The question of whether all rabbits live in burrows is best answered with a nuanced understanding of the species involved. While the burrow-digging behavior is deeply ingrained in the popular image of a rabbit, it is not a universal trait across the entire Leporidae family. The tendency to construct underground homes depends heavily on the specific rabbit species, its environment, and its primary survival strategy, leading to significant variations in shelter-seeking behavior.
The Burrow Dwellers: European Rabbits
The species most strongly associated with the construction of underground homes is the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), from which all domestic rabbits are descended. These social animals create expansive, interconnected tunnel systems known as warrens, which serve as the center of their colony life. A warren can house anywhere from a single pair to groups of 30 or more rabbits.
The warren features a network of passages that often slope gently away from the entrance to prevent flooding and aid in drainage. These systems typically feature multiple entrances, often concealed behind rocks or vegetation, providing numerous escape routes from predators. Specialized chambers are excavated within the warren, including nesting areas for mothers and side pockets where individual families reside.
European rabbits prefer to build their warrens in areas with well-drained, soft soil, sometimes selecting sites near tree roots or shrubs to reinforce the tunnels against collapse. The diameter of these burrows is generally between four and six inches, and they can extend over 15 feet in length. This underground architecture provides the colony with a permanent, secure base, reflecting their social structure and reliance on group defense.
The Exceptions: Rabbits That Don’t Dig
A number of rabbit species rely on surface shelter instead of extensive burrowing. The North American cottontail rabbits are a prime example, as they do not excavate deep, multi-chambered warrens. Instead, cottontails typically find refuge in existing cover, such as brush piles, hollow logs, or abandoned dens dug by other animals.
Hares, including jackrabbits, also avoid digging burrows, possessing distinct survival adaptations. These animals utilize shallow depressions on the ground’s surface, known as “forms,” which they scrape out in dense grass or under protective cover. The form provides a resting spot and camouflage, but it offers no underground protection against predators or weather.
This difference in shelter-seeking behavior is linked to the developmental stage of the young. Unlike the European rabbit’s offspring, which are born altricial—blind, furless, and helpless—hares are born precocial, meaning they are fully furred, have open eyes, and can move shortly after birth. Because hare young are ready to fend for themselves, the female does not need a secure, deep underground nursery to protect her litter.
Why Burrows Are Essential for Survival
For the species that construct them, burrows provide a multi-functional habitat essential for survival. As prey animals, rabbits use the underground network as a haven from predators, such as foxes, weasels, and birds of prey. The complexity of the warren, with its numerous exits and narrow tunnels, allows rabbits to quickly evade a pursuer that manages to enter the system.
The earthen environment offers effective climate control, shielding the inhabitants from environmental extremes. The deep tunnels maintain a relatively stable temperature, providing insulation that keeps rabbits cooler during summer and warmer during winter. This thermal stability reduces physiological stress, allowing the animals to conserve energy.
Burrows are particularly important as a nursery, offering a protected environment for raising young. Female rabbits excavate specific nesting burrows, often lined with grass and fur plucked from their own bodies to create a warm, secure space. Because rabbit kits are born in a vulnerable, altricial state, this subterranean nursery is the only safe place for them to develop during the first weeks of life.