What's the Difference Between Rabbits and Hares?
For one, they're separate species—and hares are bigger, have longer ears, and are less social than bunnies.
Hares and rabbits look similar, and some may hop to the conclusion that they're the same animal.
Not so fast. Our Weird Animal Question of the Week comes from Tristan Ishtar, who asked: "What's the difference between a rabbit and a hare? And is that where 'hare brained' came from?"
The short answer: A lot, and yes—the adjective "harebrained" likely refers to hares' skittish tendencies, especially in captivity.
Hares and rabbits are in the same family, Leporidae, but they're "different species, like sheep and goats are different species," Steven Lukefahr, a geneticist at Texas A&M University in Kingsville, said via email.
Hares are also larger, have longer ears, and are less social than rabbits. The "most profound difference" is seen in
