What is the difference between Rabbit and Hare?

Hares and rabbits may look the same, but they are two different animals. Hares are larger than rabbits and are also quicker than rabbits. The newborn hares are covered with a thick coat of fur, and the young hares are often called leverets, while the young rabbit is often nicknamed bunny.

Mother rabbits are very protective of their young, and they create perfectly made nests that are built from grass, stems, and tree bark. The mother will spread a layer of her fur over them, which she takes from her own body. The fur is wrapped around the bunny carefully and with tender loving care. The brown color of the rabbit fur that coats them in the summer turns grey in the winter.

On the other hand, Hares typically live in the colder regions and turn white in the winter, so it is a source of disguise from predators if it is snowing. The hares hide among plants, and they are often skittish and tend to take off when predators confront them, and the males try to woo females as they compete for their attention. The winner of the group gets to mate with most of the females within the group.

Rabbits feed on softer material, while hares consume more challenging items. Hares are strictly wild animals that live free in the outdoors, while rabbits are often kept as pets. Rabbits are brought to life in Beatrix Potter’s children’s stories, such as Peter Rabbit, while the Tortoise and the Hare is a popular old fable by Aesop’s fables.

A misconception of people is assuming that rabbits and hares are the same. They are not the same. In fact, in terms of size, hares are known to be bigger as compared to rabbits. Hares are also faster runners, probably because they have longer legs as compared to rabbits. When it comes to their diets, they are almost the same. Rabbits and hares are herbivores, so the food that they want to consume may not vary too much. There are a lot of rabbits that are already domesticated, which means that they can live in enclosed spaces. This is different from hares that are used to living in the wild. They have to be wary of predators because there is always a chance that they will become prey to bigger animals.

The difference between the rabbit and the hare lies in their appearance and habits. Hares are bigger than rabbits, and they are also faster due to their longer hind legs, which allows them to achieve a more impressive hopping distance. Newborn hares are covered with a full coat of fur, while a rabbit is born hairless.

A young rabbit is also called a bunny, while a young hare is called a leveret. A young rabbit is born to the mother rabbit, and they nest in an exclusive pile of grass, tender stems, and tree bark they have constructed, which forms a soft cushion, and the mother spreads a layer of her fur to make the nest for her young. Hares, on the other hand, are born independent and their mother feels confident to leave them to fend for themselves.

A hare, in a sense, is a wild animal, and they are typically not kept as pets. The brown coloration of the rabbit is characteristic of the traditional rabbit, whose fur changes to gray in the summer. The hares that generally populate the cold regions turn snow-white in the winter. Rabbits are nocturnal, as they are mostly awake from dusk to dawn. Rabbits bury their heads down in the burrows, while hares typically hide among the plants away from predators.

When it comes to size, they are already different from each other. The hare is normally bigger than the rabbit. They are also a bit different in terms of appearance. At first glance, they may normally look the same. If you would check them, you will notice that the hare will have longer ears and legs.

They can also run faster as compared to rabbits. Take note that rabbits and hares will not naturally mate with each other, especially when they are in their natural habitat. When they are not in their natural habitat, they may mate with each other, but there is no guarantee that baby rabbits are formed.

Hares and rabbits are two types of animals. They are often confused with each other because they come from the same type of family. They belong to the family Leporidae. Though they belong to the same family, they come from two different species. Another difference between them is related to their pregnancy. When a hare is pregnant, it can be pregnant for 42 days. The pregnancy of a rabbit is much short, lasting about 30 days. Along with their pregnancies, they differ in how they make their homes. A rabbit lives under group, and they make their homes in burrows. On the contrary, hares live above ground.