The rabbit looks like a hare. What are the differences between a hare and a rabbit - interesting facts. External distinctive features

For most people, the answer to the question of how a rabbit differs from a hare is very simple: almost nothing, the first of them is a domestic animal, and the second is wild. In fact, these are completely different animals, although wild hares and rabbits have a similar structure. The homeland of hares is the continent of Eurasia, and they were brought to other continents by Europeans.

Rabbits, on the other hand, most likely come from the North American continent. At least their bones were found there, dating back to the late Pleistocene (about 15,000 years ago). Their ancient ancestors hardly differed from modern wild rabbits. With the help of humans, they have today spread throughout the world, with the exception of Eurasia, where they are found only as pets.

Wild rabbits and hares have a lot in common:

• they belong to the general order of Lagomorphs;
• the hare and the rabbit look very similar to each other;
• about the same food: grass, tree bark, tubers and vegetables;
• common opponents: predatory animals and birds, as well as humans;
• similar defense methods: jumping, sudden change of direction of running, hitting with hind legs, biting.

This is what unites them. What is the difference between a rabbit and a hare?

Despite the external similarity, the biological difference between these animals, including the genetic one, is significant - they have large differences in the chromosome set. These differences are so great that crossing them with each other is impossible.Other differences are discussed in more detail below.

Differences in appearance and lifestyle

Despite the external similarity, the differences are quite noticeable:

• hares are larger than rabbits;
• if the color of hares changes to one degree or another during the year, then in rabbits it is unchanged;
• hares, which are excellent runners, have stronger and longer legs, and rabbits living in burrows have short paws with powerful claws;
• for the same reason, rabbits' ears are gentler and neater.

They also have different ways of being. Hares are solitary animals. They don't even live in pairs, let alone flocks. And they live where they have to, unlike quite sedentary rabbits, digging holes for themselves. In them they spend most life, constantly modernizing and improving. Rabbits leave their homes only in emergency situations. Their family ties are very strong.

Due to the fact that even in the wild, rabbits lead a calm and sedentary lifestyle, the very first attempts to tame them were successful. Today, many different breeds of these domesticated animals have been bred. Today, not only villagers or farmers are engaged in breeding them, rabbits can even be found in city apartments.

But all the numerous attempts to tame hares did not give positive results - this animal is not adapted to life in captivity. In addition, the animals accustomed to roaming freely do not tolerate long-term coexistence with other hares. Therefore, the only way to get rabbit skin and meat remains - hunting.

Back to the table of contents

Reproduction and attitude towards offspring are the main differences

If hares breed within six months - from mid-April to mid-October, then rabbits have offspring all year round.

If hares breed within six months - from mid-April to mid-October, then rabbits have offspring all year round. The duration of pregnancy is also different - the rabbit has one month, and the rabbit carries cubs one and a half times longer.

These animals have different attitudes towards their offspring. The rabbit, whose cubs are born helpless, naked, blind and deaf, feeds them for a long time, diligently looks after her babies. She does not accept stranger rabbits and can even eat. In exceptional cases, she can be slipped into foster children, but their age should be at least about a week. As a rule, several cubs are born at one female at the same time.

Hares differ from rabbits in that they are born almost completely formed - they see, hear, are covered with wool and almost immediately can eat a little food for adults. They begin to pinch the grass 5-7 days after birth. The hare most often gives birth to one, less often two hares.

Having fed her baby, who was born, with thick and nourishing milk, the mother often leaves him under the same bush where she gave birth and the hare begins an independent life. Hungry, he begins to emit infrasonic vibrations inaudible for predators or humans. But they are heard and understood by any hare running past, whose maternal instinct is immediately triggered. She finds a rabbit, feeds him the same way as his mother, and then leaves alone. And so does any hare who has recently given birth.

Thus, despite the fact that rabbits and hares belong to the same order, they are similar in appearance, have not only common taste preferences, but also common enemies - these are different animals. And there are much more differences between these two types.

Domestic rabbits are tamed hares. Rabbit breeders from different regions of Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and America crossed among themselves the largest hares caught on their land, the babies grew up already in captivity. So 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 in Poland and throughout Europe considered rabbits to be the kings of farm animals. So the name stuck.

Housing

It is difficult for hares to survive in wildlife... They need to constantly roam in search of food and shelter from predatory animals, therefore most of the wild lagomorphs do not have a permanent refuge. Rabbits, on the other hand, 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 the pet escapes, it is likely to die due to lack of food, cold, or animals wanting to eat tasty meat. But their difference is not only that.

Gastrointestinal tract

The digestive system in rabbits and hares is almost identical, with the exception that in “savages” it works much faster due to constant movement. The rabbit is in the cage most of the time. Such a fast work of the esophagus negatively affects wild animals, therefore hares do not live more than 2 years. In retaliation for this, hares received strong immunity and easily endure diseases. Which are considered lethal to rabbits.

Body structure and color

Paws and ears in rabbits are much smaller and shorter, this change was due to the "hopelessness" of rabbits to run away from a large predator or listen to the steps of a predator grazing in the meadow.

Outwardly, the head of the animals will also differ. In hares, the muzzle is more elongated, while the rabbit's head is wide and high. What caused this change is not clear. The field of 2 weeks of life of a rabbit is covered with thick wool of a certain color, this color will remain with him for life, the color of the hare's "coat" changes regularly depending on the season.

The hare and the rabbit are the earliest warm-blooded animals in the world. They grow and multiply rapidly. The difference between them can be seen after the okrol. Rabbits are born "naked" and blind, and at first they can feed only on mother's milk.

Hares are born with fluff and sighted eyes, and after 2-3 days they can eat adult food. The fact is that rabbits are safe after birth, and hares are born in extreme conditions, especially in terms of predators. This caused such an evolutionary difference in the offspring.

The maternal instinct is also radically different in these animals. The female rabbit regularly feeds and takes care of her babies, the hare may not come to the cubs for 4 days, but if another nursing female finds the bunnies, she will immediately feed the hungry animals. The gestation period of the hare is 45-55 days, the female rabbit gives birth to offspring on the 28-32 day of pregnancy.

The note! Research showed that rabbits are capable of breeding all year round. Hares bring offspring only during favorable periods, from late spring to early autumn.

Gastronomic differences

If outwardly you can easily distinguish these animals, then how is the meat of a hare different from a rabbit? The difference can be seen in its raw state. Wild meat is dark red in color and drier. Rabbit fillet of delicate pink color. Due to the biovitamin nutrition under the agent m premixes, rabbit meat has more strong aromathan a hare.

A wild carcass has a thinner body fat than a domestic one. Therefore, hare is often stewed with pork or rabbit fat. In terms of taste, hare is tougher, although many hunters and rabbit breeders claim that properly cooked game is much tastier than rabbit.

Eventually…

Already now it is possible to understand that no matter how similar hares and rabbits may look, the difference can be found.

1. Hares do not have permanent housing, constantly looking for food. Rabbits do not leave their holes.
2. Appearance. Hares are taller and larger, changing the color of their fur depending on the season (seasonal molt).
3. A wild animal has larger ears and longer legs than a rabbit.
4. Attitude towards cubs: female rabbits do not move away from their offspring and can even rush to the rabbit breeder when trying to contact with babies. Hares often lose babies in the grass when they go far from the place of breeding.
5. Rabbits are born hairless and blind, hares feed on their own from the very first day and can even run away from a predator.
6. Wild rabbit meat is stiffer and darker, but tastes better. Rabbit meat has a delicate taste and pale pink color, but has a specific aroma.
7. The digestive tract of wild eared ears works much faster, increasing the percentage of wear and tear of the body.

Explanation! There are three types of lagomorphs, these are hares, rabbits and wild rabbits from Europe. A cross between a hare and a wild rabbit is a modern rabbit. It is impossible to tame a wild purebred hare.

Now it is clear what is the difference between these animals and the fact that hares and rabbits are one and the same animals with different habitats and living conditions.

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 Lagomorph order. Visually, these animals are very similar, there is much in common in their habits. But still they are so 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 great sprinters, while the latter are much slower. They don't run, they just move quickly or jump. Having noticed the danger, rabbits can even freeze in place from fright. The reason for this difference is obvious: hares have strong and long hind legs, in rabbits they are short and not adapted for running.

Attention! The average speed of a hare is 70 km / h, a wild rabbit - 54 km / h, a domestic one - 20 km / h.

External distinctive features

Features of behavior

Many people think that rabbits exist only in domesticated form. But this is not the case. Wild rabbits also live in nature. And there they are actively digging holes. But hares are not tied to a specific habitat, they often change their place of residence, move around different territories. Wild rabbits are fixed on a specific area and reluctantly leave it.

Breeding difference

Rabbits are very prolific animals, they breed all year round. Hares are very dependent on the conditions of existence, therefore they mate only in favorable periodswhen there is plenty of food, and the climate allows you to raise babies. In our latitudes, hares traditionally give birth from late spring to early autumn. Duration of pregnancy:

1. Rabbits go pregnant for 30-32 days.
2. Hares carry babies for 44-45 days.

A significant difference is also noticeable in babies. Rabbits are born blind and naked. They are still attached to their mother for a long time. And rabbits are born already sighted, with short hair. Little bunnies are very independent, they begin to lead an adult life early without a mother.

As you can see, even though hares and rabbits only seem to us to be close relatives. In fact, they are very different from each other. And their similarity is quite insignificant.

Domestic hare: video

Many believe that the rabbit and the hare are one and the same animal, differing in wild and domesticated lifestyles. These animals are really similar and have common external and behavioral traits, and also belong to the order of Lagomorphs. But the differences between them are much more than the unifying features. What is the difference between a rabbit and a hare, one should understand more deeply so as not to confuse these mammals and in the future not to attribute the features of another to one representative.

Rabbits and hares differ in several factors, the main of which are:

• specific behavior;
• features of raising offspring;
• characteristic of a life image.

There are no wild forms of rabbits living on the continent of Eurasia, but hares are widespread here. The latter settle in various landscapes and feed on the vegetation of trees and shrubs. Hares spread thanks to European explorers who brought them to different countries... Wild rabbits live in North America and Africa. There are more than twenty such forms of residence.

External characteristics

At first glance, these two species have the same powerful legs, small tail, long ears and specific incisors.

Advice! To understand how a rabbit looks different from a hare, you need to carefully compare these animals with each other.

The main differences in terms of external indicators:

• the rabbit has a smaller body size;
• hares change their color in winter and summer, unlike their counterparts, which are deprived of such a function;
• rabbit legs are shorter and smaller;
• hare ears are larger and rougher.

Since the rabbit is located mainly in a limited area, its body structure is more delicate and graceful, while the hare has to be constantly in motion, which is why its muscles are distinguished by their development, and the limbs are enlarged.

Life activity

Rabbits prefer to live together with their family and children. They dig holes in which they settle, gradually adding new passages and equipping their homes. Dwelling, eared ears can leave only if they are in danger.

Hares lead the opposite way of life. They wander from one place to another and do it alone. Individuals converge only for procreation and then for a short time. Hares do not create "houses", and the birth of animals takes place where it is necessary, for example, under a bush. Such animals treat humans fearfully and extremely cautiously.

Breeding features

What is the difference between a hare and a rabbit can be judged by analyzing the breeding characteristics of these species. Hares reproduce only when favorable climatic conditions... Therefore, their offspring can appear in any convenient place and at different times. A one-year-old female is already capable of performing her reproductive function, bringing in rabbits about four times a year. Her gestation period lasts approximately 45 days. During one birth, about four babies are born, who have already formed vision, hearing and primary hair. Young animals can immediately eat solid food, like an adult.

The rabbit is more fertile, which is proven by reproduction throughout the year. The female bears the rabbits a little more than one month, and after birth she feeds them with milk for another four weeks. Babies are born with their eyes closed, hear nothing and have no wool. They can independently continue their life activity, only having reached the age of 25 days.

Offspring care

One of the important points in the question of how a hare differs from a rabbit is the attitude of females to their offspring. The former leave their young almost immediately after birth. But the rabbits survive due to the fact that any other female, meeting the babies, feeds them with her milk. This is because the females of the nearest territories give birth to offspring in one period of time, and also small rabbits do not have a personal smell.

Rabbits, on the contrary, are distinguished by good mother instinct. They take care of the little ones, caring for each bunny. The female begins to prepare for the appearance of young animals during pregnancy. But, despite this, in a collision with someone else's baby, the rabbit can kill him.

Traits

Hares differ from rabbits in their love of freedom and endurance. They are real inhabitants of the forest and have skills to help them escape from enemies. These animals run fast and jump high. They are mostly awake at night.

The rabbit, on the other hand, has a very docile disposition and is easily tamed. This animal has a cautious behavior and in case of a dangerous situation always warns its family by making special sounds or tapping its paws on the ground. They escape in a shelter that they themselves dig.

Crossing species

Rabbit and hare are similar in appearance, but differ in their internal genetic code. The first have 22 chromosomes, and the second - 24. In this connection, obtaining a hybrid becomes impossible. Many scientists tried to cross a female rabbit and a male hare, but this did not bring them success. There are no offspring from such animals, although some rabbit breeders are still working on this issue. But as practice shows, such experiments are useless. In addition, these species express aggression towards each other.

The hare differs from the rabbit not only in appearance, but also in its behavior, lifestyle, and also in the set of chromosomes. To understand the characteristics of these animals, one should study the characteristics and compare species inequality.

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 3 minutes

A A

Many of us have never even really thought about how a hare differs from a rabbit. Moreover, the overwhelming majority believe that the rabbit is a domesticated hare.

In other words, many people think that wild hares run 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 of Lagomorphs, there are simply no domestic hares.

The hare and the rabbit, despite their external similarity, are completely different animals.

They are similar not only in appearance - and they have a similar nutritious diet, they have the same natural enemiesfrom which they are saved in the same way (dodging while fleeing and trying to hide as much as possible). However, these are all similarities. As for the differences between these two species, there are many more. So how is a hare different from a rabbit?

Hares can be found in almost all corners the globe... Basically, hares spread around the world from the territory of the European continent, traveling 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 wild rabbits live in North America. IN South America there are also quite a few 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 domesticated, and in the wild, their niche is occupied by hares.

Differences in lifestyle

Hares are usually solitary. They never huddle together. Moreover, they don't even live in pairs.

In addition, the habitat of each hare is quite extensive, since they, unlike rabbits, do not dig holes and live where they have to.

What makes a rabbit different is its sedentary nature.

These animals constantly dig holes for themselves, to which they become strongly attached. In these dwellings they bring and feed offspring, live large families and they prefer to spend a lot of time with their family.

Rabbits are constantly improving, expanding and improving their burrows, taking their "home" very seriously.

Differences in appearance

Since the way of life of these species is quite different, 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 structure of the teeth. However, there are much more differences (although they are not particularly noticeable for a superficial glance):

• rabbits are much smaller than hares;
• the color of rabbits is unchanged throughout their life, but hares are able to change their color depending on what time of year it is in the yard (usually in spring and summer hares have a gray coat, and in winter time its color changes to white);
• the length of the ears in rabbits is less than that of hares, since their burrowing lifestyle makes them spend a lot of time in a confined space;
• the structure of the limbs in these animals is also different; hares have to jump and run a lot and often, so their legs are longer than rabbit ones; on the other hand, the paws of rabbits are better adapted to digging holes and underground passages.

Although both hares and rabbits are specialists of the same biological order - lagomorphs, it is impossible to cross them together and get offspring.

In addition, the breeding period for hares is six months (mid-spring - mid-autumn). Rabbits breed all year round, without taking breaks for the winter period.

The duration of bearing offspring in these eared pseudo-relatives is also different. The rabbit carries cubs for no more than one month, and the rabbit's pregnancy lasts all one and a half (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 attention from the rabbit, without which they simply die. In addition, the rabbit will never accept other people's cubs for feeding (if this instinct is not stopped by appropriate selection). Some domestic rabbits are able to feed other people's rabbits, if they are planted on her at the age of no more than five to seven days. Otherwise, she will simply eat someone else's offspring.

What is the difference between newborn rabbits - they are already fully formed. At birth, they are already covered with wool, they hear and see perfectly, and almost immediately after birth, they can eat food typical for an adult diet.

Calling a hare a good mother is not even a stretch. Having produced offspring, she almost always leaves them to their fate. Sometimes the unfortunate mother wakes up maternal feelings, and then she feeds the first who come across, most often strangers, bunnies. Her own cubs are most often fed by outside females.

The rabbit began to differ from the hare in ancient times.

It's impossible to tame a hare.