To the untrained eye, a rabbit and a hare appear to be the same animal. While they do share some similarities, they are, in fact, different species. But owing to their similar appearance, a lot of people are left wondering whether they can be crossbred; it’s possible with different dog species so why not in this case. Can rabbits and hares breed together?
Rabbits and hares may share similar characteristics, but they are not in the same genus and so cannot successfully breed. While many types of rabbits and hares may live alongside one another in the wild, this is as far as their interactions go and you certainly would not see any attempt to mate between species.
It can be tricky to know the difference between rabbits and hares especially since the latter are a much more mysterious species. Let’s find out a little more about these animals and what sets them apart from one another.
Are Rabbits And Hares The Same?
Rabbits and hares are not the same animal and this means that they would be unable to crossbreed. Even if you managed to get them to mate; which would be very difficult, probably impossible, their reproductive cells wouldn’t be compatible.
Right from the beginning of their lives, these animals have some major differences. At first glance, it can be easy to get them mixed up; both species have long ears, a cottontail, and hop around using their strong hind legs. Many species are also similar in color and tone, making it even more difficult to spot the difference.
When hares are born, they are known as leverets and come into the world with open eyes and a full coat of fur. Compare that to a rabbit who is born hairless and with closed eyes, it is clear that the differences have already begun. Furthermore, as adults, rabbits and hares have some very significant differences.
For starters, the ears of a hare are much bigger. Their ears will always point upwards whereas there are lots of rabbit breeds whose ears flop adorably to either side. In addition to this, a hare is generally a larger animal. Hares can grow up to 28 inches in length whereas the average rabbit would grow no longer than around 14 inches.
The coloring of the two species can be similar depending on the breed of rabbit, but generally speaking, rabbits are far more varied in terms of appearance than their larger cousins. Hares’ fur is usually greyish brown and some may have black markings, particularly on the tips of the ears. However, rabbits can come in all sorts of colors ranging from uniform black, white and ginger through to spotted, speckled and patchy.
The reason that hares have this type of coloring is for camouflage purposes. While adult hares are very fast, they are prey animals like rabbits and are often hunted by birds of prey, foxes and other animals so this ability to blend in is essential.
The behavior of rabbits and hares also tends to differ greatly. While rabbits have been successfully domesticated, hares are far less sociable and you would struggle to keep one as a pet; but more on that later.
This lack of sociability means that hares live a very solitary life. The only time that they will interact with one another is for mating. In contrast, rabbits will spend their lives in large groups of up to 15. If you keep rabbits as pets, you will appreciate how well they respond to having another bunny by their side at all times.
However, this does mean that rabbits tend to be more aggressive towards each other with fights being commonplace in a rabbit colony. Hares are much more tolerant of each other and it is very unusual to see them attacking one another.
Rabbits are rather curious animals and like to explore, albeit carefully. However, hares have a much more skittish nature and will quickly run away at the first sign of a threat. They are incredibly fast when compared to rabbits and likely the reason they are so adept at escaping from prey.
What is very surprising is each animal’s approach to water. Rabbits can swim but they won’t do this unless they absolutely have to. For the most part, the only time you will find a rabbit taking a dip is if it is trying to escape danger. On the other hand, hares are very capable swimmers and the water doesn’t bother them. For this reason, they will confidently cross lakes, ponds, and rivers to get from A to B.
Furthermore, hares tend to live above ground in nests whereas rabbits burrow under the ground. This is their way of staying safe from predators since rabbits cannot move as quickly as a hare.
Are Hares Related To Rabbits?
Hares and rabbits are related in one sense but then are vastly separate in another. They are in the same family, known as leporidae but are totally separate species. When it comes to understanding whether the two can mate, it can be difficult to wrap your head around when you see the similarities in appearance.
However, it can be helpful to keep in mind that humans and the great apes are, in fact, in the same family, Hominidae, yet it would be impossible for us to mate with a chimp. You could also compare this to sheep and goats, which again are members of the same family but different species, and so the list goes on…
Can Hares Be Pets?
It is believed that there are around 14 million pet rabbits around the world – that’s a whole lot of bunny love, but is it possible to keep a hare as a pet?
In short, no, you cannot keep a hare as a pet. These animals prefer to live a quiet life in solitude and as such, have never been domesticated. In addition to this, hares can become very aggressive when they are frightened so attempting to handle one could pose a risk of becoming injured. This isn’t to say that they are any more vicious than a rabbit but they scare very easily and will defend themselves when it is needed.
What’s more, since hares are not available as domestic pets, anyone keeping one at home would have to first catch it in the wild. This would be detrimental to the hare, who would become very anxious but also carries a risk of bringing diseases into your home.
If you ever find an injured hare, it can be tempting to take it homem nurse it back to health, and ultimately adopt it. While this is a nice sentiment and potentially possible, it wouldn’t be fair on the hare. These animals need a lot of space to exercise and wouldn’t appreciate being cooped up in a cage. So it is always best to take the hare to a vet or animal care center where it can be treated and properly released.
