Wild Rabbit Burrows in our Yard

Question
My husband and I live in Nashville, TN, and we have a wooded area behind our home.  We have a fairly large wild rabbit population that seems to live in the woods and enjoys feasting on our backyard grass.  We welcome the bunnies and actually look forward to seeing them eating, playing, napping etc. around our backyard every evening.  Lately we have noticed a series of dirt paths (like little mounded trails) that run near the woodsy area, but also extend through the backyard and run parallel to the side of the house.  We're guessing these might be rabbit burrows, though we've not seen any openings or entry points to the series of paths (which all seem to be connected).  We've never seen any other small animals or rodents in the yard, nor any signs of any other animals.  If these are rabbit burrows, are they harmful to our home/foundation in any way?  Will having burrows that are closer (within 1-2 feet of the house's foundation) be harmful to the bunnies?  We're happy to have them stay, but we want to make sure they are safe and also that our house stays safe.  Please let me know if these do sound like rabbit burrows and if both the bunnies and house will remain safe if they continue to burrow in our yard.  Thanks in advance!

Answer
Dear L,

If you live in TN, then the wild rabbits you're enjoying are cottontails (Sylvilagus sp.), and these rabbits do not dig burrows, even to have their babies.  They live entirely above ground.  Only European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) dig burrows and extensive warrens.  If these are actually feral *domestic* rabbits, then they might be digging burrows around your property.

However, the type of signs you describe--raised mounds of dirt likely over tunnels--are not consistent with any type of rabbit burrow.  European rabbit burrows are very deep and wide, with many "chambers" that interconnect.  Other than the entrances/exits, there is no sign of the tunnels from above ground.

What you are likely seeing is the tunnels made by gophers.  You are not likely to see the rodents themselves, as they almost never come above ground.  

They won't harm your foundation, but they surely can wreak havoc with the lawn.  :)  As long as no one steps on a hole, breaks through and gets an ankle twisted, though, there's not much real danger.  Gophers are more of an aesthetic nuisance than a physically dangerous one.

Hope that helps.

Dana