CreatureData

Arctic hare vs Cape hare

The Arctic hare is heavier: 4.41 kg against 3.26 kg for the cape hare, about 35% more.

Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus)
Arctic hare LCLeast Concern
Photo: Chmee2 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cape hare (Lepus capensis)
Cape hare LCLeast Concern
Photo: Caroluspoort · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What is the difference between a Arctic hare and a cape hare?

Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.

  • The Arctic hare is heavier: 4.41 kg against 3.26 kg for the cape hare, about 35% more.
  • The Arctic hare is longer-lived: 10.1 years against 8.9 years for the cape hare, about 14% longer.
  • Both belong to the genus Lepus, so they are close relatives.
  • Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Side by side

Arctic hareCape hare
Scientific nameLepus arcticusLepus capensis
FamilyLeporidaeLeporidae
OrderLagomorphaLagomorpha
Weight3.03 kg – 4.41 kg2.2 kg – 3.26 kg
LengthNot recordedNot recorded
Lifespan10.1 years8.9 years
Main foodNot recordedNot recorded
HabitatNot recordedNot recorded
Conservation statusLeast ConcernLeast Concern
Countries recordedNot recordedNot recorded

A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.

Full record: Arctic hareFull record: Cape hareCompare other animals