The common confusion between a rabbit and a hare stems from their shared membership in the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, a group of mammals that also includes pikas. Both animals belong to the same family, Leporidae, but they are genetically distinct enough to be classified into different genera. Rabbits generally fall under several genera, such as Oryctolagus (European rabbit) and Sylvilagus (cottontails), while true hares are all members of the genus Lepus. This separation represents different evolutionary paths, leading to significant differences in physical characteristics, behavior, and reproductive strategies.
Distinct Physical Traits
Hares are larger and possess a more elongated, leaner body shape compared to the smaller, more compact form of a rabbit. A hare’s ears are notably longer, often featuring distinctive black tips, which aid in hearing predators and in dissipating body heat. Rabbits, by contrast, have proportionally shorter ears.
The structure of their hind legs reflects their primary escape strategies. Hares have significantly longer, more powerful hind legs, which enable them to achieve high speeds, sometimes exceeding 45 miles per hour, in open environments. Their locomotion is a bounding run, designed for sustained speed across fields. Rabbits have shorter hind legs, better suited for the quick, darting, and zigzagging movements necessary to evade predators near dense cover.
Hares have a coarse, longer coat, and some species, such as the Snowshoe Hare, exhibit seasonal color changes, turning white in winter for camouflage. Rabbit fur is softer and denser, and their coloration remains consistent year-round.
Habitat and Social Structure
Rabbits are social animals that live in organized communities, constructing extensive underground tunnel systems known as warrens. These burrows provide protection from predators and harsh weather, acting as a central refuge for the colony. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is known for this colonial, burrowing behavior.
Hares, in contrast, are solitary creatures, only pairing up briefly for mating. They do not dig burrows, instead preferring to live entirely above ground in open habitats like prairies and fields. A hare rests in a shallow, open depression in the ground called a “form,” relying on camouflage and their superior speed to escape danger.
Development of Young
Rabbits are born altricial, meaning their young, called kits or kittens, are born in a highly undeveloped state. Newborn rabbits are blind, hairless, and completely helpless, unable to regulate their own body temperature. They are born within the protected environment of the burrow and require extensive parental care for survival.
Hares follow a precocial development strategy. Their young, known as leverets, are born fully furred, with their eyes open, and are capable of movement shortly after birth. The longer gestation period of the hare (approximately 42 days compared to the rabbit’s 30 to 31 days) allows for this advanced development. Leverets are left alone in the shallow form, relying on their developed state and camouflage while the mother returns only briefly to nurse.