It’s a common misunderstanding, especially since both have long ears, powerful hind legs and are often spotted out in the countryside.

But if you take a closer look, there are several important differences between a hare and a rabbit.

Domestic rabbits are descended from the European rabbit and have been selectively bred over many generations into the breeds we know today. Hares, on the other hand, belong to a different group within the hare family and have evolved along a different path.

Even though hares and rabbits may look alike, there are no known natural crosses that produce viable offspring. Because of this, they are considered reproductively incompatible species.

Hares are typically: Larger than rabbits
Built with longer legs
Equipped with longer ears
Designed for speed and long-distance running

Rabbits generally have: Shorter ears
More compact bodies
Shorter legs
A body built for quickly reaching the safety of burrows and tunnels

If you spot a large long eared animal racing across an open field, chances are you’re looking at a hare.

One of the biggest differences is how their young are born.

Baby hares are born: Fully furred
With their eyes open
Relatively well developed

Because of this, they’re able to fend for themselves much sooner.

Baby rabbits, meanwhile, are born: Naked or nearly naked
Blind
Completely dependent on their mother

They spend their first weeks safely tucked away inside a protected nest.

Wild rabbits dig extensive tunnel systems underground where they seek shelter and raise their young. Hares don’t create burrow systems like this. Instead, they typically rest in a shallow depression in the ground known as a form.

That’s one reason hares and rabbits have developed such different behaviors despite being close relatives.

Honestly, it’s not all that surprising.

For most folks, both hares and rabbits are long eared animals hoppin’ through the landscape and nibblin’ on plants. On top of that, the terms are often used loosely in everyday conversation, children’s books and cartoons.

But from a biological standpoint, they are two different animals. Many of us grew up thinkin’ every long eared critter was a rabbit.

Only later do we discover that the hare sitting out in a field on an early summer mornin’ and the rabbit waiting for its hay back home are actually very different animals livin’ very different lives.

The more time you spend around animals and nature, the more details like these begin to stand out. And honestly, isn’t it kind of fascinatin’ that two animals that look so similar from a distance can turn out to be so different once you take a closer look?

Have you ever been absolutely certain you’d spotted a rabbit out in the countryside, only to realize later that it was actually a hare?

Fredrik 🐇