The Hare The Hare
(Giorria) Although the hare and the rabbit are similar in appearance, the hare is larger.They also have longer ears and hind legs and can run faster. They feed on grass, cereals, root vegetables and tree barks. The mother hare feeds her milk to the young (called leverets) as they hide in their form. When they are born the leverets can see quite well and are covered in fur. They are born above the ground, and not in burrows like rabbits.
They can reach speeds of up to 75 km/hr. They are hunted by foxes and birds of prey. The hare doesn't make a burrow like a rabbit. They live above the ground and have good camouflage. Sometimes hares might hide in a convenient rabbit burrow if being hunted by hounds. Hares have been hunted in Ireland for many generations. Chasing the hares with greyhounds is called coursing. Mountain hares in the north of Europe often turn white in winter, but in Ireland the hares remain brown all year round.
By Mark Shields and Richard Kavanagh
