|
Hare Small mammal of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, formally considered a rodent, now placed in the separate order Lagomorpha . Hares (genus lupus) have longer hind legs and ears than rabbits and, unlike rabbits, are born covered with fur and with eyes open.
In North America hares include the varying hare or snowshoe rabbit and also the jack rabbit , which has ear's that are sometimes one-third of its body length . Both can run at speeds of 30 mi. an hour; the Jack rabbit can leap 20 ft. at the time and can travel at more than 40 mi. an hour.
In the northern regions at high altitudes grayish or brownish coats are both replaced by a white winter coat. Now the Arctic hare has a circumpolar |