{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "hare",
  "name": "Hare",
  "scientificName": "Lepus europaeus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The European brown hare is a large, fast relative of the rabbit, with very long black-tipped ears, powerful hind legs, and amber eyes. Unlike rabbits, hares live above ground in shallow scrapes called forms and their young are born fully furred with open eyes. Brown hares can sprint up to about 70 km/h (43 mph), making them one of the fastest land mammals in Britain.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Lagomorpha",
    "family": "Leporidae",
    "genus": "Lepus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 5,
    "lengthM": 0.7,
    "topSpeedKmh": 70,
    "lifespanYears": 12
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Lepus europaeus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore (grasses, herbs, crops, bark)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Open farmland, grassland, meadows"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "3–4 years wild (up to 12)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "3–5 kg (7–11 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "70 km/h (43 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Native to open country across Europe and western Asia; widely introduced elsewhere, including parts of the Americas and Australia.",
    "continents": [
      "Europe",
      "Asia"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Lepus europaeus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Lepus%20europaeus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Lepus europaeus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepus_europaeus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Hare.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hare"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hare/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hare/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}