tunnel, which is typically only 15 to 30 centimeters long and ends in a chamber lined with grass and fur pulled from her own body. The mother seals the entrance with soil and vegetation after each visit to nurse her young.
This deliberate concealment makes the burrow very difficult for predators to locate, and the mother does not remain inside with the kits. Once the young are old enough to leave the nest, usually after about two weeks, the burrow is abandoned and is not maintained or reused as a permanent home.