Wild rabbits have specific dietary needs to thrive in their natural habitats. Understanding their diet, and what they should avoid, is important for their well-being.
Natural Foraging Habits
Wild rabbits primarily forage on a diet rich in plant material, consuming a wide variety of grasses, forbs (herbaceous flowering plants), leaves, and occasionally bark or twigs. Throughout most of the year, grass forms the majority of their daily intake. They also eat leafy plants such as clover and dandelions, which provide essential vitamins. In colder months, when fresh greens are scarce, they adapt by nibbling on the bark and twigs of trees like willow, apple, birch, and maple.
The digestive systems of rabbits are adapted to process high-fiber, low-nutrient vegetation. Their teeth grow continuously, requiring constant chewing of fibrous foods to stay at a healthy length. A key aspect of their digestion is cecotrophy, where rabbits re-ingest soft fecal pellets, called cecotropes. These cecotropes are rich in beneficial bacteria, amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins, allowing the rabbit to absorb nutrients not fully extracted during the first pass through their digestive system.
Harmful Foods to Avoid
Many common human foods and garden plants are harmful or toxic to wild rabbits, leading to digestive upset, nutritional imbalances, or poisoning. Foods like bread, grains, sugary treats, and processed items lack the necessary fiber and nutrients, and can cause severe digestive problems, including bloat and gastrointestinal stasis.
Certain garden plants are also highly toxic. For example, rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause kidney damage, digestive issues, and even death. Nightshade plants, including deadly nightshade, woody nightshade, and tomato plants, contain alkaloids like solanine that can lead to difficulty breathing, drooling, inflamed stomachs, trembling, and paralysis. Other plants to avoid include daffodil, foxglove, ivy, lilies, hyacinth, and anything growing from a bulb.
Understanding the Risks of Human Feeding
Feeding wild rabbits, even seemingly harmless foods, can have several negative consequences that jeopardize their survival. When wild animals become accustomed to human-provided food, they may lose their natural foraging skills and become dependent on humans, reducing their ability to find food independently. This reliance can lead to malnutrition if the human-provided diet is not nutritionally complete, as many human foods lack the specific balance of nutrients wild rabbits need.
Additionally, close contact at feeding sites can increase the risk of disease transmission among animals and potentially to humans. Habituation to humans also makes rabbits less wary, increasing their vulnerability to predators, traffic, and other human-related dangers. Ultimately, a wild rabbit’s best chance for survival comes from its natural diet and environment, without human intervention.