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Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Grey-brown, with long ears, big back feet and a fluffy white tail that flashes as it runs.

Size
About 40cm long
Look for it
All year round
Where
Field edges, hedge banks, heaths and dunes

My spotter's list

Hops after you, sits up to look and washes its ears. Move your pointer and see.

When to look

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Rabbit

Good to know

Six things about the rabbit

Home

A warren

Rabbits live together in a network of burrows called a warren.

Warning

A thump and a flash

A rabbit that senses danger thumps the ground with a back foot. The white tail flashing as it runs warns the others.

Arrival

Brought by the Normans

Rabbits were brought to Britain for their meat and fur, probably by the Normans in the 1100s.

Babies

Kittens

Baby rabbits are called kittens. They are born blind and without fur, deep in a burrow.

Eating

Eating it twice

Rabbits eat their own soft droppings, so the grass goes through them twice and they get more goodness from it.

Hare

Rabbit or hare?

A rabbit is smaller than a hare, with shorter ears and no black tips to them.

The real thing

Photos of the rabbit

Rabbit, photo 1
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rabbit, photo 2
Photo: Alexis Lours, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rabbit, photo 3
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Out and about

How to spot one

Look at field edges, grassy banks and sand dunes at dawn and dusk. Signs include neat round droppings, closely nibbled turf and burrow entrances.

Lend a hand

How to help

Rabbits keep grass short, which many wild flowers and butterflies depend on. Leave warrens undisturbed, and keep dogs under control.

Keep going

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