Rabbits

Cottontail and brush rabbits make their nests in shallow depressions in the grass. The nest is lined with fur and loosely covered with grass. Rabbits have evolved to have a stomach capacity larger than other mammals, and so are able to hold a great deal of milk. As a result, the mothers only visit the nest twice a day (early morning and dusk) to feed the babies, thus reducing the chances of attracting predators to the nest. Baby rabbits are often found when people disturb the nests while mowing the grass. If this happens to you, do the following:

Make sure that the babies are not injured.
Place the babies back into the nest and cover it loosely with grass.
To be sure that the mother has come back to the nest, place several strands of string or yarn over the nest. If the string has not been moved by morning, then the mother has probably not returned and you should call a wildlife rehabilitator.

Often people find infant rabbits that appear to be too small to be on their own. The rule-of-thumb is that if the rabbits are over five-inches long or larger, then they are old enough to be on their own and should be released where they were found.

Baby rabbits should be picked up only as a last resort, such as when you know that the parents are dead or injured. Young rabbits are difficult to rehabilitate and more often than not, do not survive the stress of being handled.

Absolutely do not attempt to take care of baby rabbits yourself! They require special conditions, diets, and antibiotics that only a trained rehabilitator can provide.