Credit to Richard Bowler/Rex/Shuttershock
Fact file
Latin name
Lepus europaeus
Threat status
Least Concern (Global)
Least Concern (Europe)
Least Concern (UK)
Identifying features
They are the one of the largest members of the hare family and are considerably larger than rabbits. They are noted for their long limbs and large ears which are black tipped. They are more brown in colour than a rabbit or mountain hare.
Habitat
They can be found in agricultural areas, especially arable land growing cereals and pasture that has been left fallow..
Numbers
Estimated at 1.3-2 million from the Mammal Society Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals.
Distribution
Found throughout most of continental Europe as well as into Asia, including the Russian steppe and Siberia. It has also been introduced to a number of countries including the US, South America, Australia and New Zealand. It was also introduced to the UK by the Romans.
They can be found throughout most of the UK, more commonly in the south and midlands, but are absent from the more mountainous regions of Scotland where mountain hare are the common species found.
Diet
They mostly eat wild grasses and herbaceous plants as well as other arable crops such as cereals.
Size
Adult hare weigh between 3-4kg with females being slightly heavier than males. Adult body length is around 490-610mm.
Life span
The average lifespan is around 2-3 years but there are examples of much older individuals living to around 5 years. There has been a recording of a wild individual living to be <12 years old.
Breeding
Females come into season at the end of February to October and are able to give birth to up to 3 litters that year. Gestation is around 40 days and they have litters of between 1-4 leverets. Leverets are fully weaned in a month
Survey techniques
The most common technique is spotlight counting which involves using a high powered torch at night to count the eye reflection that you get from hares.
Legislation in the UK
Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
UK Decline
Unfortunately brown hare populations have been in decline since the 1960’s. This has been attributed to many different factors including over-hunting as well as habitat loss due to changes in agricultural practice.
Courtesy of Dellex
Mad March Hare
At the peak of the mating season, the usually nocturnal males come out into the day time to fight for dominance as well as mate with females. This involves a lot of chasing as well as a behaviour known as “boxing” where males will square up to each other on their hind legs and use their front paws to “box” with their opponent. Females will also “box” to fend off any unsuitable males. This period is known as the “March madness” due to the usually docile hare becoming very aggressive.