WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RABBITS AND HARES: THE MAIN DIFFERENCES AND THE DIFFERENCE

At first glance it may seem that the differences between these two species of eared animals are insignificant.

Let's try to figure out whether this is true.

The main differences between animals

First of all, it should be noted that the Krolikov and Zaitsev clan belongs to the same Zaitsev family, which is the reason for such external similarity. There is a version that rabbits came from just wild hares, but the veracity of this statement has not been reliably established. Nevertheless, the offspring, habitat, social structure and human interaction with these rodents are different.

Find out what breeds of rabbits belong to meat rabbits, to giant rabbits, to down and fur rabbits, to broiler rabbits, to decorative rabbit breeds.

Dimensions and appearance

Hares are heavier (2 times on average), larger, but their torso is muscular and lean. Paws and ears are longer, often with black marks. Wool changes color when molting from white to gray, depending on the time of year.

Rabbits are smaller, but more rounded and plump. The fur is long and silky gray and brown shades. When molting rabbits do not change color. Hind paws are also well developed, but the front ones are also quite strong, as they are used for digging holes.

Did you know? The belief that the hares are cowards is very wrong. Yes, this animal in case of danger prefers to hide and becomes a participant in the scuffle only as a last resort. However, if you drive the animal into a corner, it gives a very violent rebuff, using powerful hind legs and strong claws.

The hind legs are one of the most important pledges of survival for both species of animals. With their help, the animal runs away from predators, kicks them for self-defense and warns their relatives about the danger. However, the difference in structure and muscularity affects speed. So, the maximum speed of the hare is 80 km / h, while the rabbit is only 20 km / h.

Vital activity

Both hares and rabbits are herbivores active at dusk. But this is where their similarities end.

Important! If the tooth creak for rabbits is quite natural and even means the perfect mood of the pet, then here is the cry - a very bad sign. These eared make such sounds only in a completely stalemate. Severe pain, fright can cause such atypical behavior. In any case, remember that rabbits can get a heart attack from a stressful situation. It is necessary to immediately eliminate the cause of the cry and preferably as quickly as possible to calm the animal.

Sociality. Hares - loners, do not contact with animals of their own or other species, with the exception of mating games. About offspring do not care. Rabbits live with their families with a strict hierarchy. Families tend to create colonies. Offspring care.
Attitude to people. Hares of people do not like and can not be domesticated, but the crawls on the contrary do not see a person as a threat.
Sedentary. The former do not have a specific place of residence. Constantly wander, housing is not built. The second ones dig holes in the ground, lead a sedentary lifestyle and constantly modernize their homes. Wild members of the Zaitsev family are active in the evening, at night, but quiet rabbits, for good reason, prefer not to get out of their holes.
Reaction to the threat. While the hare runs away at danger (good, there are strong legs and the complete absence of loved ones), the rabbit freezes as much as possible. If, however, to remain imperceptible did not work out, then before escaping, the animal will begin to scream, pounding its paws on the ground, warning its relatives about the danger.

The everyday behavior and life priorities of such similarly visible representatives often have little in common.

Did you know? Since both types of animals are not predators, they often become someone's victim. In addition, the hare population is constantly shot by hunters and poachers because of meat, wool. It is fast and regular breeding that allows the eared not to be on the verge of extinction. The presence of a forked uterus also helps in this matter. Due to such an unusual structure of the reproductive system, the female can bear the offspring of two males at once and give birth at different times.

Character and habits

Rabbits are not only easily amenable to domestication, but also have a very soft, calm character.

What can not be said about hares. Not amenable to domestication, not prone to collectivism. Perhaps it was the hare's inability to lead a sedentary life and that was the reason why they did not work out to domesticate them.

Reproduction and attitude to offspring

And in this intimate matter rodents differ radically.

For the care of rabbits, it is important for you to know how many years live and how to determine the age of the rabbit, how to cross rabbits correctly, how to build a shed for rabbits with your own hands, how to keep rabbits in an aviary.

Rabbits are born blind, bald, deaf, at first they can only eat mother’s milk and are not capable of independent living. The rabbit's maternal instinct is very pronounced. The female begins to prepare the mink at the approach of childbirth, takes care of the babies until they grow up. The hares are born with wool and fully functioning organs of sense. Already on the first day of their life the hares are completely independent, they can walk, eat vegetable food. In hare females, the maternal instinct is completely absent, the female leaves the cub where she gave birth, and then immediately leaves.

Important! Rabbits will not, under any circumstances, take into the family the cub of any other animal. An exception may occur if the newly-born female gives a baby up to 5 days old. Otherwise, the bunny can eat a bed slip.

However, sometimes the maternal instinct manifests itself, and only a hare who has given birth can feed the first young. Given the interesting feature of the hares to mate and give offspring at about the same time, such behavior can be very useful.

With regard to the breeding season, then there is also full of differences. So, hares breed in the warm season (most often it is from April to October), only under the condition of favorable weather. Bearing lasts 30-32 days. But rabbits live in warm burrows, from which they breed all year round, bearing offspring for 45 days.

Is it possible to cross a hare with a rabbit

No impossible. Multiple attempts of amateurs and scholars have come to nothing. Despite the resemblance, the differences at the level of genetics (the hare has 24 chromosomes in the rabbit’s DNA and only 22 in the rabbit), as well as the nature, habits, habitat - all this does not contribute to the appearance of common offspring. Moreover, representatives of these two species most often dislike each other and are not even inclined to be around.