Sea oat plant appears to have been eaten - thought they were critter resistant?

[Sweets777]

As shown in these pics, my sea oats plants have suddenly been leveled - they clearly look like they've been snacked on, right?

Anyone else experience this? I've heard that they're deer/rabbit "resistant" but this looks like the work of rabbits?

This must have happened over the last 5 days as that's when I last saw them looking healthy.

 

[Marck]

Grass is unusual fare for both deer and rabbits, but both animals are known to sample a wide variety of plants on occasion. If your inland Sea Oats or Wood Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) had particularly tender new growth, I could imagine it being eaten by either animal. After the grass clumps establish more on site, and produce harder, more fibrous leaves, I think the herbivory will decrease, at least as long as the deer and rabbits have some other food they like better.