Humans are said to be nothing but smart animals, ever wonder what animals think when they look at us like we all are the same with the same senses and features. Not only humans but some animals also look similar and cannot be distinct at once. A very easy example of this can be Hare and Rabbit. They have similarities as they belong to the same family of Lagomorpha. But seen with focus, the difference in their physical features and habitat can easily be made.
Rabbit vs Hare
The main difference between Rabbit and Hare is that they have different sizes. Hare is relatively larger. They are also different in terms of habitat, gestation period (Rabbit have longer gestation period than the Hare), Chromosomes number, their body types at birth, etc. They also prefer different food to eat. Last but not least, they have different natures. Rabbit is very socially active than Hare, who lives alone their whole life.
Rabbits are a type of mammal. They are cute and innocent in physical appearance. They can also eat their poop. This can sometimes be disgusting. They are herbivores and do not eat other animals. They give birth to their offspring more than twice a year. And their gestation period is of around 40 to 42 days.
Hare is an animal that looks like a rabbit. They have long ears and legs. They are herbivores and solitary in nature. They can be found in most parts of the world. Female hare takes care of their baby until he grows up and can run. After being an adult, the baby runs to wherever he wants. There is a myth that female hare does not come after hunting food if their baby is touched by a human.
Comparison Table Between Rabbit and Hare
| Parameters of Comparison | Rabbit | Hare |
| Size | Smaller in size | Larger in size |
| Gestation period | 42 days | 30 to 31 days |
| At birth | No fur | Have fur |
| Number of chromosomes | 44 chromosomes | 48 chromosomes |
| Eat | Soft things | Comparatively harder things |
What is Rabbit?
Rabbits are among the cutest and most adorable animals. Due to their appearance, they are also kept as a pet. They like to eat carrots mostly. They feel very happy by consuming it, they should only be given it proper proportion. But the wild rabbits mostly eat green leaves and weeds.
Although most of the rabbits are tiny and adorable, some of them are giant like a toddler. Most of the rabbits are called bunnies, but in reality, they are called kits. They start reproduction early, and the process of ovulation is not followed by a cycle by it takes place during intercourse.
They are among those animals who keep themselves clean. This also means when domesticated, they don’t need to be bathed regularly. They cannot vomit. They can see 360 degrees and can easily see if any danger comes.
Domesticated rabbits need special care in high temperature, which is easily resisted by the wild rabbits. They can live in most of the places. They like to live in a group and are most busy during dusk and dawn.
They are smart as when they have to run in a dangerous situation, they follow different strategies rather than running straight in the same direction.
What is Hare?
Brow hare is the fastest mammal that lives on land. They have a leaping motion, hind legs, long ears and gives birth to their babies on land. They are solitary and do not like to live in groups. This is also the reason behind their shy nature. They have a unique feature that their fur changes color with the change in season. They can also swim in the water. They are herbivores, which means they only eat plants and plants related products.
A group of them is known as a warren or down. They tend to run with their long run if they sense any kind of danger.
They can spend their whole night awake and sleep all day. Their front teeth grow throughout their life. They have a very high sense of hearing, smelling, and vision. They can easily catch their predators due to their high speed and ability to look farter. Their babies are born with open eyes.
Hare males fight among each other to win over the female who tests them based on their speed and stamina. And it is always the choice of female to mate or not.
Main Differences Between Rabbit and Hare
- When compared physically in size, rabbits have a smaller body, whereas Hare has a larger body.
- Same as their body, they both have different ears. Rabbit has short ears, while Hare has relatively long ears.
- The hind legs, except different in size, Hares and Rabbits are also different when it comes to strength, rabbits have shorter along with less strong legs whereas Hare not only has long but also stronger legs in comparison.
- Babies or infants of rabbits are called kittens or bunnies, while leverets are infants or newborns of Hare.
- Newborns of Rabbit required extra parental care, and the reason behind this could be that they are born without any fur and closed eyes, whereas not extra parental care is required in the case of Hare as they have open eyes and also fur on their bodies.
- Hare has more number chromosomes than a rabbit. Rabbit only has 44 while Hare has 4 more, i.e., 48 number of chromosomes.
- Rabbits can be domesticated. There is not a big issue with that due to their social nature, whereas Hares cannot be domesticated as they don’t like to socialize and lives a life away from the crowd.
- To live, rabbits build underground burrows while Hare builds a nest for themselves on the ground. This means Rabbit lives under the ground while Hare lives on the ground. Also, the reason for rabbits making an underground home is that when they sense some danger, they run to hide underground where none can reach them, while hares simply run in such a situation.
- Rabbits prefer to eat softer parts of the plant that includes leaves or fruits, whereas hare prefers the hard part such as twigs.
- The fur of the rabbit remains of a single color. Weather does not have any influence over them, while in the case of hare, the color of the fur changes with the weather/season.
Conclusion
There should not be any confusion between Rabbit and Hare now. Both Hare and Rabbit have some similarities, too, as they have long ears, short tails, breed prolifically, can be pests, also have a powerful back. They run very fast. They are also cute in appearance. They are just like fox and coyote that are similar due to the same family background but, despite it, are very different.
Among hare and rabbits, rabbits are more common. They are also treated as domestic pets. Some people like rabbits due to the white color that makes them beautiful animals.
References
- https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19580101094
- https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19570700786
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/2403079