hare

Mammal closely related to the rabbit, similar in appearance but larger. Hares have very long black-tipped ears, long hind legs, and short upturned tails. (Genus Lepus, family Leporidae, order Lagomorpha.)

Throughout the long breeding season (June–August) there are chases and ‘boxing matches’ among males and females; the expression ‘mad as a March hare’ arises from this behaviour. The young (‘leverets’) are left by the mother immediately after birth. She stays about 200 m away where she is unlikely to draw attention to her litter and feeds them for just 10 minutes every 24 hours. Hares are largely nocturnal and avoid predators during the day by their stillness.

Unlike rabbits, hares do not burrow. Their furry, open-eyed young are cared for in a shallow hollow in the ground rather than a specially prepared nest cavity. Jack rabbits and snowshoe rabbits are actually hares.