What is the Difference Between a Rabbit and a Hare?
They both hop.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzA dominant female meerkat expelling a subordinate from the pack.
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© MinuteEarth (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Some plants, animals, and other forms of life can be described as invasive species when they are introduced to areas where they are not native and then decimate native species and make other significant changes to native ecosystems. The most effective solutions in dealing with invasive species arise from detailed understanding of their natural history.
Transcript
You may have seen a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat.
But what about a hare?
No...A hare!
That’s not...Okay, let’s talk about the difference between a rabbit and a hare!
Some would say the difference between rabbits and hares is merely splitting...well...hairs...
...But there are some key differences, namely in their size, how they live and grow, and their preferred habitats.
Rabbits tend to be smaller than hares.
This goes for their ears as well, although some breeds have big floppy ears that hang down from their heads like ponytails.
Not that they need a haircut, mind you...
In fact, after a gestation period of about a month, rabbits are born bald, without a hair on them. They probably don’t care much though, since they’re also born blind.
On the other hand, as befits their name, hares are born with a luscious coat of fur after about 42 days of gestation, with their eyes wide-open to admire the glory of their quaffed pelts.
On the defensive front, Rabbits usually use stealth to hide from their enemies.
Hares are runners. There’s a reason the story isn’t called “The tortoise and the rabbit.”
Not that rabbits are slow... they’re just a hair slower than a hare.
As for their habitats, when it’s time to snuggle down after a long day of foraging, rabbits make their homes in cozy burrows dug into the soil around trees or shrubs.
But hares are wild and free! They live out on the open prairies, making their nests in small depressions in the ground...letting the wind fluff out their downy head of hair...or rather...fur.
While the differences between rabbits and hares may be apparent to biologists, their similar appearances continue to cause confusion among the general public.
We can only hope this ignorance is merely hare today and gone tomorrow!
...what?!
But what about a hare?
No...A hare!
That’s not...Okay, let’s talk about the difference between a rabbit and a hare!
Some would say the difference between rabbits and hares is merely splitting...well...hairs...
...But there are some key differences, namely in their size, how they live and grow, and their preferred habitats.
Rabbits tend to be smaller than hares.
This goes for their ears as well, although some breeds have big floppy ears that hang down from their heads like ponytails.
Not that they need a haircut, mind you...
In fact, after a gestation period of about a month, rabbits are born bald, without a hair on them. They probably don’t care much though, since they’re also born blind.
On the other hand, as befits their name, hares are born with a luscious coat of fur after about 42 days of gestation, with their eyes wide-open to admire the glory of their quaffed pelts.
On the defensive front, Rabbits usually use stealth to hide from their enemies.
Hares are runners. There’s a reason the story isn’t called “The tortoise and the rabbit.”
Not that rabbits are slow... they’re just a hair slower than a hare.
As for their habitats, when it’s time to snuggle down after a long day of foraging, rabbits make their homes in cozy burrows dug into the soil around trees or shrubs.
But hares are wild and free! They live out on the open prairies, making their nests in small depressions in the ground...letting the wind fluff out their downy head of hair...or rather...fur.
While the differences between rabbits and hares may be apparent to biologists, their similar appearances continue to cause confusion among the general public.
We can only hope this ignorance is merely hare today and gone tomorrow!
...what?!