Unlike rodents, you’re not likely to find a bunny in your home unless it’s a pet. However, these critters can be a real nuisance in the garden. Being able to spot their pellets before they cause extensive damage to your plants and vegetables is therefore extremely important.
Keep reading to learn how to correctly identify rabbit droppings and what your next steps should be.
What Does Rabbit Poop Look Like?
The good news is that rabbits make poop identification a breeze. Their short digestive tracts mean a bunny will often poop while they’re still eating or soon after, leaving telltale signs that they’re to blame for those nibble marks.
Shape and Size
If you want an easy way to identify rabbit droppings, just bring a chickpea or pea with you to the scene of the crime. Rabbit droppings are almost perfectly spherical and will be within the size range of those two edibles.
And as a rabbit leaves uniform-sized poop, you can tell if there’s more than one based on whether the pellets vary in size. However, small bunnies can leave larger droppings and big bunnies can leave smaller ones, so the pellet size doesn’t dictate the culprit’s size.
On occasion, two pellets may come out stuck together. And if the rabbit ingested too much fur, you may find several strung together like pearls. A second, entirely different type of poop also exists, but we’ll discuss that in detail later.
Color and Consistency
Rabbit droppings tend to be a medium to dark brown, often based on what they were eating last. The hue can change as they dry out.
The exterior is mostly smooth, with the interior being filled with partially digested food. If you’ve ever seen manure paper (usually made from processed horse manure), you’ll have an idea of what the pellets can look like if crushed.
In some circumstances, a rabbit can come down with diarrhea. This is usually due to disease or an infection as opposed to something they ate. If you spot a wild rabbit with the runs, it’s best to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center for advice rather than attempting to capture the animal yourself.
What’s In It?
Rabbits primarily eat roughage, such as grasses or loose leaves. This is reflected when you break open a pellet, as rabbits don’t have time to properly digest their food before it plops back out.
In many ways, this is a survival mechanism, similar to how cows have multiple stomachs. The droppings are only partially digested, so a rabbit can go back to them later as a backup food source full of vitamins and minerals. Of course, their regular pellets are usually only eaten if the rabbit doesn’t have time to graze.
Smell
Rabbit poop has next to no scent that we can detect, although you might pick up a faint whiff of cut grass if you examine it closely. Any detectable odor tends to come from the bunny’s urine, which is a lot stronger.
Location
Rabbits are rapid processing machines. It doesn’t take long for that piece of alfalfa to go from their mouth to the ground under their butt. As a result, rabbits will often poop while they’re eating or while on the move.
And considering they can produce up to 200 pellets (in addition to another type of poop) every day, it should be no surprise that your garden can look like a Pac-Man level after just one day.
The Joy of Cecotropes
In addition to their normal droppings, rabbits have a secondary type of poop. Known as cecotropes, these tiny pellets come in clusters and are a rare find despite being quite normal.
The rabbit has an organ known as a cecum, which is full of symbiotic bacteria and fungi. Indigestible food enters the cecum where it’s broken down by the microorganisms. The resulting smaller, softer pellets are now digestible and full of nutrients.
As disgusting as the idea of eating your own poop may be, rabbits often consume these cecotropes directly as they’re produced. Yum.
Cecotropes tend to be produced more in the evening, and will also be more frequent if the rabbit has had too much sugar in their meal. On the rare occasion you spot this type of poop, it will resemble a tiny bunch of grapes, be dark brown in color, and have a slight sheen due to a mucous coating.
Rabbit Poop vs Other Animal Droppings
Comparison Chart
| Animal | Size | Shape | Contents | Odor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit | 1/4" to 3/8" diameter | Round pellets | Plant matter/rouphage | Mild or no smell |
| Bat | 1/8" to 1/2" long | Tubular, segmented | Insect debris for insectivores, seeds for fruit bats, or dried blood for vampire bats | Pungent, musky |
| Chipmunk | 1/4" to 3/8" long | Cylindrical with tapered ends | Berries, seeds, plant matter | Mild, earthy smell |
| Coyote | 3-5" long, 0.75-1.5" diameter | Twisted rope w/ segments, tapered ends | Fur, bones, seeds, grass, nuts, fruits, berries | Variable, can be strong |
| Domestic Cat | 1" long, 1/2" diameter | Segmented | Less likely to contain food remnants | Pungent, distinct odor |
| Fox | 2-3" long, 1/2" diameter | Rope-like or twisted, segmented, tapered ends | Fur, bones, or other prey remnants | Slightly pungent |
| Goose | 2-3" long, 1/2" diameter | Tubular, may spread due to liquid urates | Grass and other plant matter, berries | Usually mild |
| Mouse | 1/8" to 1/4" long | Cylindrical with tapered ends | Fruit, seeds, insects | Slight musky |
| Opossum | 1-2" long, 3/4" diameter | Elongated, tubular, slight curve | Fruits, insects, and other soft foods | Mild odor |
| Raccoon | 2-3" long, 3/4" diameter | Tubular, segmented | Seeds, berries, garbage, or debris | Mild odor |
| Skunk | 1-2" long, 1/2" diameter | Tubular, segmented | Seeds, insect parts, fur, or feathers | Slight musky |
| Snake | 1-12" long, 0.4-1.6" diameter | Smooth, oblong, soft or runny | Fur, bones, feathers, or other prey remnants | Faint odor to pungent |
| Squirrel | 3/8" long, 1/8" diameter | Oblong pellets | May contain traces of wood or nuts | Mild, earthy smell |
Are Rabbit Pellets Dangerous?
Surprisingly, rabbit droppings are among the safest you’ll ever encounter. They aren’t known to be disease vectors, and any parasites will usually only infest rabbits. Not that you shouldn’t wash your hands after touching a pellet, of course.
The sole exception is a microscopic fungus known as E. cuniculi. Harmless to the average adult or child, this fungus can cause issues for those with an impaired immune system.
Property Damage
Unbelievably, while a rabbit’s urine may cause stains, the poop is completely harmless and easy to clean up. Even better, it’s actually great for the garden!
What to Do If You Find Rabbit Droppings
Unlike most types of poop we’ve covered, rabbit pellets are both harmless and useful. Of course, you might want to deal with the critter creating them if they’re becoming a problem.
- Pick up the pellets. They’re safe for handling (but why would you want to?), so a paper towel is sufficient.
- When picking up the pellet, avoid applying pressure unless you intend to crush it. They may look solid, but can be broken apart without much effort.
- Dispose of the pellets in the trash.
- If you have a garden, consider burying the pellets or adding them to your compost. They’re jam packed with nutrients, making them a perfect fertilizer option, albeit one available in very small quantities.
- Grab a Clorox wipe or squirt the area with any old disinfectant spray if the pellet was on your deck or another surface. While the pellet poses no risk, a little wipe-up after will clear up any urine and remove the scent so potential predators won’t think you have a bunny buffet.
Rabbit Poop FAQs
Do rabbit droppings change with the seasons?
Absolutely! While the shape and size remain fairly consistent, what goes into a rabbit’s pellets definitely changes with the seasons.
Spring and summer droppings tend to be greener and moister due to all that fresh vegetation, while fall and winter pellets might be darker and drier as rabbits switch to bark, twigs, and whatever else they can scrounge up when the snow starts falling.
Can I tell if I have baby rabbits from their poop?
You sure can! Baby bunnies (kits) produce pellets that are noticeably smaller than adult droppings (picture them more like small lentils than a peas). Finding these mini-pellets can be a dead giveaway that you’ve got a rabbit nursery nearby. Just remember that rabbit families grow up fast, so those tiny pellets will size up to adult versions in just a few weeks.
How can rabbit droppings help me protect my garden?
Think of rabbit pellets as little clues. By tracking where you find concentrations of droppings, you can identify rabbit highways, entry points, and favorite dining spots.
Once you know where they’re coming and going, you can focus your protective fencing or repellents in those specific areas instead of trying to bunny-proof your entire property.
Can I use rabbit poop directly as fertilizer without composting?
Most definitely. Unlike many other animal manures, rabbit pellets can go straight into your garden beds without composting first. They won’t burn plants and break down quickly, releasing their nutrients.
Many gardeners call rabbit droppings “cold manure” for this very reason. Just sprinkle them around your plants or work them into the soil for a nutrient boost.
How long do rabbit droppings take to decompose?
Those little pellets break down remarkably fast! Under normal garden conditions, rabbit droppings will disappear within 1-2 months, faster if it’s warm and rainy. By the time your lettuce is ready to harvest, those pellets from early spring will have completely melted away into plant food.
Does finding rabbit poop mean you have a rabbit infestation?
Not necessarily. A few pellets here and there might just mean a rabbit passed through. However, if you’re finding piles of droppings daily along with chewed plants, you’ve likely got regular rabbit visitors.
Remember, one rabbit can produce around 200-300 pellets per day, so the quantity can help you estimate how many fuzzy freeloaders are frequenting your yard.
Morgan is a certified entomologist and pest control consultant and a member of the National Pest Management Association.
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