Hares and rabbits are in a group known as the ‘lagomorphs’. The taxonomic level of this group is the Order, and the Latin (which is the language used for biological naming) is Lagomorpha.
There are three species of lagomorph in Scotland: the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus); the brown hare (Lepus europaeus); and the mountain hare (Lepus timidus).
In this activity you’ll see a number of statements about one or more of these lagomorphs. See if you can assign them to the right species. Some will apply to only one, but some might apply to two or more. Answers are available as a download at the bottom of the page – but no cheating!
Quiz:
- Native to Scotland
- Introduced to Britain by the Romans
- Introduced to Britain by the Normans
- Has black tips to the ears
- Young are born naked and unable to see
- Young are born with full fur and able to see
- Lives in an underground burrow system, called a warren
- The young is called a leveret
- The young is called a kit
- Vegetarian – likes grasses, herbs, and shoots
- Vegetarian – likes grasses, herbs, shoots and heather
- Has a white coat in the winter, for camouflage
- Has the smallest ears
- Has the largest ears
- Has long incisor teeth and chews its food sideways
- Most active at dawn, dusk and night
- Mainly found in treeless, grassy habitats
- Mainly found in woodland, moorland, hills and mountains
- Mainly found in short grassy habitats, including gardens
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