Long-legged relatives of rabbits that live above ground and rely on speed, not burrows, to escape. North America’s “jackrabbits” are really hares.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
It forages mostly at night, roughly between 7 pm and 7 am.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
A prized game animal; its meat is said to be white and delicious.
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America, Africa
HabitatGrassland, Farmland, Scrub, Polar
ColoursBrown
SizeSmall
Length60–75 cm (brown hare)
Weight3–5 kg (brown hare)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for3–4 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Native to Africa, Europe, Asia and North America, from Arctic tundra to desert edges.
- What it eats
- Grasses, herbs and crops, and twigs, buds and bark in winter.
Did you know
Born with fur and open eyes; rabbits are born blind and bald.
Jackrabbits can run at 65 km/h and leap 3 m in a single bound.
The spring “boxing” you see in fields is often a female fending off a male, not two males fighting.
Often confused with
- Rabbit
Rabbits are smaller, with shorter ears and legs. They live in groups in burrows, and their young are born blind and hairless.
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