Rabbits are active creatures that love to hop around and explore their surroundings. But when it comes time to rest, they return to the comfort and safety of their underground burrows.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Domestic rabbits generally stay within 300 feet of their burrow, while wild rabbits can travel over a mile away to find food and mates before returning home.
In this nearly 3,000 word guide, we’ll cover everything you want to know about rabbit burrows and how far away rabbits actually travel from home.
Where Rabbits Build Their Burrows
Underground
Rabbits prefer to dig their burrows underground as it offers protection from predators and harsh weather (source). The depth of a rabbit’s burrow can reach up to 3 feet deep, allowing them to avoid detection.
The tunnels lead to various rooms including nesting chambers lined with fur where the rabbits sleep and raise young. Some tunnels end in escape holes enabling quick getaways from threats. Underground burrows maintain stable temperatures around 50-60°F suiting rabbits’ comfort.
Near Food and Water Sources
Convenience is key when rabbits select real estate. They build burrows within hopping distance of essential resources to limit energy expenditure and exposure when foraging above ground (reference). Rabbits situate their underground lairs near nutritious vegetation like grasses, weeds, shrubs and bark.
Access to clean water sources like streams, ponds and puddles is also a top priority. Staying near necessities allows them to quickly retreat to safety after eating and drinking.
In Areas With Vegetation
Rabbits dig burrows in areas with ample ground-level plants or vegetation. The presence of live roots reinforces tunnel walls preventing cave-ins (reference). Plants also help stabilize soil temperatures.
Plus, above-ground vegetation provides concealed access between the burrow entrance and prime feeding grounds. Rabbits favor sites near or under thick brush, shrubs, hedges, and small trees with low-hanging branches.
Such environments give protective cover while allowing sunlight to reach ground plants rabbits eat.
Typical Size of a Rabbit’s Home Range
Domestic Rabbits Stay Close to Home
Domestic rabbits, the ones we keep as pets or livestock, generally do not travel far from their hutches or enclosures. These rabbits rely on humans to provide food, water, shelter, and protection, so they have little need to roam around searching for resources.
Most pet rabbits are content to spend their days in a large cage or penned area. As long as their enclosure is sufficiently sized and enriched with hiding spots, ramps, and toys, domestic rabbits are quite happy staying put.
According to rabbit experts, the recommended minimum size for a rabbit cage is 4 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet (about 2.5 square meters). This gives them adequate room to stretch their legs and move around.
Backyard rabbit hutches are often attached to a small run or exercise pen to give the animals more space when supervised. But even when allowed to freely roam in a garden, domestic rabbits tend to stick close to their familiar shelters.
Their small size makes them vulnerable to predators, so they instinctively seek the safety of enclosed spaces.
Wild Rabbits Cover More Ground
In contrast to domestic rabbits, wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have a much larger roaming range. These intelligent and resourceful creatures do not have humans providing their basic needs, so they must travel far and wide in search of food, shelter, mates, and protection from enemies.
Numerous factors affect the size of a wild rabbit’s home range, including habitat quality, population density, and breeding season. But on average, wild rabbits use an area of 5-10 acres around their burrow. Their territories often overlap with those of other rabbits.
It’s not unusual for a wild rabbit colony to have a network of interconnected burrows and tunnels spanning 25 acres or more.
According to a study published in Mammalian Biology, the average maximum distance wild rabbits travel from their main burrow is about 300 meters. However, some individuals, particularly dominant breeding bucks, may make occasional excursions up to 700 meters away.
In marginal habitats where food and shelter are scarce, rabbits may travel even further. Other studies have recorded wild rabbits venturing over 1 kilometer from their home bases. Dispersing juveniles looking to establish new territories have been known to journey several kilometers before settling down.
So while pet rabbits are content staying put, wild rabbits are always on the move. Their survival depends on continuously exploring and exploiting the resources across their large home ranges. This active lifestyle is what makes wild rabbits thrive in diverse habitats around the globe.
How Far Rabbits Go To Find Food
Grazing Close to The Burrow
Rabbits are creatures of habit and prefer to graze near their burrows when food is plentiful. They establish well-worn trails called “runs” that provide easy access to their favorite grazing spots nearby.
Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, venturing no more than 50-100 feet from their burrows to feed. This allows them to quickly dart back to the safety of their burrows if threatened by predators. Rabbits often return to the same patches of grass, clover and other vegetation.
This helps them avoid venturing into unfamiliar areas where predators may lurk.
Traveling Farther When Food is Scarce
During times when food near their burrows is scarce, like winter or drought, rabbits will travel much farther to find sustenance. They have been known to journey up to a mile or more from their burrows when grazing is poor nearby.
Rabbits also expand their foraging range when population density is high and competition for food is greater. Young dispersing rabbits that are establishing new territories have been recorded traveling several miles across fields, woods and streams before settling in a new area.
Though rabbits prefer not to stray too far from their burrows, hunger and scarcity force them to take greater risks to find the nutrition they need to survive.
How Far Rabbits Roam To Find Mates
Searching in Familiar Territory
Rabbits are creatures of habit and generally stick to areas they know well when looking for a mate. According to wildlife experts, rabbits tend to roam an average of a half mile to one mile from their burrows and usual hangouts as they search for a partner.
This allows them to move through recognizable terrain as they use their keen senses of smell and hearing to locate an appropriate suitor.
Part of the reason rabbits don’t stray too far is safety. Venturing beyond their familiar turf leaves rabbits more vulnerable to predators like coyotes, foxes, owls, hawks, and neighborhood cats and dogs.
Sticking close to home and regularly returning to their secure burrows gives courting rabbits quick escape routes if danger arises.
However, some adventurous rabbits may roam up to two miles away from their usual range, especially if competition for mates in their home territory is high. The tradeoff between safety and reproductive success encourages some intrepid individuals to explore new areas.
Venturing Beyond Their Usual Range
In rare cases when rabbit densities are very high, rabbits may travel surprising distances of five miles or more seeking mating opportunities. High population pressure can motivate rabbits to venture much farther than they normally would.
Dispersing juvenile rabbits who have recently left their mother’s burrow may also wander widely, crossing many miles as they look for their own home territory and breeding prospects. Unlike their territorial parents, these bold youngsters must take their chances in unknown areas.
So while most paired-up rabbits stick close to home when searching for mates, some randy rabbits can cover impressive distances in their quest to pass on their genes. Love makes rabbits go the extra mile!
Other Times Rabbits Leave The Burrow Area
Interacting With Other Rabbits
Rabbits are social animals that often interact with other rabbits outside of their burrows. Here are some of the main reasons rabbits will leave their burrows to interact with other rabbits:
- Finding a mate – Unmated male and female rabbits will venture outside their burrows in search of a mate. This usually occurs in the springtime during prime breeding season.
- Establishing dominance – Rabbits have a social hierarchy and will interact with each other to establish which rabbits are dominant. Dominant rabbits may chase subordinates out of a territory.
- Grooming – Rabbits like to groom each other as a social behavior. They will visit the burrows of other rabbits or interact above ground for grooming purposes.
- Playing – Young rabbits especially will interact outside their burrows for play. They may chase each other or engage in other active games.
These social interactions are important for rabbit health, reproduction, and community structure. While cautious of predators, pet rabbits allowed outside may also seek social interaction with other nearby rabbits.
Exploring New Surroundings
Rabbits are naturally curious animals that like to understand their surroundings. Reasons rabbits may leave their burrows and home territory include:
- Foraging – Rabbits need to find new sources of food and water. They will cautiously explore new areas looking for tasty greens, fruits, vegetables and other foods.
- Predator inspection – If a new predator enters the area, brave rabbits may cautiously approach it to gather information and assess the threat.
- Curiosity – Rabbits simply enjoy exploring new objects, structures and habitats out of curiosity and mental stimulation.
- Dispersal – At around 8-12 weeks old, young rabbits will voluntarily leave the maternal burrow to find their own home range and burrow.
According to a 2022 study published in Mammalian Biology, wild rabbits have home ranges spanning 0.15-7 acres on average. But certain circumstances prompt them to explore further. Unneutered domestic rabbits allowed to roam outdoors may also travel several acres daily.
While exploring is important for rabbits to satisfy curiosity, find resources, and establish territory, it does increase their risk of predator attacks, getting lost, or being hit by vehicles near homes. So pet owners need to balance safe containment with some supervised exploration time.
Conclusion
As we’ve discussed, domestic rabbits tend to stay within 300 feet or less of their home burrow, rarely venturing beyond their backyard habitat.
Wild rabbits are much more adventurous and may cover one mile or more as they search and graze for food, seek out mates, interact with other rabbits, and explore their territory.
Understanding the ranging behavior of rabbits gives you insight into their daily activities and what draws them to roam near and far from the comfort of their underground burrows.
