Smith, Rebecca K., et al. Conservation of European hares Lepus europaeus in Britain: is increasing habitat heterogeneity in farmland the answer? Journal of Applied Ecology 41.6 (2004): 1092-1102. [5] As we read The Wood through the eyes of a Master Woodsman so we read The Running Hare through the eyes of a skilled Farmer and Landsman bringing forth a wealth of sacred knowledge that will serve us well into the future. East Asia: In Japan, Vietnam Thailand, Sri Lanka, Korea, Cambodia and India, the hare is seen as a Moon deity. The Chinese see the hare as a companion to moon goddess Chang’e. Fans of Lewis-Stempel's bestselling Meadowlandwill find here the same easy-reading prose fuelled by daft-as-a-brush enthusiasm and embellished with lyrical flourishes ... the mud-spattered details of a farming life lend The Running Hare a unique realness.' - The Mail on Sunday The Tolai hare (originally described as a Cape hare, amended according to range) was tamed by northern Chinese people in the neolithic period (~third millennium BC) and fed millets.

Natasha E. McGowan, Neal McDermott, Richard Stone, Liam Lysaght, S. Karina Dingerkus, Anthony Caravaggi, Ian Kerr, Neil Reid, National Hare Survey & Population Assessment 2017-2019, [report], National Parks and Wildlife Service. Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 2019-11, Irish wildlife manuals, No.113, 2019 [7] Hares can be prepared in the same manner as rabbits—commonly roasted or parted for breading and frying.

Both hares and rabbits have a reputation for a prolific rate of reproduction. The female can typically produce one to eight children in a single litter (rarely up to 15) with up to three litters per year. The amount of young usually depends on the abundance of food. The mother will typically carry the children for around 40 days. Hidden in large grasses or depressions, the young hares, also known as leverets, are born with their eyes open and their fur completely grown. They are able to begin hopping within minutes of emerging from the womb. This is because they won’t have the protection of a larger group. The mother herself only visits the children once every day for very short periods, usually to nurse them. a b c d e f g h i j k l Chapman, Joseph A.; Flux, John E. C. (1990). Rabbits, Hares and Pikas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN. pp.62, 76–78. ISBN 978-2-8317-0019-9. The hare has given rise to local place names, as they can often be observed in favoured localities. An example in Scotland is 'Murchland', 'murchen' being a Scots word for a hare. [35] See also [ edit ]

Hsu, T. C. (1967). An Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes: Volume 1. Kurt Benirschke. New York, NY: Springer New York. ISBN 978-1-4615-6422-5. OCLC 851820869.Having so enjoyed a year in the life of The Wood by John Lewis-Stempel (reviewed here on Goodreads), I was even more absorbed by 'The Running Hare' which shares the story of a barren field transformed into a sanctuary for Nature and a golden sea of wheat - sown and scattered using the traditional tools and methods of the old farming ways. The European hare is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because it has a wide range and is moderately abundant. However, populations have been declining in mainland Europe since the 1960s, at least partly due to changes in farming practices. The hare has been hunted across Europe for centuries, with more than five million being shot each year; in Britain, it has traditionally been hunted by beagling and hare coursing, but these field sports are now illegal. The hare has been a traditional symbol of fertility and reproduction in some cultures and its courtship behaviour in the spring inspired the English idiom mad as a March hare.

Hare meat and blood have both been used across the globe through centuries as a source of protein. Hare are available everywhere and their numbers are plenty, which is why hunting activities are unregulated compared to other game. They have also been used for sport hunting activities, in America, many European countries and the UK. Database, Mammal Diversity (2022-02-01), Mammal Diversity Database, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.5945626 , retrieved 2022-03-24 There is some debate as to whether the European hare and the Cape hare are the same species. A 2005 nuclear gene pool study suggested that they are, [9] but a 2006 study of the mitochondrial DNA of these same animals concluded that they had diverged sufficiently widely to be considered separate species. [10] A 2008 study claims that in the case of Lepus species, with their rapid evolution, species designation cannot be based solely on mtDNA but should also include an examination of the nuclear gene pool. It is possible that the genetic differences between the European and Cape hare are due to geographic separation rather than actual divergence. It has been speculated that in the Near East, hare populations are intergrading and experiencing gene flow. [11] Another 2008 study suggests that more research is needed before a conclusion is reached as to whether a species complex exists; [12] the European hare remains classified as a single species until further data contradicts this assumption. [1] Edwards, P. J., M. R. Fletcher, and P. Berny. Review of the factors affecting the decline of the European brown hare, Lepus europaeus (Pallas, 1778) and the use of wildlife incident data to evaluate the significance of paraquat. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment 79.2-3 (2000): 95-103. [3]European Hare– Native to Europe and parts of Asia. Most common species in Europe. Habitat is open areas. In Europe, the hare has been a symbol of sex and fertility since at least Ancient Greece. The Greeks associated it with the gods Dionysus, Aphrodite and Artemis as well as with satyrs and cupids. The Christian Church connected the hare with lustfulness and homosexuality, but also associated it with the persecution of the church because of the way it was commonly hunted. [48] Avril, A.; Letty, J.; Léonard, Y.; Pontier, D. (2014). "Exploration forays in juvenile European hares ( Lepus europaeus): dispersal preludes or hunting-induced troubles?". BMC Ecology. 14: 16. doi: 10.1186/1472-6785-14-6. PMC 3943402. PMID 24568541.