European hare

Lepus europaeus

A large hare of open country across Europe and western Asia. Long legs and ears support fast running in exposed habitats.

Key facts

European hare (Lepus europaeus) is a herbivore animal classified as Mammal · Lagomorpha · Leporidae.
Primary habitats are grassland · forest · urban, with a range across Palearctic.
Activity is crepuscular, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A large hare of open country across Europe and western Asia.
European hares use grassland, farmland, pasture, open woodland, and forest edges.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

European hares use grassland, farmland, pasture, open woodland, and forest edges. They favor low cover beside open escape routes.

They have a long body, long ears with black tips, and powerful hind legs. Unlike some northern hares, they do not turn fully white in winter.

They usually feed alone at dusk or night and rest in shallow ground forms. When alarmed, they escape with speed and sudden turns.

They eat grasses, herbs, crops, shoots, and bark. Reingesting soft droppings helps extract nutrients from plant food.

Females give birth above ground to furred, open-eyed young. During the breeding season, boxing behavior occurs between rivals or mates.

The species can thrive in farmland, but intensive agriculture and loss of cover have reduced numbers in some regions.