Some wild rabbits live in underground homes called warrens. Rabbits in a warren live in groups. A typical group has six to ten adults, and a big warren can hold up to 30 rabbits. The pygmy rabbit digs its own burrow. Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, and in the daytime, cottontails hide in thick bushes. Rabbits eat only plants, and in winter, cottontails eat bark, twigs and buds.

A cottontail mother scrapes a shallow dip in the ground for her nest instead of digging a burrow. She lines her nest with grass and her own fur. A baby rabbit is called a kit. Baby cottontails are born with no fur, and they cannot see. A mother rabbit stays away from her nest most of the day and visits only briefly to feed her babies. Baby cottontails open their eyes when they are about a week old.

An eastern cottontail weighs about two to three pounds. Young cottontails leave the nest when they are two to three weeks old. Young cottontails are on their own when they are about a month old. An eastern cottontail mother usually has two to four litters a year. A mother rabbit can have another litter soon after she has had one.

A frightened cottontail can run up to 18 miles per hour, and it often zigzags as it goes. A cottontail that senses danger may freeze in place or dash away. A rabbit may thump its back feet on the ground to warn of danger. A rabbit can move each of its big ears on its own to find where a sound is coming from.

A pet rabbit needs a lot of time and care. Pet rabbits eat mostly hay. They should eat only a few pellets. Pet rabbits need other rabbits for company. Two pet rabbits should meet slowly, on neutral ground. A pet rabbit loose in a room must be kept safe from chewing electrical cords. Never pick up a rabbit by its ears. A pet rabbit can live for 8 to 12 years.

Words to know

• warrens: underground rabbit homes
• litter: babies born together
• burrow: underground hole
• cottontail: wild rabbit