Hares and rabbits
The hare and rabbit family has over 50 species in it, living in habitats as varied as tundra, savannah and farmland. Some species dig burrows to live in.
Genus
Common hares and jackrabbits (Lepus)Most of the world's hares belong in this genus, Lepus. Hares are bigger than rabbits, and their young have a full coat of fur when they are born.
About
Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbits and hares which form the family Leporidae. The leporids, together with the pikas, constitute the Lagomorpha order of mammals. Leporids differ from pikas in having short furry tails, and elongated ears and hind legs. The name leporid is derived from Latin leporis, genitive of lepus, a hare.
Members of all genera except Lepus are usually referred to as rabbits, while members of Lepus (which accounts for almost half the species) are usually called hares. However the distinction between these two common names does not map completely into current taxonomy, since jackrabbits are members of Lepus, and members of the genera Pronolagus and Caprolagus are sometimes called hares.
Leporids are native across the world except Antarctica, and in Oceania where their introduction is a significant threat for the native mammals in Australia.
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