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Irish
Hares
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Rabbit
or Irish Hare?
The best way to tell the difference is by the hare's longer, black
tipped ears, and longer and more muscular legs. |
Both rabbits and hares have a 'hare lip' although the rabbit's top
lip has a layer of skin to cover the gums. A hare's gums are visible
and as a result the top 'buck' teeth may protrude, particularly in
old age.
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Hares indulge in strange pre-nuptial behaviour. It was thought that
it was male hares who boxed eachother but closer observation has shown
that it is reluctant females fending off male attentions! |
| The
Irish hare is a race of Arctic Hare, quite distinct from the Brown
hare. The Irish Hare is slightly smaller and stockier, has shorter
ears and the tail is all white, not just the under-side as with the
Brown hare. The Irish hare becomes paler and greyer in winter and
is often whitish on the underparts and legs. |
In some cases the Irish hare can become predominantly
white in winter, which suggests its arctic ancestry. |
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Hare's
do not live in burrows but dig shallow resting places called 'forms'.
This is dug out more at one end, with the deeper end accommodating
the hare's powerful hind quarters, and orientated so that the hare
can sit with its back against the wind. |
Hares
live out in the open from the moment of birth and the leverets lie
completely still in their individual forms. Leverets have a full coat
of fur when born and are soon fully mobile.
Irish Hare's eat a wide variety of grass species and need this variety
to maintain an adequate diet.
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There is evidence to suggest that more intensive farming
and the introduction of fast growing sward has adversely affected
the hare's survival rate. |
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| AMAZING FACTS |
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The Razorbill has evolved conical shaped eggs on cliffs so that they won't roll
off the cliff
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MORE FEATURES
MOVE TO PROTECT IRISH HARES |
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