Hares, which belong to the genus Lepus, are medium-sized mammals distinguished from rabbits by their precocial young and solitary lifestyle. These animals are born with fur and open eyes, ready to move shortly after birth. The lifespan of a hare is highly variable, largely depending on whether it lives in the wild or in a protected environment. While a hare has the biological potential to live for over a decade, the overall range of life expectancy in nature is often much shorter, typically falling between one and twelve years.
Expected Lifespan in Natural Habitats
The average lifespan for hares in their natural environments is significantly lower than their potential maximum. For many common species, such as the European Hare (Lepus europaeus), the average adult survival time is only about two to three years. This short average reflects the intense pressures of the wild, which often prevent individuals from reaching older ages.
The maximum recorded lifespan in the wild is far greater, with some individuals of species like the European Hare documented to live up to 12.5 years. This wide statistical difference between the average and the maximum demonstrates that while a hare’s body is capable of long-term survival, external factors frequently intervene. For the Desert Hare (Lepus tibetanus), for example, many individuals are lost before they reach one year of age, yet a few have been known to survive for up to five years.
For species that experience population cycles, such as the Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus), longevity is often tied to the boom-and-bust cycle of their primary predators. Even in periods of relative abundance, the majority of hares do not survive past a few breeding seasons.
Major Causes of Mortality
The primary reason for the short average lifespan in hares is the high rate of extrinsic mortality, meaning death caused by external forces. Predation is the most substantial and constant threat, especially for young hares, which are highly vulnerable. Key predators include the Red Fox, coyotes, bobcats, and large raptors like eagles and hawks, which hunt hares both day and night.
Predation rates can be highly seasonal, with red fox predation often peaking during the spring when other small prey items are less abundant, making hares a major component of the fox diet. Hares are cursorial, relying on bursts of speed up to 72 kilometers per hour and evasive maneuvers to escape, but this defense mechanism is often insufficient against a determined predator. A lack of adequate physical cover, such as dense hedges or tall grass, drastically increases a hare’s exposure and risk of being taken.
Infectious diseases and parasites pose a significant threat to wild populations. Hares are susceptible to bacterial infections like tularemia, which is highly fatal, and pasteurellosis. They also contract parasitic conditions, notably coccidiosis, which affects the digestive tract and can be particularly devastating to young animals.
Viral threats include the European Brown Hare Syndrome (EBHS), a calicivirus that causes high mortality, and the more recently emerging Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2). Environmental stress, such as harsh winters or prolonged drought, contributes to mortality by limiting access to forage. Nutritional stress from a lack of adequate food resources weakens the immune system, making a hare more susceptible to pathogens in the environment.
How Captivity Affects Longevity
Removing a hare from the constant external threats of the wild significantly changes its life expectancy. In controlled environments, such as specialized rescues or zoos, hares are protected from predation and the unpredictable severity of weather. This protection allows them to reach their natural biological potential for aging.
The average lifespan of a hare in captivity often exceeds ten years, with maximum recorded ages for species like the European Hare reaching over 10.7 years. This extended longevity is a direct result of mitigating the high extrinsic mortality factors that dominate a wild hare’s existence. Providing consistent, high-quality nutrition eliminates the risk of starvation or malnourishment, which is a common stressor in nature.
Controlled veterinary care also plays a substantial role by managing or preventing the parasitic and bacterial infections that are rampant in the wild. The ability to intervene with medical treatment for injuries or illnesses allows hares to survive conditions that would be fatal in their native habitat.