Hare

Hare facts at a glance

What is a group of hares called?

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Built for speed

The brown hare relies on speed and stamina rather than burrows to escape danger. Its long, muscular hind legs let it reach around 70 km/h and twist sharply at full pace, and its huge ears give excellent hearing and help shed heat. When a predator is near, a hare often freezes flat against the ground, trusting its camouflage before exploding into a sprint.

Forms, leverets, and life above ground

Unlike rabbits, hares do not dig burrows. They rest in shallow depressions in the grass called forms and live their whole lives above ground. Their young, called leverets, are born fully furred with their eyes open and can move almost immediately — the mother leaves them hidden separately and visits briefly to nurse, reducing the chance a predator finds the whole litter.

Mad as a March hare

In spring, brown hares are famous for 'boxing' — standing on their hind legs and striking at each other with their front paws. For a long time this was thought to be rival males fighting, but it is usually a female fending off an over-eager male. This dramatic courtship behaviour, most visible in March, gave rise to the saying 'mad as a March hare'.

Range and conservation

The brown hare is native to Europe and western Asia and has been introduced to other regions, including parts of the Americas and Australia. It is listed as Least Concern globally, but in the United Kingdom numbers have fallen sharply since the early 20th century due to changes in farming, loss of varied habitat, and illegal hare coursing, making it a priority species for conservation.

Did you know? Hare facts

• The European brown hare is a large, fast relative of the rabbit, with very long black-tipped ears, powerful hind legs, and amber eyes.
• Hares are larger, with longer legs and ears, and live above ground in open forms rather than burrows. Their young are born furred with open eyes, while rabbit kittens are born blind and helpless in a nest.
• A group of hares is called a drove, and other terms include a down or a husk. A baby hare is called a leveret.
• Brown hares can sprint at about 70 km/h (43 mph) and change direction sharply at speed, making them one of the fastest land mammals in Britain and very hard for predators to catch.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN).

Diet & feeding

Hare feeds primarily as a herbivore (grasses, herbs, crops, bark). The brown hare relies on speed and stamina rather than burrows to escape danger. Its long, muscular hind legs let it reach around 70 km/h and twist sharply at full pace, and its huge ears give excellent hearing and help shed heat. When a predator is nea

Adaptations

• The brown hare relies on speed and stamina rather than burrows to escape danger. Its long, muscular hind legs let it reach around 70 km/h and twist sharply at full pace, and its huge ears give excellent hearing and help shed heat. When a predator is near, a hare often freezes flat against the ground, trusting its camouflage before exploding into a sprint.
• Unlike rabbits, hares do not dig burrows. They rest in shallow depressions in the grass called forms and live their whole lives above ground. Their young, called leverets, are born fully furred with their eyes open and can move almost immediately — the mother leaves them hidden separately and visits briefly to nurse, reducing the chance a predator finds the whole litter.

Behaviour & ecology

• The brown hare relies on speed and stamina rather than burrows to escape danger. Its long, muscular hind legs let it reach around 70 km/h and twist sharply at full pace, and its huge ears give excellent hearing and help shed heat. When a predator is near, a hare often freezes flat against the ground, trusting its camouflage before exploding into a sprint.
• Unlike rabbits, hares do not dig burrows. They rest in shallow depressions in the grass called forms and live their whole lives above ground. Their young, called leverets, are born fully furred with their eyes open and can move almost immediately — the mother leaves them hidden separately and visits briefly to nurse, reducing the chance a predator finds the whole litter.
• In spring, brown hares are famous for 'boxing' — standing on their hind legs and striking at each other with their front paws. For a long time this was thought to be rival males fighting, but it is usually a female fending off an over-eager male. This dramatic courtship behaviour, most visible in March, gave rise to the saying 'mad as a March hare'.

Communication

• Hare uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Open farmland, grassland, meadows

Ecological role

Hare shapes vegetation through grazing or browsing and serves as prey for larger predators where ranges overlap.

Conservation status of the Hare

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Hare:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Lepus europaeus.

• IUCN Red List — Lepus europaeus.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Lepus europaeus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Wikipedia — Hare.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.