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Wild rabbits' diet

Rufus

Mama Doe
I feel stupid, but I am really wondering what wild rabbits eat in winter. Like the rabbits that live in the woods, can't imagine they hop for miles to find a garden that has winter veg.:oops:
 
Weeds, grass, weeds, grass, if it really comes to it and they are really struggling, then tree bark.

But then thats what they eat all year round...
 
I feel stupid, but I am really wondering what wild rabbits eat in winter. Like the rabbits that live in the woods, can't imagine they hop for miles to find a garden that has winter veg.:oops:

As Graham L says. They'll dig in snow for grass. Also we don't know how many roots they eat when under ground. I notice that lwland warrens are often under hedges/near tree roots, bu up om the chalk downland there's nothing.:?
I'm amazed that apparently wildies can stay underground for up to 14 days. (No footprints in snow round warrens). Why don't they get stasis?

Please don't feel stupid. I've been trying to find out precisely what UK wildies eat for the last 10 years. The nearest I've got to it is a reference in a 1950's book - The private life of the rabbit. Still trying to get the original research from Kew!:roll:
 
According to the literature in my Rabbit Diploma they also eat barren brambles and such, owch!

That's interesting. Brambles don't die back completely - there's usually 1 tatty living leaf to be found, so the runners still have nutritious sap in them.
Any chance I can access the dietary material in your rabbit diploma eg on the net or are there reference sources?
 
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