How to Tell a Rabbit From a Hare

Most Americans grew up watching Bugs Bunny cartoons at the movies or on television. The clever titles often play on the words "Rabbit" and "Hare," and they suggest that Bugs Bunny is both a rabbit and a hare. You may wonder if both words mean the same animal; but they do not. Read on to learn a number of ways to tell a rabbit from a hare.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. If possible, observe their babies. Baby rabbits are born hairless, blind and unable to walk. Baby hares are fully furred, have their eyes open and can walk soon after birth.

2. Look at the underside of the tail. Rabbits have white fur under their tails, whereas hares have dark fur.

3. Look at the ears. Hares have longer ears than rabbits. Hares sometimes have black on the tips of their ears.

4. Look at the hind legs. Hares have larger hind legs than rabbits. This also means they can run faster.

5. Look at the color of the fur. Hares are golden brown, whereas rabbits have gray mixed into their brown coat. (Snowshoe hares turn pure white in the winter).

6. Look at their nesting areas. Rabbits dig burrows under the ground. Hares have nests on top of the ground.

7. Look at their social groups. Rabbits like to live with other rabbits. Hares are loners.