Hare vs Jackrabbit

Jackrabbits are not rabbits at all. They are hares, and the National Park Service says so directly. Early settlers called them jackass rabbits for their long ears, and the name was later shortened. So hare and jackrabbit are not opposite choices. That is why the two words overlap rather than compete.

This page compares what all hares share with what makes a jackrabbit, using the black-tailed jackrabbit as the example. The sources describe jackrabbits well, but do not cover every other hare, so the quiz can confirm jackrabbit traits and is cautious about the rest. Ears, tail, and habitat are the practical clues.

Hare vs Jackrabbit side by side

Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.

When you are looking at which

Hare (the group)

• You are asking what makes a hare different from a rabbit, since jackrabbits are one kind of hare.
• You found a newborn that is already furry with open eyes and hopping around.
• The animal escapes by running in zigzags across open ground rather than ducking into a burrow.
• You are reading about hares in general, not a specific species.

Jackrabbit (black-tailed)

• You see very long ears with black tips, around 4 to 7 inches.
• A dark stripe runs along the top of the tail.
• You are in open, dry, flat country with short grass, such as Texas or the Southwest.
• It bounded away at high speed, with leaps of 10 to 20 feet.

How this works

Because a jackrabbit is a hare, the quiz does not try to separate two different animals. It checks whether the cues match a black-tailed jackrabbit, and treats everything else as a hare or rabbit of unknown kind. Answer only what you saw, and choose I can't tell for the rest, since each skipped cue simply drops out of the result.

The sources describe the black-tailed jackrabbit best, so other jackrabbits, such as the white-tailed species, and other hares are not scored in detail. Check your state wildlife agency for ranges. A result that does not match a jackrabbit is not proof of another species, only that the jackrabbit cues are missing.

Where these numbers come from

The figures and defaults on this page are based on:

• National Park Service: Rabbits and Hares, Golden Spike NHP, Jackrabbits are hares, hares are born furry with eyes open. (checked October 2026)
• National Park Service: Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Big Bend, Ears, tail stripe, size, speed, leaps, and litters. (checked October 2026)
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine: When Is a Rabbit Not a Rabbit?, Name origin, precocial young, size, speed, and ears as cooling system. (checked October 2026)

Field-identification guide. Wild hares should be observed from a distance, and local wildlife agencies can confirm species.