17 Facts About European hare

European hare, known as the brown hare, is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Asia.

European hare is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because it has a wide range and is moderately abundant.

The European hare has been hunted across Europe for centuries, with more than five million being shot each year; in Britain, it has traditionally been hunted by beagling and European hare coursing, but these field sports are now illegal.

European hare was first described in 1778 by German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas.

European hare, like other members of the family Leporidae, is a fast-running terrestrial mammal; it has eyes set high on the sides of its head, long ears and a flexible neck.

Related searches

European hare is native to much of continental Europe and part of Asia.

In Poland, the European hare is most abundant in areas with few forest edges, perhaps because foxes can use these for cover.

In Great Britain, the European hare is seen most frequently on arable farms, especially those with crop rotation and fallow land, wheat and sugar beet crops.

European hare is primarily nocturnal and spends a third of its time foraging.

European hare is primarily herbivorous and forages for wild grasses and weeds.

Mating system of the European hare has been described as both polygynous and promiscuous.

European brown hare syndrome is a disease caused by a calicivirus similar to that causing rabbit haemorrhagic disease and can similarly be fatal, but cross infection between the two mammal species does not occur.

In beagling, the European hare is hunted with a pack of small hunting dogs, beagles, followed by the human hunters on foot.

Hare is traditionally cooked by jugging: a whole European hare is cut into pieces, marinated and cooked slowly with red wine and juniper berries in a tall jug that stands in a pan of water.

European hare has a wide range across Europe and western Asia and has been introduced to a number of other countries around the globe, often as a game species.

The European hare is an adaptable species and can move into new habitats, but it thrives best when there is an availability of a wide variety of weeds and other herbs to supplement its main diet of grasses.

The European hare is considered a pest in some areas; it is more likely to damage crops and young trees in winter when there are not enough alternative foodstuffs available.