Interesting Facts about Rabbits and Hares

Did you know...

• The only two animals that can see behind themselves without turning their head are the rabbit and the parrot.
• Both hares and rabbits are vegetarians, eating broadleaf plants such as clover, plantain, vetch, aster and grasses in spring or summer. Once winter arrives, their main diet is bark from young willow, aspen, hazelnut or alder.
• Hares will change the colour of their coat from a general brownish-gray in the summer to a pale gray (Whitetail Jackrabbit) or white (Snowshoe hare and Arctic hare) in the winter.
• Hares often live in groups of 100 to 300 animals. While some rest and feed, the others act as guards.
• Hopping up on their hind legs like a kangaroo, hares can reach speeds of 64 km. per hour.
• Hares can also swim across narrow streams.
• Hares sometimes fight with one another. They box, scratch and snap, but never bite.
• A baby rabbit is called a kit.
• Rabbits and hares can live to ten years of age.

What’s the difference between a Hare and a Rabbit?

Habitat

Rabbits and hares occupy different habitats in Canada. Manitoba is home to the Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) and three species of hare: the White-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsedii), Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) and the Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus).

Physical

When a rabbit and a hare are placed side by side, their physical and behavioral differences are more apparent. The Cottontail rabbit has a small body and shorter ears and legs, which are best suited for living in areas of dense shrubby land. Their shorter anatomy lets them dive quickly into areas of cover, therefore there is no need for great distance running to avoid predators. Hares on the other hand, have long powerful legs and bodies built to out-run predators in open country.

Reproduction

Rabbits and hares have different reproductive strategies. Cottontail rabbits live in areas with extensive ground cover, providing lots of places to hide from predators. Thus the need for rapidly maturing young is less critical. Hidden in well-camouflaged nests of vegetation the naked, blind and helpless young have time to develop. Hare's offspring are larger, born with hair on their body, open eyes and in smaller litters than the rabbit. The hare does not make a nest, as the young leave the birthing area within a day after birth and are weaned within weeks.

Tradition & Folklore

The rabbit is symbolically associated with Easter because…well there are different theories! An old German story recounts how a poor woman hid some brightly colored eggs in her garden as Easter treats for children. While the children were searching for the eggs, a hare hopped past, leading the children to think that the hare had left the eggs. Consequently, every Easter German children would make nests of leaves and branches in their gardens for the hare. The custom was brought to the United States by German immigrants where the hare became a rabbit due to the fact that rabbits were more abundant in the US.

European legend has it that hares never closed their eyes and watched the other animals throughout the night. This myth led to them becoming a symbol of the moon. The celebration date of Easter is dependant on the moon and thus hares became associated with the celebration.

Help Avoid Easter Bunny Hype!

Easter is fast approaching and that means pet stores are stocking up with "Easter Bunnies". If you know of someone who is thinking of purchasing a rabbit at Easter, let them know it's a bad idea. Contrary to Eastertime hype, rabbits and small children are not a good match. Typically, the novelty wears off and the rabbits are dumped at a shelter, or set free in the woods.

The natural exuberance, rambunctiousness and decibel-level of even the gentlest toddler is stressful for the sensitive rabbit. Children like a companion they can hold, carry, and cuddle, just as they do their favorite stuffed animal. It is unreasonable to expect a child to be able to take full responsibility for the care of a rabbit, or to make a 10-year commitment to anything!

Each year after Easter, animal shelters receive many phone calls from people who purchased a bunny that died within days or weeks. Sadly, some pet stores sell rabbits as young as 4 weeks old. Since the babies don't naturally wean until 6-7 weeks old, their digestive tracts have not properly formed. This can lead to diarrhea, other gastrointestinal problems, and sometimes death. Raising baby rabbits requires specialized care and diet.

Most rabbits seen in pet stores are produced on rabbit factory farms, also known as rabbitries. These farms closely resemble a battery hen operation with rabbits housed in small wire cages stacked on top of one another. This method of farming is undeniably cruel and results in health problems such as sore hocks, stunted crawling gait and even cannibalism. Cannibalism results from the stressful and boring conditions, or because the mother cannot provide enough milk for all her young. The restriction of natural behaviours and movement can cause psychological disorders as well.