The hare is an animal that has been featured prominently in the mythology and folklore of human societies around the world.
The legend of the White Hare, in which the spirit of a woman takes the form of a hare and haunts the earth at night, is a central pillar of some British folklore. These animals are also a common motif in literature and art, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In some traditions, it is depicted as a trickster.
The hare is a nocturnal animal that spends the night awake and the day sleeping. These animals have a rather distinctive appearance characterized by their extremely long ears, long hind legs, short snout, big eyes, and stout body. They are typically adorned with white, black, gray, tan, or reddish-orange colors to blend in with the surroundings. Some species turn white during the winter months or remain white all year long as a form of camouflage in the snow. In order to change color, these hares molt in the spring.
Hares are the physically largest animals in the order of Lagomorphs. They are even larger than the closely related rabbits and the pikas. Measuring about 16 to 28 inches from head to tail, they are a little larger than the typical house cat. The body is complemented with 6-inch feet and 8-inch ears. The heaviest species is the arctic hare at around 11 pounds. The male is known as a jack, while the female is called a jill. Both are fairly similar in size and appearance, though females do tend to be a little larger, which is uncommon for a mammal.