Do Rabbits Attract Snakes

Snakes are not herbivores. All their species are carnivores. Some may “eat warm-blooded prey (rodents, rabbits, birds), while others eat insects, frogs or amphibians, eggs, other reptiles, fish, earthworms, or slugs.” [1]. While eating, they will swallow their prey in one piece (whole).

While in the wild, serpents such as pythons, kingsnake, rattlesnakes eat rabbits, mice, gophers, lizards, and other small animals. In fact, some people who keep using bunny meat as a source of their food.

Now that bunnies are one of the sources of snakes food, do these furry pets attract them?

Did my rabbits attract snakes?

The presence of food (rabbits), water as well as a shelter around the hutches can attract these reptiles. Unfortunately, their coexistence isn’t good in most cases since the venomous ones may bite and kill your bunnies and while others will simply swallow them.

Therefore, if you have outdoor bunnies, you need to ensure their hutches are safe and you should also find ways to keep snakes from these hutches. Otherwise, your bunnies will keep dying or disappearing.

How to keep snakes off your hutches? 

If they have been a problem, you need to inspect your hutch and ensure there are no openings that are larger than a quarter of an inch since any opening larger than that is enough for these reptiles to slide into the hutches through the openings. Therefore, cover any opening larger than that and ensure the wire mesh used has openings less than ¼ an inch.

Secondly, clear any nearby bushes as they will provide a hiding place for these reptiles. Also, keep your backyard grass short.

Also, since rabbits attract rats, mice, and other animals that may, in turn, attract snakes, remove leftover foods, keep the area clean and free of urine as well as droppings.

Finally, use other control methods that will not harm your bunnies or other pets you may be having including safe repellants, patching holes, using traps, among other ways.

Can a rabbit attack a snake?

Yes. Sometimes they can pursue them relentlessly especially if they eat or kill their kits. Here is a video of a rabbit’s pursuing a snake that killed her kits. Enjoy watching.