Why are rabbits nocturnal animals?

The term is not precise, however, as some crepuscular animals may also be active on a moonlit night or during an overcast day. The term matutinal is used for animals that are only active before dawn, and vespertine for those only active after sunset. The time of day an animal is active depends on a number of factors. read more

Rabbits have become crepuscular animals in time. They prefer to come out during the hours of sunrise and sunset because these are the times when the light is dim. In the wild, rabbits are most often hunted by animals such as foxes and owls. Foxes are diurnal animals, meaning they hunt during the day and owls are nocturnal. read more

Evolutionarily it was safest for rabbits to leave the safety of their burrow and forrage for food in the transition between day and night when the light is dim. This is the time when nocturnal (night) predators such as owls can't see well because of too much light, and when diurnal (day) predators such as foxes, can't see well because it is too dark. read more