For wild rabbits, such as the Eastern Cottontail and various species of hares, winter is a challenge of active survival, not a time for deep sleep. As non-hibernators, they must remain awake and forage throughout the coldest months. Their strategy for enduring snow and freezing temperatures relies on behavioral changes, an altered diet, and physical adaptations to conserve energy and maintain warmth. This constant vigilance is an essential survival mechanism, allowing them to react quickly to the threat of predators.
Adapting Their Winter Diet
The disappearance of lush vegetation forces a shift in the rabbit’s food sources. Rabbits switch from a summer diet rich in leafy plants to one dominated by high-cellulose woody materials. They primarily forage for the bark, buds, and twigs of shrubs and small trees, including species like sumac, raspberry, and young maple. This winter browse is less nutritious than fresh greens, providing fewer calories and less moisture.
To bridge this nutritional gap, rabbits rely on fat reserves built up during autumn. They also employ coprophagy, re-ingesting soft fecal pellets called cecotropes. These pellets are packed with vitamins and protein produced by microbes in the digestive tract during the first pass of food. Consuming the cecotropes allows the rabbit to extract maximum nutrition from their poor-quality woody diet when resources are scarce.
Finding Warmth and Protection
To survive the cold, rabbits develop a thicker winter coat, or pelage, which provides an insulating layer of trapped air against their skin. They manage body heat by seeking out specific microclimates that offer thermal protection. A rabbit may sit with its ears flattened and body puffed up to minimize the surface area exposed to the cold, which helps reduce heat loss.
Rabbits do not construct deep burrows for winter. Instead, they use shallow depressions called forms, often hidden within dense thickets or brush piles. They frequently take advantage of existing natural cover, such as hollow logs, rock crevices, or abandoned dens dug by other mammals. A blanket of snow provides excellent insulation, and rabbits will tunnel beneath it to create sheltered runways and feeding areas protected from wind and cold.
Changes in Activity and Reproduction
Energy conservation is paramount during the winter, leading to a reduction in activity. Rabbits spend less time foraging in the open and often remain close to protective cover to minimize movement and caloric expenditure. Limiting travel and exposure helps them conserve the energy needed for basic survival functions and staying warm.
The breeding cycle is influenced by the scarcity of resources and the energetic demands of the cold. While male rabbits may be capable of reproductive activity year-round, female pregnancy largely ceases during the coldest months. The high energy cost of gestation and lactation, combined with the low nutritional value of the winter diet, makes raising a litter challenging. This temporary reproductive slowdown is a biological strategy that helps the population conserve resources for adult survival until the spring thaw.