Do rabbits like being in Snow?

[coolbunnybun]

well i just went outside and i said its about 5-8 inches and its should be up to a foot or more in the afternoon. i will take pics of snow before and after chester goes outside?

so is 5-8 safe for bunny? i may just let her play on the deck. i lost my harness so... but i don't think she will be going anywhere with this snow LOL. also i have no pen cuzi put it inside and I ANIT TAKEING IT OUT SIDE. so i think i can watch her good...


EDIT: is it safe if i can bring her outside for a bit. warm then to cold?

PLEASE RESPOND ASAP.

 

[Bassetluv]

In general, rabbits love snow...they will leap and run in it. If it is too deep though (way over their heads) they might just sit there not knowing what to do, feeling confined. If you have a small rabbit you could shovel a clearing for her to run around in and see how she does. If she's never seen snow before it could take a bit of time for her to get used to it, or she just may decide that she wants nothing to do with it at all. Take her outside and follow her lead to see how she reacts.

If it's a really cold day I wouldn't take her out (blowing snow, frigid temps), but if it's relatively mild I think it's safe to say you could take her out for a while. Keep in mind that she won't have a winter coat, so keep play time outside from 15 min to half an hour or so. Watch how she reacts...if she just sits there huddled up and doesn't seem to like it, then there's no point in taking her out...but if begins to hop about and explore, then she probably will enjoy being out there with you.

 

[naturestee]

thor wrote:

coolbunnybun wrote:

i am definatly taking chester out in snow tommrrow. but just to be safe i have a q:

How many inches can it be for a bunny to be outside? like if its a foot of snow out there can a bunny be in it? or i can dig a little hole?

Bunnies are related to the snowshow hare, so don't worry about your bunny in the snow!

Technically true, but there's a lot of distance in the family tree. Not to mention that the species our domestic rabbit descended from evolved in Spain and the Mediterranean and was only spread throughout the rest of Europe because the Romans put them there for hunting.

For fun, check out this article on the difference between hares and rabbits (did I ever tell you I'm a nerd?):
http://www.rabbitsinthehouse.org/newsletter/TCLspringsummer2000.pdf

I'd say if the snow is longer than his front legs, shovel a clear space for him. I would take him back inside once he's done playing- don't let him sit out in the snow doing nothing, he'll get cold. Of course, I don't take my buns outside so someone else may know better.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

SNOW? What Snow?

We are having record highs today. 41 ° F 13 ° C

Rainbows! :bunny17

 

[Nessa1487]

We have a skiff of snow on the ground..Maybe I'll take Skippy out in it later.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

naturestee wrote:

thor wrote:

Bunnies are related to the snowshow hare, so don't worry about your bunny in the snow!

Technically true, but there's a lot of distance in the family tree.
For fun, check out this article on the difference between hares and rabbits
http://www.rabbitsinthehouse.org/newsletter/TCLspringsummer2000.pdf

Almost every morning I see them (Hares/Jackrabbits) in the field in front of our house.
One morning I counted 7 all together.
Last week my son said he saw some smaller ones surrounded by the adults.
They do turn white for the winter, but with the lack of snow, they are easy to spot.
But during the day we never see them (good hiding spots).

They are wondering, "What is that crazy guy running around flashing a camera in the dark?" :wiggle

Rainbows! :bunnydance:

 

[Pipp]

Wow, great photos! A herd of bunnies! And that new camera is certainly doing the job!!

Can't imagine no snow up there in February. I hope those jackrabbits don't think they're camouflaged! rivateeyes

I used to love watching them boundingacross the snow.. although more often, I'd just see their footprints.

Do they have dark patches or is that just the light? (Or lack there of).

And out of curiosity, what time of day was that?


SAS (former hometowner) and PIPP :bunnydance: (who's black and would probably hate snow anyway)

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Pipp wrote:

Do they have dark patches or is that just the light? (Or lack there of).

And out of curiosity, what time of day was that?

This was around 5:00 am, before I headed out to work. :yawn

The rabbits kept their distance as I tried to approach them. Their fur was alot whiter, as the patches of grey are showing up now. My pop-up flash was barely reaching them. With a stronger flash, I would of got sharper pictures.

Rainbows!

 

[thor]

Awesome pictures! You are very lucky to see so many bunnies! When I vacationed out west to Wyoming a few summers ago, I couldn't believe the amount of cottontails I saw out there!!!!!!! Truly amazing!

 

[manda]

i am totally thinking about filling a big cake pan up with snow and bringing it in for Ryo.
i just worry about pollutions, etc.
i guess its not a good idea to let her eat it. somehow i think she will eat it....
lol

 

[Pet_Bunny]

thor wrote:

Awesome pictures! You are very lucky to see so many bunnies!

Thanks Thor. This is in the city. The rabbits get into everybody's garden and hide in their yards and shrubs.

Rainbows! :bunny5

 

[doodle]

Oh wow! I'm so glad you were able to get pictures of the wild rabbits. If you hadn't pointed out that they change colors in winter, I'd think they were domestic rabbits someone 'released' because they're white. What a sight to see.

There are wild bunnies around here, and I see them quite often in my yard, but they're the little bitty tan colored ones. Those rabbits by your house look huge!

 

[Pet_Bunny]

doodle wrote:

Those rabbits by your house look huge!

There are two other spots where I see more rabbits on my way to work, and they are even larger than the ones by my house.

:apollo:

Rainbows!

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Pipp wrote:

Wow, great photos! And that new camera is certainly doing the job!!
Can't imagine no snow up there in February.

Well we finally got our snow..... First day of March.

I put all the pictures in my Home Thread on this link.....

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=9548&forum_id=6&jump_to=184587

Rainbows! :wiggle

 

[thor]

:rabbithopAll your pics are soooo wonderful! Awards to you for the fantastic picture taking!! Bunny is the cutest thing!!