Which are the members that belong to the rabbit family?

       Have you ever had any doubt about who lost the race to the tortoise? Was it a rabbit or a hare? Or, are they the same? The rabbit and hare are two different species that belong to the Leporidae family.

       The name ‘leporidae’ comes from the Latin language. The word means ‘those that resemble a hare’. A hare is called lepus in Latin. Leporids live in grassy lands. Their large eyes and long ears help them see and listen for predators. The ears of a hare can grow more than 10 centimetres long. The animal has powerful hind legs too. The eyes of the animal are so big that it can see above and even behind itself, so that it can spot predators that target it from the far sky.

       The members of the family vary considerably in size. The smallest in the family has a length of 25 to 30 centimetres from head to rear, and weighs about 500 grams. On the other hand, the European hare is 60 to 76 centimetres long, and weighs about 2.5 to 5 kilograms.

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