Page 16 - World of Animals - Issue #31

The mad March hare

The spring hare is

no Easter bunny

Rabbits and hares may look similar but they are Hares have longer ears than
actually as different as sheep are to goats rabbits, perhaps because
hares don’t descend to the
safety of underground.
Hares are bigger, have larger ears and don’t share the same social
skills as rabbits. While rabbits live in complex burrow systems
called warrens, hares spend their entire lives above ground. The
only exception is the American cottontail, which is a species of
rabbit that doesn’t burrow. Hare and rabbit offspring are also very
different with baby hares being born fully furred and with open
eyes. Baby rabbits, or kittens, can’t keep themselves warm as they
are born without fur and don’t open their eyes for around ten days. Both the front
Hares, rabbits and chicks are synonymous with Easter and and back limbs of
ar
t
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a
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ak
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annu
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on
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ap
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ear
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m
s
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make annual appearances on supermarket shelves in the form of hares are longer
f
m
than those of
r
l
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chocolate. This tradition is said to stem from the Pagan beliefs held rabbits because
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y w
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i in 13th century Germany, as the goddess of spring and fertility was hares can’t just Generally larger than
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s symbolised by a rabbit. The spring season is linked to fertility as it dart into a burrow rabbits, hares can reach
y
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up to 75 centimetres (30
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e
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a
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is the time that many animals have their babies to make sure they for protection. inches) in height.
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have enough time to grow before the arrival of winter.
h a v e e n o u g h t i m e t o g r o w b e f o r e t h e a r r i v a l o f w i n t e r .
Rabbits live in social groups for
safety in numbers rather than
going it alone like hares do.
Unlike hares that fade
to white in the winter,
rabbits retain the colour
of their fur all year round.
Rabbit babies don’t
grow fur until over a
week a er they are

born, but young hares
have fur straight away.
Know your hares
Snowshoe hare Ethiopian highland hare Indian hare
The name of this mammal comes from its This little-known species hops through grassland Found in southern India and Sri Lanka, these
oversized feet that help it to clamber over soft in the rugged mountains of Ethiopia. The lagomorphs are known to stretch out on their
snow with ease and without sinking. Snowshoe Ethiopian highland hare is thought to be one of sides to sun themselves. Living in such hot
hares have some of the cosiest fur in the animal the highest dwelling lagomorphs in the world, climates means this hare changes its diet with the

kingdom, and their ears are small in size to having been found over 4,000 metres (13,000 season, feasting on flowering plants when water
reduce heat loss. feet) above sea level. is scarce and grasses in the rainy season.
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