February 13th: Day of the Hare

In the French Revolutionary calendar, today is Day of the Hare, so let's have ten facts about hares.

1. Hares belong to the genus Lepus, so they are related to Rabbits, but there are several differences between hares and rabbits. Hares are bigger, have longer ears, and are more solitary than rabbits which tend to live in groups.
2. Unlike rabbits, young hares (or leverets) are born with fur and with their eyes open. They can fend for themselves when they are an hour old. Since hares do not live in burrows underground as rabbits do, but in shallow nests above ground, this is important.
3. They are usually shy but in spring they behave differently. They can be seen running around chasing each other and boxing. It was always assumed that boxing hares were males competing for dominance and the pick of the females, but closer observation has shown that it is usually a female fighting off a randy male because she isn't in the mood. The animals' behaviour at this time is thought to be the origin of the phrase "mad as a March hare."
4. Unlike their cousins the rabbits, hares are never kept as pets, although there is a type of pet rabbit that has been selectively bred to look like a hare.
5. They don't escape getting eaten, though. (Except by Jewish people as they are not kosher.) Jugged hare is a well known dish. The first step of the original recipe is said to be "First, catch your hare."
6. Easier said than done as The European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) can run up to 56 km/h (35 mph).
7. The hare was regarded as an animal sacred to Aphrodite and Eros because of its high libido. Live hares were often presented as a gift of love.
8. Brer Rabbit is really a hare. The Brer Rabbit stories are based on African folk tales featuring the hare as trickster.
9. Many cultures, including the Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican, see a hare in the pattern of dark patches in the Moon (easier to see if you look at the moon upside down).
10. In English and Irish tradition hares are associated with witches and Fairies. In one tale a witch goes out hunting disguised as a white hare. In these stories, anyone who harms a hare is asking for trouble.

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