The European hare (Lepus europaeus), also known as the brown hare, eastern jackrabbit and eastern prairie hare, is a species of hare native to northern, central, and western Europe and western Asia. It is a mammal adapted to temperate, open country. It is related to the similarly appearing rabbit, which is in the same family but a different genus. It breeds on the ground rather than in a burrow and relies on speed to escape.
Normally shy animals, hares change their behaviours in the spring, when they can be seen in broad daylight chasing one another around meadows. During this spring frenzy, hares can be seen "boxing", where hares strike one another with their paws. For a long time, this had been thought to be competition between males, but closer observation has revealed it is usually a female hitting a male, either to show she is not yet quite ready to mate or as a test of his determination.
The hare is declining in mainland Europe due to changes in farming practices. Its natural predators include the golden eagle and carnivorous mammals, such as the red fox and wolf. Smaller hares native to southern Europe previously regarded as European hares have been split off as separate species in recent years, including the broom hare in northern Spain.
Read more about European Hare: Taxonomy and Genetics, Description, Range and Habitat, Ecology and Behavior, Status and Human Interactions
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