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Why do rabbits keep tunnelling?


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I was out ferreting today in a very mature hedgerow.

The hedge was riddled with rabbit holes joining up for yard after yard.

Whilst waiting for a bolting bunny I started to wonder- why do rabbits actually keep digging more and more tunnels?

And has anyone ever seen them throwing out the soil like moles do?

The only rabbits I have ever seen have been either eating grass or running away!!

It's not as if they are digging for food, as we all know rabbit "diggings" are not real attempts at tunnels, just eating roots etc.

All those warrens joined up must be very labour intensive,but why bother?

If I was a rabbit I would just have an entrance,a couple of secret exits (essential it seems) and somewhere to sleep.

Has anyone ever seen a nature programme showing rabbits actually digging underground?

Any ideas? :hmm:

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I was out ferreting today in a very mature hedgerow.

The hedge was riddled with rabbit holes joining up for yard after yard.

Whilst waiting for a bolting bunny I started to wonder- why do rabbits actually keep digging more and more tunnels?

And has anyone ever seen them throwing out the soil like moles do?

The only rabbits I have ever seen have been either eating grass or running away!!

It's not as if they are digging for food, as we all know rabbit "diggings" are not real attempts at tunnels, just eating roots etc.

All those warrens joined up must be very labour intensive,but why bother?

If I was a rabbit I would just have an entrance,a couple of secret exits (essential it seems) and somewhere to sleep.

Has anyone ever seen a nature programme showing rabbits actually digging underground?

Any ideas? :hmm:

 

If you were a rabbit Mooster mate, your ancesters going back 1000's of years, would have had to put up with all sorts weasles, stoats, polecats etc. coming into their burys to try to eat them! If your rabbit forefathers hadn't of figured out that more exits = more chance of staying uneaten, there's a very good chance that you wouldn't be alive today!

 

To be honest mate, the wild rabbit hasn't really been studied by scientists a hell of a lot. One of the only serious scientific field studies of rabbits, was carried out here in pembrokeshire, at a place called Orielton, at a place called The Orielton field studies centre. imaginitive name I know!

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Maltenby,yes I suppose that makes sense,the more tunnells the more chance of escape/survival.

Funnily enough we had our honeymoon in Pembrookshire at Freshwater east!!

 

Funny thing, Orielton is only a stones throw away from Fresh East! Did you stay in one of the chalets across the road from the beach? :thumbs:

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Guest little_lloyd

Is amazes me the life of rabbits :yes:

 

I would love to be a working ferret for the day just to see what life in the hedges was like,, Maybe i will come back as a working ferret or a Rabbit :victory:

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