tomhw100 Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 hi guys me and my mate were having another debate the other day about rabbits eating bark obviously rabbits,squirrels and deer all damage trees especially young ones but do they actually eat the bark or just clean there teeth or antlers with it? Cheers Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 they eat it, hence they do it when there isn't much else to eat and to make up nutritional lackings at certain times of year. This year has been bad because of the length of time snow was on the ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 And it also helps to wear down their teeth. Rabbits teeth grow throughout their lives and if they don't chew on something substantial the teeth will get long and bothersome. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZ550Kevlar Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 hi guys me and my mate were having another debate the other day about rabbits eating bark obviously rabbits,squirrels and deer all damage trees especially young ones but do they actually eat the bark or just clean there teeth or antlers with it? Cheers Tom They eat it as a food source and as a way of keeping the teeth down due to constantly growing, i`m sure someone on here will be along with the scientific term for the family of creatures with constantly growing teeth but it includes rats etc. The worst problem with this eating frenzy is rabbits in an apple orchard, given half the chance they destroy roots and strip trunks etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bothbarrels Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_rabbits_eat_...bark_off_a_tree theres your answer! BB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Got a new permission last night,few acres of dead trees in what was a young orchard before rabbits ate bark all round every tree during all the snow we had,have seen quite a bit of this recently as thats all they could eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 They eat it. In one area in particular that I ferret the rabbits have stripped the bark from small hawthorne's around their burrows. I wasn't aware that their teeth grew constantly throughout their lifes , learn something new everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyr8 Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 squirrels,rats mice all do it.get squirrels in your loft and they can destroy your wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted February 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 squirrels,rats mice all do it.get squirrels in your loft and they can destroy your wiring. cheers fella's im an electrician by trade and i seen loads of cables chewed by rats,mice and squirrels my mate caught 4 squirells out f another mates loft in a live trap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colster Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 i`m sure someone on here will be along with the scientific term for the family of creatures with constantly growing teeth but it includes rats etc. Rodents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Except rabbits aren't rodents. They are lagomorphae, family leporidae (rabbits and hares). Both orders have the same penchant for growing teeth. Thanks, Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colster Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I stand corrected - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagomorpha Thanks for that, well worth a read CharacteristicsLagomorphs differ from rodents in that: they have four incisors in the upper jaw (not two, as in the Rodentia); they are almost wholly herbivorous (unlike rodents, many of which will eat both meat and vegetation; the few recorded exceptions within the Lagomorpha occur among members of both Lepus and Ochotona, and involve the occasional foraging for carrion as a supplementary winter food source);[4][5][6] the male's scrotum is in front of the penis (unlike rodents', which is behind); and the penis contains no bone (baculum), unlike in rodents. However, they resemble rodents in that their teeth grow throughout their life, thus necessitating constant chewing to keep them from growing too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.