Fun Trivia » Animals » Wild Mammals » Lagomorphs-Rabbits,Hares, Pikas

El Pelado, Iztaccihuatl, Popocatepetl and Tlaloc are all volcanoes and the tiny rabbit found on their slopes is therefore known as the volcano rabbit, although it does have other alternative names such as the teporingo or the zacatuche. They generally have dense dark brown fur, short rounded ears and a very small tuft of a tail. Unfortunately you would be very lucky to spot a volcano rabbit in the wild as they have become endangered thanks to their limited range and human disturbance of their habitat. In fact, as a result of one of their more unusual habits for rabbits, you might be more likely to hear one - instead of thumping their hind legs to indicate danger to other rabbits, they tend to emit a high-pitched squeaking noise.

Although volcano rabbits are known for living at high altitudes, this trait has not been incorporated into their common name; a lava block is something you might give your pet rabbit to chew on rather than an actual rabbit; and a cinder cone is a particular type of steep, conical volcano while coney is a colloquial term for various lagomorphs. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Altitude rabbit, Cinder coney, Lava block rabbit

Hares generally have longer ears than rabbits,and are more likely to have black markings on their fur. Both are classified in Order Lagomorpha, along with pikas, and in Family Leporidae. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rabbits, Neither has ears, Both always have the same size ears

The Jackrabbit lives in semidesert and prairie regions in North America. It is a nocturnal animal. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Average.

 

In the city, In Yellowstone National Park, Rain forest

Lagomorphs are groups of mammals that include (1) pikas and (2) hares and rabbits.

Pikas, with their short limbs, rounded ears and a profile that looks almost egg-like, resemble rodents and, for a time, they were categorized as such. They tend to prefer the colder areas, in particular the mountainous zones, of Europe, Asia and North America.

Rabbits and hares are medium sized mammals with short tails and long hind legs. They're both crepuscular and nocturnal and, to aid them in this, they have great night vision and acute hearing.
Difficulty: Hard.

 

4, 6, 8

With their larger hind feet and longer legs, hares are superior jumpers. Hares can move at speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour, and may leap up to 20 feet in a single bound. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Rabbits, Both have feet the same size, Either one could have larger feet and legs.

The Jackrabbit's life span is 1 to 5 years. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

6 to 8 years, 10 to 14 years, 9 to 12 years

There are some 50 species of hares and rabbits with the most well-known of these being the Arctic hare, the Eastern cottontail and the European hare. Pikas are not as diverse now, as they were in the Miocene era, and there are (only) about 30-34 species in existence today. With the extinction of most of the ancient pikas, we are left with the extant (surviving) genus called Ochotona. These have developed/evolved to thrive in colder and higher elevated environments, predominantly in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

(Footnote) The Red Baron is said to have shot down 80 aircraft during his career. This was immortalized in the 1966 song by The Royal Guardsmen, "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron". Difficulty: Hard.

 

35, 45, 65

All of the countries listed as possible answers have territory within the Arctic Circle, however the Arctic hare can only be found in the wild in those regions of Canada and Greenland. It is one of the most distinctive members of the order Lagomorpha as it is one of the biggest and has beautiful thick white fur when wearing its winter coat (in summer it turns brownish-grey). The white fur helps to camouflage it against the snow in winter, while another of its physical features that help it to live in some of the most inhospitable territory on Earth are the large hind feet that act as natural snowshoes.

Arctic hares are not the most social creatures but will sometimes congregate together - particularly in winter, when huddling with other hares helps them to survive the freezing temperatures. Although they are quite speedy, being capable of reaching up to 60 km/h (40 mph), they do have a nasty habit of falling prey to Arctic foxes, grey wolves and snowy owls. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Russia and the USA, Iceland and Norway, Finland and Sweden

Bucks and does are terms used to describe the males and females of many species of animals, including deer and antelopes, some rodents such rats, mice, gerbils and hamsters, and even goats, kangaroo, and weasels. Historically, hares were called jacks and jills but this has dropped out of use. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rabbits, Hares, Neither rabbits nor hares

The Jackrabbit reaches sexual maturity at 8 months of age. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

18 months, 28 months, 8 weeks

The swamp rabbit, Sylvilagus aquaticus, has several alternative names including cane-cutter, swamp hare and marsh rabbit (which opens up real confusion as that name is usually given to Sylvilagus palustris). They live, somewhat unsurprisingly, in and around swampy or marshy land in central areas of southern states of the USA, particularly Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition to chomping their way through vegetation, male swamp rabbits also use their teeth in fights against rivals.

Swamp rabbits can be identified by their rusty-brown fur with distinctive white patches around their throat, rump and tail and a cinnamon-coloured ring of fur around their eyes. They are excellent swimmers and spent much of their time in the water - one particularly neat trick that they have for avoiding predators is to lie still under the reeds and plant-life, with just their nose left sticking out in order to be able to breathe! Difficulty: Hard.

 

Tree-trimmer, Sedge-snipper, Bush-biter

Baby rabbits are called kittens or kits. Baby hares are called leverets. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hares, Both rabbits and hares, Neither rabbits nor hares

The breeding season is from January to September. Spring is peak time. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

January to April, January to August, All year long

The mountain hare, Lepus timidus, is widespread across northern Europe and Asia, including the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, Poland, Russia and Japan in addition to the British Isles. It is by no means the only or most populous lagomorph present in Great Britain, but it is the only one native to the area as both the brown hare and the European or common rabbit are believed to have been introduced in Roman times. By contrast, some mountain hare bones found in Britain have been dated to over 100,000 years ago.

Although it once roamed the whole of Great Britain, the mountain hare is now generally restricted to areas of northern Scotland. It is also found on the Isle of Man and in Ireland - one of its many alternative names is the Irish hare, while others include tundra hare, blue hare, variable hare and white hare. The latter two names are explained by the fact that its coat changes colour dependent on the temperature of its environment, so it tends to have a brownish coat in summer and a white one in the winter.

All of the incorrect options are real hares, but none of them are found in Great Britain - in particular Manchuria is an area of eastern Russia and China and the hare from that region shouldn't be confused with Mancunian, the term given to inhabitants of the English city of Manchester. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Manchurian hare, Broom hare, Woolly hare

Both hares and rabbits are herbivores and eat a variety of vegetation, like grasses and leaves. The type of vegetation preferred by each species of rabbit or hare depends upon its environment. Like the front teeth of rodents, the teeth of rabbits and hares grow continually and are worn down by chewing plant material. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Neither hares nor rabbits, Hares, Rabbits

Females can have 3 to 4 litters a year. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

8 to 12 litters a year, 1 litter a year, 1 litter every 2 years

The gestation period is 41 to 47 days. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

31 to 37 days, 62 to 83 days, 90 to 93 days

The scrub hare is endemic to southern Africa and is particularly populous in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho and parts of southern Namibia. It is a generally nocturnal creature, spending the day lying flat and still in an indentation or depression in the ground. Its fur allows it to blend into its surroundings - the back, head and the top half of its tail (the main bits on show while lying on the ground) tend to be grey with mottled darker patches, while its front and the underside of its tail are white.

Scrub hares only tend to congregate together during the mating season and are otherwise solitary creatures. The female hares don't tend to spend much time with their offspring either as the young leverets are born fully furred and almost fully independent. However, the lack of parental care - along with the fact that these hares are common prey for cheetahs, jackals and various birds - means that is probably not surprising that the majority of scrub hares don't survive their first year. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Australia, Europe, South America

While hares are born with fur and eyes open, rabbits are born naked with their eyes closed. Rabbits are more likely to be born in sheltered burrows underground, while hares are more likely to born without the protection and safety of the burrow and so need the ability to take care of themselves sooner after birth. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Rabbits, Both hares and rabbits, Neither hares nor rabbits

Jackrabbits can leap as high as 5 feet. They can reach a speed of 50 miles per hour. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

as high as 7 feet, as high as 9 feet, as high as 11 feet

Jackrabbits can reach a speed of 50 mph. (Time Life - Wildlife Fact File). Difficulty: Hard.

 

45 mph, 40 mph, 35 mph

Of the (frankly distinctly unappealing) options, the only one that hares and rabbits eat on a regular basis is faeces - specifically, their own. The first digestion process of their diet of various plant materials does not absorb all the nutrients available, so these animals eat their initial droppings so that their digestive system can have a second go at obtaining them. The process is analogous to (but quite a bit more disgusting than) the rumination process used by cattle and sheep.

African savanna hares are found across much of sub-Saharan Africa and tend to be solitary. They have greyish-brown fur on their upper head and back, reddish-brown fur on their legs, white fur on their front and undersides and black-tipped ears. This might be useful information if they refuse to open their mouths to allow you to identify them by their grooved teeth.

Eating blood is known as haematophagy, eating the placenta or afterbirth is called placentophagy and eating bones is referred to as osteophagy. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Blood clots, Placentas, Bones

Cottontails are rabbits because they have shorter ears, smaller feet, and short legs. They hide when threatened. When born, cottontails are naked and have their eyes closed. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Hares, Both rabbits and hares, Neither rabbits nor hares

A jackrabbit is a hare because it has longer ears, large hind feet, and long legs for jumping, and because it is born with fur and with its eyes open. Difficulty: Average.

 

Rabbit, Both rabbit and hare, Neither rabbit nor hare