ANIMAL FACTS
HARE
Scientific name: Lepus europaeus
ALL ABOUT HARES
Scott Tilley
The sight of the graceful brown hare bounding across
the fields symbolises the British countryside.
Brown hares can often be seen ‘boxing’ during the
mating season. These are uninterested females
fighting off courting males, giving rise to the phrase
‘mad as a March hare’.
The brown hare has become increasingly rare. It is
second only to the water vole as the British mammal
which has shown the greatest decline during the
past century.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Scott Tilley
Hares grow up to 70cm long and 7kg in weight. Their
fur is yellowish-brown with grey tints. The belly and
underside of the tail are white. Their ears are very
long and black-tipped and their large eyes are set
on either side of the head. Their hindlegs are much
longer and more powerful than their forelegs.
WHEN & WHERE TO SEE
Hares prefer open habitats and are found in most
flat country, particularly on arable land. They also
use woodlands and hedgerows as resting areas.
Hares live above ground and are solitary creatures
for most of the year, though they sometimes feed in
groups.
It is usually easier to see hares during the breeding
season in spring when they change their
behaviour and can be seen in broad daylight
chasing one another around meadows. They will
be indulging in courtship or mating: several males
pursuing one female and older or dominant males
chasing away the competition.
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
Brown hares are easy to tell from
rabbits as they are much larger,
with longer ears and limbs and are
more upright in posture.
Brown hares are herbivores and
feed on young broadleaved
plants, crops, berries, fungi and
roots. They normally switch from
herbs in the summer to grasses
in the winter.
Hares do not hibernate or store
large amounts of fat in their bodies
and so need a constant food supply
throughout the year. This can only be
provided by landscapes rich in
biodiversity. The intensification of
farming in Britain has reduced this
biodiversity, lessening the brown hare’s food
supply. The removal of miles of hedgerows has also
reduced vital cover. These changes in agricultural practice are a major factor in the
decline in their numbers. An increase in the number of predators (principally foxes)
may also be significant.
Female brown hares can give birth to 3 litters a year, each litter typically containing
4 young (known as leverets). These are born with a full coat of fur and open eyes.
Each leveret is born in a separate ‘form’ , a shallow depression in the ground which it
can leave soon after birth, and it is weaned after approximately 1 month.
Hares rely on running fast to put distance between themselves and danger. They are
the fastest land mammal in the UK, able to reach speeds of 35 miles per hour!
You can assist the work of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust in looking after the brown
hare. The Trust runs an Adopt a Brown Hare scheme, where you can help provide
funding to protect their habitat. If you would like more information, please contact the
Adopt a Species team on 0115 958 8242.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
We are Nottinghamshire’s largest environmental charity.
We care for more than 70 nature reserves around the county,
working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone.
Alongside 47 other UK Wildlife Trusts, we stand up to protect local wildlife
and habitats. For further information please visit our website:
www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org
Address: The Old Ragged School, Brook St, Nottingham, NG1 1EA.
Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0115 958 8242
Charity no. 224168R. Registered in England, no.748865.
Sean Browne
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