Brown hare

Lepus europaeus

Brown Hare

The Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) is still in our garden and has been for a few days. It only retreats a short distance and seem lethargic although there is no other sign of illness. I wonder if it might be suffering from Rabbit Haemorrhagic disease. This is a disease of Lagomorpha (Rabbits and Hares). It has shown no interest in a carrot which I placed in its vicinity. Brown hares are thought to have been introduced during Iron Age times. They have been introduced to Ireland without spreading far, Orkney and even New Zealand.

The mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is native to Scotland. It has shorter ears and is somewhat smaller than the brown hare. They can still be found on Beinn a Chuallaich and Schiehallion but there are not nearly as many as there used to be. Mountain hares turn white in the winter for camouflage in the snow. They have been culled in some areas because they were thought to carry ticks which could transfer to grouse and affect grouse numbers on sporting estates.

(13th December 2019)

Brown hare (top photo) Mountain hare (bottom photo) (Wiki Commons)