These charming animals with soft fur and long ears seem almost indistinguishable at first glance. They relate to origin, area, appearance, lifestyle and behavior.
Origin and habitat
Both rabbits and hares are representatives of the same hare family. These are mammals, which are conditionally divided into many genera. Accurate scientific classification looks a little more complicated.
So rabbits generically called several genera. Among them there is also a domestic rabbit, which, in turn, came from a wild (European rabbit). This species was domesticated, and it is from him that modern offspring derives.
Both species are distributed practically throughout the world and on all continents except Antarctica. But there is a small exception: in Australia there are no hares, but there are a huge number of rabbits that the British brought there on ships. In general, the range of the hare is more extensive than the area of the rabbit.
Interesting fact: Rabbits were brought to Australia in 1788 with the innocuous purpose of obtaining meat. Gradually, animals began to be bred, as well as released. This led to the fact that around 1950 their population totaled 600 million individuals. So rabbits became a serious problem for the continent.
Appearance
Differences in appearance are due to the lifestyle that both of these species lead. In fact, there is not much in common between them as it seems at first glance: a short tail, features of the structure of teeth, long ears and strong legs.
Differences:
- Fur cover. “Winter and summer in one color” is about rabbits. The color of their coat does not change depending on age and time of year. Hares are perfectly masked, changing color from winter white to spring gray.
- The size. Hares weigh about 5 kg and reach 60 or more centimeters in length. Rabbits are much smaller - no heavier than 2.5 kg, and body length - up to 45 cm.
- Limbs. In both species, they are strong, but are designed to perform different tasks. Hares run a lot and actively, so their legs are longer. Rabbits dig holes better.
- Ears. Since wild rabbits spend most of their time in the underground passages, their ears are shorter.
The behavior of hares and rabbits
Hares are solitary animals. They do not form steam, let alone herds. They prefer to create nests on the surface and can constantly move from one territory to another.
Rabbits are sedentary creatures. In burrows, they not only raise offspring, but also live on an ongoing basis. The attitude to housing is very serious - burrows are constantly deepening and expanding. In addition, rabbits are closer to family life. The number of individuals in such families is always large and they tend to spend as little time as possible alone.
Interesting fact: rabbits and hares cannot be crossed for offspring, despite their belonging to the same family. This once again indicates many differences between these animals.
One of the peculiarities of the rabbit organism is the possibility of fertility throughout the year, which explains their rapid spread.In addition, the bearing of their babies lasts no longer than a month. Hares breed only for six months - from mid-spring to mid-autumn, and pregnancy lasts about 45 days.
Newborn rabbits are absolutely unfit for life. They have not yet developed vision, and also lacks fur. Kids grow in holes. Hare cubs are the exact opposite. They are born completely covered with wool and see perfectly, eat the same food as adults.
Attempts to domesticate hares were carried out, but to no avail. Wild animals sought to escape at the slightest opportunity, despite the created conditions: housing, abundance and availability of food, lack of dangerous predators. Freedom was more important to them than other benefits.
And wild rabbits were easily domesticated. In this regard, many new breeds have appeared. Now rabbits are used not only on the farm, but also as decorative pets.
Hares and rabbits belong to the general family of hares, but have many differences. Hares are more common around the world, but not subject to domestication. They live in nests on the surface. They are larger and change the color of the fur twice a year (white / gray). Rabbits are small and easily tamed. They live in holes and for a long time take care of offspring, unlike their counterparts. There are also some differences in body structure.
