Igor Nikolaev
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Many of us have never even really thought about how a hare differs from a rabbit. Moreover, the vast majority believes that the rabbit is a domesticated hare.
In other words, many people think that wild hares run around in the forest, and their domesticated relatives live on farms. Let's say right away that this is a very widespread misconception. Although rabbits belong to the order Lagomorpha, there are simply no domestic hares.
The hare and rabbit, despite their external similarity, are completely different animals.
Not only are they similar appearance- and they have a similar nutritious diet, they have the same natural enemies, from which they escape in the same way (weaving while fleeing and trying to hide as much as possible). However, these are all similar features. As for the differences between these two types, there are many more of them. So what is the difference between a hare and a rabbit?
Hares can be found in almost every corner globe. Hares spread mainly throughout the world from the territory of the European continent, traveling together with people across the seas and oceans of our planet. However, there is a continent on which there are simply no hares. This is Australia. But there are a huge number of wild rabbits in this country, and they pose a serious threat to agriculture and the ecology of this green continent.
The world's largest population of wild rabbits lives in North America. IN South America There are also quite a lot of these animals, and they were introduced by North American colonists. Wild rabbits live in other parts of the world, but they are practically absent in Eurasia. On our continent they are all domestic animals, but in the wild their niche is occupied by hares.
Lifestyle Differences
Hares, as a rule, are loners. They never gather in herds. Moreover, they don’t even live in pairs.
In addition, the habitat of each hare is quite extensive, since, unlike rabbits, they do not dig burrows and live wherever they need to.
What makes a rabbit different is its settled nature.
These animals constantly dig holes for themselves, to which they become strongly attached. In these dwellings they give birth to and feed their offspring, live in large families and prefer to spend a lot of time in the family circle.
Rabbits constantly improve, expand and improve their holes, taking their “home” very seriously.
Differences in appearance
Since the lifestyle of these species differs quite significantly, their appearance also has very significant differences. The main similarities between rabbits and hares are: long ears, a short tail, strong limbs and a specific tooth structure. However, there are much more differences (although they are not particularly noticeable to a superficial glance):
- rabbits are much smaller than hares;
- The color of rabbits remains unchanged throughout their entire life, but hares are able to change their color depending on what time of year it is (usually in spring and summer, hares have a gray coat, and in winter its color changes to white);
- The length of the ears of rabbits is shorter than that of hares, since their burrowing lifestyle forces them to spend a lot of time in a confined space;
- the structure of the limbs of these animals is also different; hares have to jump and run a lot and often, so their legs are longer than rabbits; but the paws of rabbits are better adapted for digging holes and underground passages.
Although both hares and rabbits belong to the same biological order - lagomorphs, it is impossible to cross them with each other and produce offspring.
In addition, the breeding season for hares is six months (mid-spring - mid-autumn). Rabbits breed year-round, without taking breaks during the winter.
The duration of gestation for these eared pseudo-relatives also varies. A female rabbit carries her cubs for no more than one month, and a female hare’s pregnancy lasts for one and a half months (about 45 days).
The difference between these animals is especially noticeable if you look at the offspring they bring.
Rabbits are born blind, deaf, completely naked and completely helpless.
They really need constant care and care from the rabbit, without which they simply die. In addition, a female rabbit will never accept other people's cubs for feeding (if this instinct is not suppressed by appropriate selection). Some domestic rabbits are able to feed other people's rabbits if they are introduced to her at the age of no more than five to seven days. Otherwise, she will simply eat someone else’s offspring.
What’s different about newborn bunnies is that they are already fully formed. At birth, they are already covered with hair, hear and see perfectly, and almost immediately after birth they can eat food typical of an adult diet.
It’s not even a stretch to call a hare a good mother. Having given birth to offspring, she almost always abandons them to their fate. Sometimes a grief-stricken mother's maternal feelings awaken, and then she feeds the first rabbits she comes across, most often strangers. Her own cubs are most often fed by outside females.
The rabbit began to differ from the hare in ancient times.
It is impossible to tame a hare.
The main features that confirm the fact that hares cannot be called rabbits and vice versa include such indicators as a characteristic way of life, life processes, habits and the process of raising offspring. Today, hares can be found on almost all continents. Animals were brought to other countries by Europeans who were exploring the oceans and new lands many years ago.
As for rabbits, the largest population of these animals is represented in North America. They also live in small numbers on the neighboring continent. But on the territory of Eurasia, their small number is completely compensated by hares.
Appearance
When assessing the appearance of animals, it is not immediately possible to understand exactly how they differ. After all, both species are characterized by rather long ears, a small tail, strong lower limbs and a special shape of teeth. However, the hare is characterized by a much larger size. It is also worth noting that it changes its color depending on the time of year: in winter the animal’s fur becomes lighter, and in summer it becomes darker and more motley.
The most important difference- these are limbs. In the hare they are stronger and longer, since the animal is forced to constantly move and covers quite significant distances for most of its life.
The rabbit is also characterized by relatively large ears, but they are more delicate and neat. This is due to the fact that the animal is much more often in confined spaces. In most cases, rabbits have short legs with powerful pads and claws that are ideal for making burrows.
Way of life
Meet at wild conditions It is simply impossible for a hare to choose to live with other individuals of its own species. This is due to the fact that they are loners. As for rabbits, they make homes for themselves in the form of burrows. Here animals live as whole families, spending a huge amount of time together. Rabbits become very attached to their own homes and leave them only in emergency situations.
With an increase in offspring, rabbits constantly expand and improve their burrows, creating suitable conditions for offspring. As a result, their underground palaces resemble a very intricate system of labyrinths and passages. Here, each animal and its family has its own room.
Animal Reproduction
The process of reproduction is another difference that requires special attention. Hares are able to give birth only under favorable weather conditions. That is why they reproduce exclusively from mid-spring until a serious cold snap, which occurs closer to the second part of autumn.
Considering the fact that rabbits use cozy burrows as homes and live in comfortable climatic conditions, it becomes quite obvious that they can breed all year round. The difference also concerns the period required for normal intrauterine development of the fetus. The birth of a new generation of hares occurs 45 days after the female is fertilized. As for female rabbits, a month is enough for them to achieve a similar result.
Relation to offspring
A huge difference lies in the condition of the offspring at the time of birth. Baby rabbits cannot do without their mother's care. They have no fur at all and cannot see or hear. The female rabbit is pre-preparing for the birth of the babies and is busy creating normal conditions for their growth and development in the burrow.
As for rabbit mothers, they do not take care of their own children. This is largely due to the fact that rabbits are born fully adapted to adult life. They have no problems with vision or hearing, and their bodies are completely covered with fur. Just a few days after birth, babies can eat solid food. They do not need any special care and adapt well to new conditions.
It should be noted that rabbits have an extremely developed maternal instinct, but they are only capable of caring for their own offspring. If a female rabbit encounters someone else's baby rabbit, which is more than 7 days old, she simply eats it. But an adult hare can feed someone else’s little bunny if she accidentally meets him. And this is another significant difference between a rabbit and a hare.
Behavior and character
Today you can meet rabbits not only on farms, but also in city apartments. These animals are accustomed to leading a fairly calm and sedentary lifestyle, even in the wild. As a result, the very first attempts were crowned with success. As for hares, they are not tamed, but they have attractive and valuable fur, which is widely used in the creation of a wide variety of products. Therefore, in order to obtain very tasty and healthy meat, as well as skin, hares are of interest for hunting.
At the same time, observing the hare and its behavior, it was possible to conclude that the animal is in no way adapted to life in captivity. All attempts to tame this beast did not bring positive results. In addition to the fact that hares are accustomed to free movement, they react extremely negatively to prolonged stays with other representatives of their species.
Photo gallery
Video “What are the differences between a hare and a rabbit”
The video shows many photographs of rabbits and hares, from which you can find out what main features distinguish these animals.
Domestic rabbits are domesticated hares. Rabbit breeders with different regions Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and America crossed the largest hares caught on their land with each other, the babies grew up in captivity. Thus, animals began to appear that had greater meat and fur productivity than wild hares. These were the first rabbits.
Interesting fact! The name "Rabbit" comes from the Polish word "Krolik", which is a diminutive of "Krol" - king. Due to their rapid growth, reproduction, tasty meat, warm fur and low nutritional requirements, the poor population of Poland and throughout Europe considered rabbits to be the kings of farm animals. That's how the name stuck.
Housing
It is difficult for hares to survive in the wild. They need to constantly roam in search of food and shelter from predatory animals, which is why most wild lagomorphs do not have permanent shelter. Rabbits do not need to find food or shelter, since everything they need is provided by the rabbit breeder.
Therefore, rabbits rarely leave their burrows or cages, even after successfully escaping from the hands of a rabbit breeder. If a pet runs away, it will most likely die due to lack of food, cold, or animals wanting food. delicious meat. But this is not the only difference between them.
Gastrointestinal tract
The digestive system of rabbits and hares is almost identical, the exception is that in “savages” it works much faster due to constant movement. The rabbit spends most of its time in a cage. Such fast work of the esophagus negatively affects wild animals, which is why hares do not live more than 2 years. In retaliation for this, the hares received strong immunity and easily tolerate diseases. Which are considered lethal for rabbits.
Body structure and color
The legs and ears of rabbits are much smaller and shorter; this change occurred due to the “uselessness” of rabbits running away from a large predator or listening to the steps of a predator while grazing in a meadow.
Externally, the heads of the animals are also different. Hares have a more elongated muzzle, while a rabbit's head is wide and high. What caused this change is not clear. After 2 weeks of life, the baby rabbit is covered with thick wool of a certain color, this color will remain with him for the rest of his life, but the color of the hare’s “coat” changes regularly depending on the time of year.
The hare and rabbit are the fastest maturing warm-blooded animals in the world. They grow and reproduce quickly. The difference between them can be seen after birth. Rabbits are born “naked” and blind, and at first they can only feed on their mother’s milk.
The rabbits are born covered in fluff and sighted, and within 2-3 days they can eat adult food. The fact is that rabbits are safe after birth, but hares are born in extreme conditions, especially in terms of predators. This caused such an evolutionary difference in the offspring.
Maternal instinct is also radically different in these animals. The female rabbit regularly feeds and cares for her babies, while the female hare may not come to her babies for 4 days, but if another nursing female finds the bunnies, she will immediately feed the hungry animals. The gestation period of a female hare is 45-55 days, the female rabbit gives birth to offspring on days 28-32 of pregnancy.
The note! Research showed that rabbits are able to reproduce all year round. Hares bear offspring only during favorable periods, from late spring to early autumn.
Gastronomic differences
If externally you can easily distinguish these animals, then what is the difference between the meat of a hare and a rabbit? The difference can be noticed even in its raw form. The meat of a wild animal is dark red in color and drier. Rabbit fillet of delicate pink color. Due to the biovitamin nutrition of the premixes, rabbit meat has a stronger aroma than hare meat.
The carcass of a wild one has a thin layer of fat than that of a domestic one. That’s why hare meat is often stewed with pork or rabbit lard. The taste of hare meat is tougher, although many hunters and rabbit breeders claim that properly cooked game is much tastier than rabbit.
Eventually…
It is already possible to understand that no matter how similar hares and rabbits are in appearance, differences can be found.
- Hares do not have permanent housing and are constantly in search of food. Rabbits do not leave their holes.
- Appearance. Hares are taller and larger, and change coat color depending on the time of year (seasonal molting).
- The wild animal has large ears and longer legs, which makes it different from a rabbit.
- Attitude towards babies: female rabbits do not leave their offspring and can even rush at the rabbit breeder when trying to contact the babies. Hares often lose their babies in the grass when they go far from the birthing site.
- Rabbits are born hairless and blind; hares feed on their own from the very first day and can even run away from a predator.
- The meat of wild rabbits is tougher and darker, but has higher taste qualities. Rabbit meat has a delicate taste and pale pink color, but has a specific aroma.
- The gastrointestinal tract of wild eared animals works much faster, increasing the percentage of wear and tear on the body.
Explanation! There are three species of lagomorphs, these are hares, rabbits and wild rabbits from Europe. A cross between a hare and a wild rabbit - the modern rabbit. It is impossible to tame a wild purebred hare.
Now it’s clear what the difference is between these animals and that hares and rabbits are the same animals with different environment habitat and living conditions.
If you know about a number of factors, it will be very difficult to confuse a hare and a rabbit, as indicated by:
- behavioral characteristics;
- some aspects in raising young animals;
- Lifestyle.
It is impossible to see a wild rabbit on the Eurasian continent, but hares are very a large number of. They inhabit forests, fields, steppes, feeding on plant foods. Hares were spread by European explorers by traveling around different countries. The habitat of wild rabbits extends to North America and Africa.
Appearance
The main similarities between hares and rabbits are the presence of long ears, a short tail, strong limbs and a specific structure of the incisors. That, in fact, is all the similarities, and the differences are as follows:
- hares have a larger build;
- A rabbit remains with the same color throughout its life, but hares change color: the color of the skin depends on the time of year. In winter, the wool becomes snow-white, and in summer and spring - dark gray;
- due to the burrowing lifestyle that rabbits lead, nature has awarded them with shorter ears (due to a long time spent in a small space);
- hares jump and run a lot, which made the limbs of these long-eared animals longer, but rabbits, due to the structural features of their paws, can perfectly dig holes and passages underground.
Habitats
You can meet a hare everywhere, with the exception of Australia and some other islands. But rabbits live only in North America and Africa.
The latter are characterized by the construction of large underground tunnels, which can be compared to apartment building. As soon as a new baby is born, a new nook is immediately made for it. The only subspecies in this group are American wild rabbits, which live outside their burrows.
It is completely unusual for hares to be so careful about their places of residence. Most often they use abandoned burrows or can dig a temporary den. Where it will be located directly depends on the weather. In the warm season, you can meet a hare in a sunny place, in the rain it will be in a secluded den, and when there is a drought, it will prefer to rest in the lowlands. With the onset of cold weather, haystacks become a favorite place for bedding.
Lifestyle
It was mentioned above that rabbits prefer to live in burrows. One hole is used by a whole family, where there are young and adult animals. As necessary, the holes expand and new passages are formed. Long-eared animals leave such comfortable housing when immediate danger arises.
Hares are characterized by a nomadic solitary lifestyle. Animals form pairs only to procreate. The young are born in any secluded place that the female finds.
Reproduction
Another major difference is reproduction. For breeding, only comfortable ones are suitable for a hare. climatic conditions. Therefore, rabbits can appear at any time of the year. Females reach physiological maturity by the age of one year and are able to bear offspring 4 times a year. If we talk about the timing of pregnancy, then the hare carries babies for 45 days. Up to four cubs are born, which have vision, hearing and primary coat. The peculiarity of young animals is that they can immediately eat solid types of feed.
Rabbits have high fertility, with a gestation period of just over 30 days. After the rabbits are born, the female will feed them for a month. Newborns are born blind, deaf and bald. They can live like adults only after reaching 25 days of age.
Behavioral features
Hares are characterized by endurance and a love of freedom.
They are perfectly capable of living in the forest and have special skills that help them hide from natural enemy, is the ability to run and jump quickly.
Rabbits have a more flexible character, and it is quite easy to tame such an animal and then keep it at home.
When danger arises, rabbits warn their brothers with special sounds or by knocking their paws on the ground. Dug holes provide excellent shelter.
Subtleties of caring for young animals
The described species treat their offspring completely differently. The hare abandons her babies almost from the moment they are born. The hares are fed by other females who find them. This happens because young animals are born to many females at the same time in a nearby territory, and the babies do not have an individual smell.
Rabbits have excellent maternal instincts and care for their young. Preparation for childbirth begins during pregnancy, which involves building a nest. But if the rabbit meets someone else’s baby, she may try to get rid of him. It is unusual for female rabbits to feed other people's children.
Here it is different attitude females of the described species to their offspring.
Is it possible to crossbreed?
Despite some external similarity, animals have different genetic codes. Due to the difference in the number of chromosomes, hybrids cannot be obtained. All crossbreeding experiments were unsuccessful. In addition, hares and rabbits are distinguished by very aggressive behavior towards each other.
Natalia
How is a hare different from a rabbit?
The rabbit and the hare are brothers. After all, both of them are representatives of the order Lagomorpha. Visually, these animals are very similar, and there are many similarities in their habits. But still they are such distant relatives that they are not able to interbreed with each other. This means that they have more differences than kinship.
Both animals flee from danger or predators. But if hares are known as very nimble, fast, playful, then rabbits are very inferior to them in speed. And the manner of movement is also very different. The former are excellent sprinters, while the latter are much slower. They do not run, but simply move quickly or jump. Having noticed the danger, rabbits may freeze in place from fear. The reason for this difference is obvious: hares have strong and long hind legs, while rabbits have short legs and are not suitable for running.
Attention! average speed a hare is 70 km/h, a wild rabbit is 54 km/h, a domestic rabbit is 20 km/h.
External distinctive features
Features of behavior
Many people believe that rabbits exist only in domesticated form. But that's not true. Wild rabbits also live in nature. And there they actively dig holes. But hares are not tied to a specific habitat; they often change their overnight accommodations and move around different territories. Wild rabbits are assigned to a specific area and are reluctant to leave it.
Difference in reproduction
Rabbits are very prolific animals; they give birth all year round. Hares are very dependent on their living conditions, so they mate only during favorable periods, when there is plenty of food and the climate allows them to raise babies. In our latitudes, hares traditionally give birth from late spring to early autumn. Duration of pregnancy:
- Female rabbits remain pregnant for 30-32 days.
- Hares carry babies for 44-45 days.
Rabbit and hare A significant difference is also noticeable in children. Rabbits are born blind and naked. They are still attached to their mother for a long time. And the hares are born sighted, with short fur. Little bunnies are very independent and early begin to lead an adult life without their mother.
As we can see, even though hares and rabbits only seem to be close relatives. In fact, they are very different from each other. And their similarities are very slight.
Domestic hare: video