Writes Simon Carnell in Hare (2010) . . .
Most of the salient characteristics of hares can be usefully presented in the way they differ from rabbits. Hares are generally much larger: longer and leggier, giving an impression of stature enhanced by their generally much longer ears. They reach weights of five kilograms in the far north, averaging three in temperate zones (with some exceptions) and two at the equator, frequently occupying a unique position as the only animals of their weight in a given environment. The brown hare is about the size of a domestic cat. Rabbits are gregarious with relatively complex family groups; hares mostly solitary with minimal pair bonding among promiscuous adults and relatively little parental care of their young. The relatively complex coat colour of hares, including seasonal changes, is linked to their reliance upon camouflage as well as speed. Their speed, camouflage, lack of family life and even size are linked as adaptations to their principal behavioural difference from the rabbit, namely, the fact that they do not burrow.
See also the previous posts:
• Life Above Ground
• Almost Invisible
• An Extraordinary Capacity
• Antipathy
• The Difference
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