Rabbit is what type of animal

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 are also larger, have longer ears, and are less social than rabbits. The "most profound difference" is seen in baby hares versus baby bunnies, said Philip Stott , a wildlife ecologist at the University of Adelaide in Australia. See National Geographic's pictures of baby animals.

First off, a hare's pregnancy lasts 42 days, compared with rabbits' days with a bun ny in the oven. Newborn hares, called leverets, are fully developed at birth—furred with open eyes—while newborn rabbits, called kittens or kits, are born undeveloped, with closed eyes, no fur, and an inability to regulate their own temperature, Stott said.

Their nests are also worlds apart—"hares live completely aboveground, lacking the normal burrow or warren system of rabbits," said Michael Sheriff , an ecologist at Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania.

There is an exception to the burrowing-bunny rule—the cottontail , a type of American rabbit that does not burrow. As for "harebrained," which means flighty or foolish, Stott suspects it stems from the animals' unease in captivity, where they're prone to spooking at the slightest stimulus sometimes accidentally causing their own deaths.

Stott, who has tried hand-raising hares, said even those that are bottle-fed from day one never really relax in his company. The female hare, called a jill, tests the male, called a jack, by making him give chase over several miles, Stott says. If he catches her, she'll mate with him; if not, "he was poor paternal material anyway," Stott says. But if a female isn't ready to mate with a male who is chasing her, she might stand up and throw a punch right at him—or several.

Speed is crucial to hares' survival, especially for species that live on open plains, such as the European hare, which can run at 37 body lengths a second, he said. Trending Words Most popular in the world. Are You Learning English? Basic Guidelines For English Spellings. This is when they venture out to find food. The low light allows them to hide from predators.

Predators — which include owls, hawks, eagles, falcons, wild dogs, feral cats and ground squirrels — are a constant threat. Species : There are more than 50 species of rabbits. The domestic rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.

Found all over the world, scientists think most populations are descendants of domestic rabbits that were released in the wild. It is native to the Iberian Peninsula, and in that area, populations have declined as much as 95 percent from its numbers, and about 80 percent of its numbers.

The decline is attributed to habitat loss, disease and hunting. Rabbits are considered pests by many gardeners. Bunolagus monticularis , the riverine rabbit of South Africa , is critically endangered.

Loss of habitat is the main threat. Nesolagus netscheri , the Sumatran striped rabbit , is listed as vulnerable. It is a rare species, according to IUCN, and not well known locally. The species lives only on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, at altitudes between and 1, m 1, and 5, feet. Populations are declining because of invasive predators and habitat loss caused by forest clearing and resort construction. There are only about 5, individuals alive on Amami Island and on Tokuno Island. Their front paws have 5 toes each.

Some species of rabbit can reach speeds of 35 to 45 miles per hour 56 to 72 kilometers per hour. Young rabbits seem to walk instead of hop. Rabbits vary in color and size, ranging in weight from 2 to 16 pounds 1 to 7 kilograms , depending on breed.

Pet rabbits that have been well taken care of and spayed or neutered early in life have a life expectancy of 8 to 12 years. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Veterinary Manual was first published in as a service to the community. The legacy of this great resource continues in the online and mobile app versions today.