Brown hare

Scientific name: Lepus europaeus 

Family: Leporidae

Appearance: Hares are larger and leaner than rabbits. They have longer legs and longer, black-tipped ears. Their fur is golden-brown. 

Height: 70 cm Weight: 4 kg

Natural history: Brown hares are found in grasslands and woodland edges, where they graze and eat bark. They are very fast runners, reaching top speeds of 70km/h. rather than burrowing, hares typically shelter in depression in the ground called “forms”.

Hares communicate warnings, challenges and interest in each other with thumps of their feet or twitches of their ears. In spring, males are often seen fighting by “boxing” over females.

Changing agricultural practices and shooting have caused hare declines in the UK. As a result, they are a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

 (C) Corine Bliek (shared under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license)