Wild rabbits, such as the common Eastern Cottontail and the European rabbit, are obligate herbivores with a highly specialized digestive system. Their survival depends entirely on consuming a diet that is high in fibrous plant matter, which can be surprisingly diverse depending on their habitat and the time of year. Wild rabbits have evolved to be adaptable foragers, consistently seeking the specific nutritional components necessary to maintain their health.
The Core Natural Diet
The foundation of a wild rabbit’s diet is high-fiber, low-nutrient vegetation, primarily consisting of grasses and forbs. Rabbits graze on common species like fescue, bluegrass, and various meadow grasses, which provide the bulk of their fiber intake. This continuous consumption of abrasive material is necessary to wear down their hypsodont teeth, which grow perpetually throughout their lives.
They also regularly consume wild broad-leafed weeds and herbs, with favorites being clover, alfalfa, and common plants like dandelions and plantain. These softer greens offer a boost of vitamins and moisture, supplementing the coarser grasses.
The rabbit digestive process is specialized; they practice cecotrophy, re-ingesting nutrient-rich soft pellets called cecotropes. This allows them to extract essential proteins and B vitamins missed during the initial digestion.
Seasonal Dietary Shifts
Food sources available to wild rabbits change significantly outside of the primary growing season during colder months. When fresh grasses and leafy plants become dormant or are covered by snow, the rabbit’s foraging shifts toward woody materials. They will consume the bark, buds, and twigs of young shrubs and trees, often focusing on fruit trees and saplings.
This consumption of bark and woody stems provides coarse fiber that sustains their digestive system when softer forage is scarce. Rabbits may also dig for and consume dormant roots and the dried seed heads of plants that remain above the snow line. These winter foods, while less nutritious than summer greens, enable them to generate enough energy to survive until spring growth returns.
Diet in Human Environments
When wild rabbit populations live near human settlements, their diet often becomes opportunistic. They are frequently drawn to the tender, young growth of vegetable seedlings, which are easy to digest and rich in immediate nutrients. Specific cultivated items often consumed include lettuce, peas, beans, and the tops of root vegetables like carrots.
Rabbits also forage on ornamental plants, showing a particular fondness for flower bulbs—such as tulips and lilies—and the leaves of hostas. Although these high-sugar or high-moisture garden foods are consumed, they are secondary to the rabbit’s natural high-fiber diet. Overconsumption of these low-fiber, high-carbohydrate foods can disrupt the sensitive balance of their specialized gut bacteria.
What Wild Rabbits Must Not Eat
While rabbits may opportunistically eat many things, certain plants and processed items are toxic or harmful to their digestive system. Many common garden and wild plants contain compounds that are poisonous to rabbits, including foxglove, nightshade, and daffodils and hyacinths. The leaves of rhubarb and tomato plants also contain damaging toxins.
Processed human foods, such as bread, crackers, sweets, and dairy products, are unsuitable for wild rabbits. Their digestive tract is not equipped to handle the high sugar, fat, or starch content found in these items. Feeding wild rabbits any of these non-natural foods can severely disrupt their gut flora, leading to fatal gastrointestinal stasis. Avoid feeding them altogether and let them rely on their natural foraging instincts.