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Difference Between a Bunny, a Rabbit and a Hare

I have noticed that the main question in many other U-Tubers comments section is “what is the difference between a bunny, a rabbit, and a hare?”

New Video – Interesting Rabbit Facts:

Well, rabbits and bunnies are not different from each other. Rabbits are informally called bunnies. Bunny is a simply and affectionate way of referring to a baby rabbit.

Rabbits and hares are both animals that belong to the same order of mammals, but they are separate species. Both animals have long ears, powerful back legs and a divided upper lip. But hares are larger than rabbits. And, instead of creating burrows, hares make nests in the grass. The exposed nesting sites of hares hint at another big difference, hares are born with their eyes open and fur grown in, which means they don’t require a lot of parental care. Rabbits, on the other hand, are born naked, blind and helpless, which is why it’s smart for them to live in more secure dens underground.

There are several important differences between rabbits and hares:
• Hares have not been domesticated, while rabbits are often kept as house pets.
• Rabbits are very social animals and live in colonies. Male rabbits even fight within a group to become the dominant male. On the other hand, hares live most of the time by themselves. There is almost no fighting among hares – they just pair off with a female.
• Rabbits prefer soft stems, grass or vegetables. Hares eat more hard food: bark and rind, buds, small twigs and shoots.

Now for some trivia:
• The Jackrabbit is actually a hare.
• The cottontail rabbit lives in a nest above the ground, much like a hare.
• Hares rely on running rather than burrowing for protection.
• Rabbits can see behind them without turning their heads.
• Rabbit’s eyes remain black when reflecting a bright light. In comparison human eyes appear red, cats and dogs – green, and deer eyes turn orange).

I hope that this clarifies the differences. So, baby rabbits are called bunnies, hares are wild rabbits, and rabbits are just rabbits!