Pregnant???

Question
Hi,
I recently found a domsestic rabbit in my back yard.  After a week and a half of checking lost and founds, I think I have myself a bunny.  My question is: can you see movement in the stomach if the bunny is pregnant?  We have noticed that when she lies down and stretches out we can see something rolling around in her stomach area.  Now remember I have no history on this bunny, I don't even know if she is female.  I have been reading up on as much as I can about care, feeding etc... But this I was not prepared for.  Also if she was out for and extended period of time, could she get pregnant from a wild rabbit, we have many in the yard.  She was in pretty good shape when we caught her, except for some fur missing from the back of her neck and shoulders.
Any info you could give me would be appreciated.
Margaret

Answer
Hello,

Good for you for rescuing a rabbit in need!

Yes, the rabbit can absolutely reproduce with the wild population. And many times you can see movement. Since as you said you have no history on her, I would get her a nestbox right away and prepare for a potential pregnancy.

I'll going to include some links about nestboxes:
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/BuildingNestBoxes.htm
http://islandgems.net/nestbox2.html
http://www.woodyswabbits.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19
http://www.qualitycage.com/rabbitaccessories.html

The gestation period of a rabbit is 28-32 days. The visible movement would lead me to believe she is far along. However, to be on the safe side I would leave the nestbox in for the full period. If by the 34th day she has not had a litter, remove the nestbox.

Once, again without any history on her there is no telling what she was bred to or if she has had litters before. It is likely that she has not been in the wild long. Most domestic rabbits do not live more than a few days when released. However, it only takes rabbis a few minutes or even seconds to breed.

You might have a domestic/wild mix or she may have been bred and then released. In the case of babies, you will need to be prepared for potential problems. Wild rabbits are not domestic and do not belong in captivity. My suggestion would be to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center and explain the situation and ask for advice. They are trained to know what to do in such circumstances.

This is a bit unusual as they may be 100% domestic or 50-50. In the case of a wild mix (which seems most likely) as they grow the young are going to be very jumpy and scared. Even constant handling will not magically domesticate the young.

Good luck with this! It sounds like you have a lot on your hands. Feel free to ask any additional questions, I would love to help out more if needed.