We know about rabbits but fewer people know about hares.This is not because they are endangered or not famous, but because a lot of people think that rabbits and hares are the same species with two names. Now, that’s not true at all!Hares and rabbits might be similar looking because they are from the same order and family, but science has proved a lot of features, both physical and behavioral, that differentiate them. Hares are naturally wild animals that can be also kept as pets. But because their origin is in wild, they have this reflex of getting shocked if something happens. Even a pet hare will be shocked if suddenly something happens near them. And to add more to this, hares are less social and are mostly seen alone or in pairs. Bunnies or rabbits on the other hand are highly social and love to stay near humans. There are lots of differences between hares and rabbits and in this article, we shall know about it. So keep reading!And if you have loved reading this article, then also check these articles on the difference between frog and toad, and the difference between leopard and jaguar.What is a hare?Because they are look-alike species, one can generally think that hares are rabbits and rabbits are hares. But this is totally false! There are a lot of differences between rabbits and hares or may I say rabbits and hares are two different species. The difference between rabbits and hares is easy to find. A common difference between rabbits and hares is that hares are bigger in size than rabbits.Hares are animals that are very closely related to rabbits. Their looks are similar to a rabbit but they have lots of differences too. Hares belong to the class Mammalia, order Lagomorpha, family Leporidae, and genus Lepus. The scientific name of hares is Lepus timidus. Hare species are found in wild as well as can also live in captivity. Hares, or jackrabbits, are mammals whose habitat is spread across the continent of Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Hares are bigger in size and have some characteristic features that give them their identity. The longer ears of hares are like indicators that say that they are not rabbits. The long ears that are attached to the face are almost elongated in shape. Their body color or fur color is a mixture of different types of browns. Their back or the dorsal body is generally brown in color but has several dark brown to black spots. Their sides are golden brown in color and their underbody or ventral body is white in color. Hares are animals with short tails. The average length of a hare’s body is around 24-30 in (61-76.2 cm) and their body weight is around 11 lb (5 kg). Hares are extremely fast runners. They run away before you can completely spot them in wild. Hares are not that social in nature. Hares live either a solitary life or can be found in pairs. Hares can breed anytime. There is no specific mating or breeding season for hares. After mating, the female hare goes through a gestation period of around 44 days, and after that two to three baby hares are born. Their complete development happens and they are born with fur on their body. Even they can open their eyes and don’t stay completely dependent on their mother. Hares live on the ground and hide under leaves and trunks. These animals don’t create nests in burrows.What are rabbits?Rabbits are smaller than hares. A rabbit and a hare are similar-looking animal species but have striking differences too. Rabbits are more adorable and friendly and calm whereas hares are filled with anxiety. Hares get scared or shocked easily while rabbits show playful behavior. In the earlier question, we got the idea of what is a hare, now let’s discuss what is a rabbit.Rabbits are actually small hares with small ears and a cotton ball body. There are around 305 breeds of rabbit in this world out of which many are wild rabbits. Out of this vast genera, the genus Sylvilagus has 13 species and out of which around seven are cottontail. Rabbits in general are extremely cute and cuddly. Rabbits are also known as bunnies. Bunnies were mainly inhabitants of Europe and later were introduced in all continents. Rabbits prefer being in a stable climate. Rabbits or bunnies are mammals in the order Lagomorpha and family Leporidae. Bunnies nest in burrows and also live there. Rabbits have good social behavior and their breeding season lies in the summer. Very few rabbits breed in winter. Rabbits start breeding at the arrival of spring. After breeding, female rabbits go through a gestation period of around 30-35 days. Actually, there are so many species of this animal present in the wild that it becomes a bit confusing to tell the exact gestation period. Some rabbits have a gestation period around 25-30 days, some have around 30-35 days and some have around 35-40 days. After the gestation period rabbits give birth to around five kittens in their nests, young and baby rabbits are called kittens. Baby rabbits take birth in an incomplete form and stay underground. They are devoid of fur and can’t open their eyes. They take some time after their birth to get the proper development. Rabbits can be of different colors. They can be pure black, brown, or white and can also be mixtures of these colors. Male rabbits are a bit bold-looking. Their skull is round and a bit elongated. They have a cuddly body with strong hind legs. Their hands are smaller if compared to their legs. Their body length is around 12-16 in (30.5-40.6 cm) and their body weight is around 1.1-6.6 lb (0.5-3 kg).Differences In Physical FeaturesA lot of people get confused between a rabbit and a hare. But if you look closely, it is easy to tell the difference between hares and rabbits. Hares and rabbits may be similar-looking animal species but have both physical differences and differences in behavior. One of the differences is that a rabbit or a bunny is more social than a hare. In this section, we shall discuss more such differences that will help you in differentiating between rabbits and hares.Both rabbits and hares are extremely cute and adorable. A lot of people think that rabbit and hare are two different names of the same species but that’s absolutely wrong. Though they are from the same order and family they are completely different species. The most common difference that you will notice is their size. Hares are bigger than rabbits. A hare is around 24-30 in (61-76.2 cm) long while a rabbit is around 12-16 in (30.5-40.6 cm). And if we differentiate between their weight, then a hare’s weight is around 11 lb (5 kg) and a rabbit’s weight is around 1.1-6.6 lb (0.5-3 kg). Hares can be spotted with the help of their long ears. Both hares and rabbits have long ears but hare’s ears are way longer. And even a lot of rabbit species have round short ears. Hares, also known as jackrabbits, can run at a great speed. Jackrabbit running speed is around 37.3-44.7 mph (60-72 kph) which is way faster than a rabbit. Actually, hares have strong hind legs which give them this speed. Hares and rabbits also differ in fur color. A hare is generally brown. They have a brown body with dark spots on their back. But rabbits can have different colors depending on the species. A rabbit can generally be purely white or black or brown. They can be multicolored also like black and white or black and brown or maybe a mixture of these colors. Not just rabbits and hares, but their young ones are also completely different. Rabbit babies when born are devoid of fur and can’t open their eyes. These babies lie on their nests and depend on their mothers for everything. Young rabbits are called kittens and young hares are called leverets. While on the other hand, leverets are born with all complete features.Similarities Between Hare And A RabbitHares and rabbits are related species that have several differences yet similarities too. Their features are all same, just the hare size of those features are different. Both hares and rabbits are leporids that are commonly found in European and North American countries. Hare are less social than rabbits.It is true that hares and rabbits are two different species but they have similarities too. Both of them are species from the same family. Both hares and rabbits are in the order Lagomorpha and family Leporidae. Both of them have striking resemblances too. The most common thing is that they look closely identical. Well, a lot of people think that they are the same species with just two names. Well, that’s not true though! The fun part is that these two animals have similarities and differences attached, like hares and rabbits both are good runners but hares are more anxious so they run faster than rabbits. Both hares and rabbits are ground-dwelling animals and both have various predators that are behind their life. There are ground predators like foxes, wild cats, and even snakes and aerial predators like hawks and owls. There are a lot of species of hares and rabbits in this world. Another similarity is their breeding season. Well, technically both rabbits and hares can breed throughout the year but they choose not to breed in the winter. Most of their breeding happens in spring actually. Both rabbits and hares eat green veggies and grass. For fiber, they depend on hay and grass, and for nutrients, they depend on veggies and fruits. Both rabbits and hares are adorable pets and can live happily with humans. Hares and rabbits are some of the cutest animals in the world. Well, there are some confusions that people have about them. Firstly, rabbits and hares are just related in looks, genetically they are different so they don’t mate with each other. And secondly, rabbits and bunnies are the same. So there is no difference between rabbits and bunnies.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the difference between a hare and a rabbit then why not take a look at the difference between ox and bull, or rabbit facts?
We know about rabbits but fewer people know about hares.
