Rabbit

They can also be found on sand dunes and moorland, at woodland edges and in towns and cities. Rabbits live in large groups in extensive underground burrow systems known as ‘warrens’.

How to Identify

A grey-brown colour with a fluffy white tail, Rabbits are smaller than Hares and do not have black tips on their ears.

Where to Find

Widespread, found everywhere.

What People can do

Rabbits can be a serious pest; Rabbit damage is estimated at over £100 million per year. But grazing by a controlled number of Rabbits can be beneficial to certain habitats, such as grassland, heathland and sand dunes, helping to keep scrub down and allowing the diversity of plants and flowers to flourish. Using special fencing helps local Wildlife Trusts to control Rabbit populations and protect some of our most fragile habitats. The Wildlife Trusts also work with pest controllers to find the most wildlife-friendly solutions to some of our everyday problems.

Did you know?

The Rabbit is native to Spain and was introduced to this country by the Normans in the 12th century to provide food and fur. Their numbers increased dramatically during the 19th century when the large-scale planting of hedgerows provided shelter and increased cereal production provided food. In the 1950s, however, populations crashed due to the disease, myxomatosis.