If rabbits in the wild do not eat carrots, where do they get Vitamin A from?

Question

I've read somewhere online that wild rabbits do not actually eat carrots, and that it is also not recommended to give pet rabbits carrots. So, where are rabbits supposed to get their Vitamin A from? Obviously, they don't eat eggs or liver, which are two other biggest sources of Vitamin A.

Answer 1

Wild rabbits in a natural habitat would usually eat a great number of different plants, roots and seeds. And their digestive tracts are adapted to digesting large amounts (relative to body size) of plant material.

So the simple answer is that different plants have different amounts of vitamins and minerals in them and since rabbits eat a very varied diet, they get all their vitamins from the available grasses and herbs.

Thanks to user Allerleirauh for providing scientific data:

| herb      | amount of beta-carotine in |
|           | µg per 100g of dried herb  |
| parsley   | 13,871.00 | 
| dandelion | 22,268.00 |
| chervil   | 24,127.00 |
| dill      | 26,172.00 |
| sorrel    | 27,712.00 |
| carrot    | 34,820.00 |

source: kaninchenwiese.de

Pet rabbits in human care often don't have access to such a wide variety of plants, so they may lack in some nutrients. Feeding small amounts of carrots can help, but due to the high sugar content, carrots should always be considered treats, not as daily food items. As you can see in the table above, some herbs also have a high amount of beta-carotine and it's much better to feed pet rabbits lots of herbs instead on small pieces of carrot.

PetKeen sums it up:

For smaller rabbits, a few slices of carrot are more than enough; larger rabbits can enjoy more without ill consequences to their health. Whatever you do, don’t leave a whole carrot unattended around any rabbit – they will eat the whole thing without a second thought.