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Hares and Jackrabbits are herbivorous mammals (true Hares) belonging to the genus Lepus, a
member of the family Leporidae; a family that also contains Rabbits. Hares are found across the globe
in, North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They have also been introduced into South America, New
Zealand, and Australia. A Jackrabbit* is not a rabbit, but a nickname used exclusively in North
America for Hares. The largest of the Hare species is believed to be the ‘true’ European hare at around
60 to 75 cm in length and between 3 to 5 kg in
weight. The smallest is known to be the Snow-
shoe hare around 413 to 518 mm in length and
1.43 to 1.55 kg in weight.

*When early Americans first encountered
the hare, its long ears and boxing behaviour, led
them to nickname it — they thought it was a
rabbit — ‘jackass rabbit’. The name caught on

and began to appear in printed publications.
However, 19 century prudence soon prevailed,
th
and the name was quickly shortened to
‘jackrabbit’.

Hares are easily distinguishable from rab-
bits. They are generally much larger than rabbits,
they have longer ears and they have longer more
powerful hind legs. They have dark spots or
Genus Lepus markings on their fur and their tails are longer.
(True Hares) They are also much faster than rabbits, with
Antelope jackrabbit, most species capable of reaching a speed of
Snowshoe hare, 50km/h over short distances, while the European hare can sustain a speed of
Arctic hare, 55km/h over a much longer distance. The American Jackrabbits are said to be
Alaskan hare, able to reach a speed of 65 km/h over much greater distances then their Euro-
Mountain hare, pean counterparts. Unlike rabbits, Hares have never been domesticated,
Black jackrabbit, though some may cite the tamed Belgian hare as an example of hare domesti-
Desert hare, city; however, it is not a hare, it’s a rabbit bred to look like a hare.
Tolai hare,
Broom hare, Hares inhabit grasslands and arable fields, usually close to sheltered are-
Yunnan hare, as around the edges of forests, woodlands or large hedgerows. They live soli-
Korean hare, tary lives, but are sometimes seen in pairs. They do not congregate in large
European hare, groups but will come together in small groups in late winter and during court-
Manchurian hare, ship. They do not burrow, they rest, sleep, and give birth in shallow depres-
Ethiopian highland hare, sions above ground, or a flattened nest of grass up to 10cm deep, known as a
Ethiopian hare, ‘form’. Male Hares are known as ‘bucks, females, ’does,’ a year old juvenile,
African savanna hare, ‘leveret’ and a group, ‘drove’.
Hainan hare,
Indian hare, Hares are herbivores, living on grasses, cereals and many different ara-
Burmese hare, ble crops. They will also gnaw and browse shrubs and bushes during the win-
Yarkand hare, ter months. They do this, not only for winter food, but because they are lago-
Tamaulipas jackrabbit, morphs. Lagomorphs are a small group of herbivorous animals (Rabbits,
Japanese hare, Hares, Pikas,) that have two pairs of upper incisors that never stop growing.
Black-tailed jackrabbit, To arrest this continuous growth they need to constantly gnaw and chew.
White-sided jackrabbit,
Cape hare, Hares have little physical defence against predators, they depend more
Corsican hare, on their speed and their remarkable jumping abilities. The American jackrab-
Tehuantepec jackrabbit, bit, for instance, is known to be able to jump 3 metres into the air. What ani-
Granada hare, mals prey on the hare will depend on where in the world the hare resides. In
Abyssinian hare, general, predators could be large cats, the fox, predatory birds, and of course
Woolly hare, man. However, it’s the hares antics during mating season that inspire the
West Sahara hare, most comments. This is the time when two hares can be seen having what
Scrub hare, looks like a boxing match. This is not two males fighting. These boxing bouts
White-tailed jackrabbit, are instigated by the female. As a hopeful male approaches, she rises up and
Bugsbunny jackrabbit, throws the first punch. It’s her way of telling the amorous male, ‘I’m not in the
mood’