The many species include the cottontail and the following:

is native to central and southern Europe and North Africa, and has been introduced into Australia, North America, and other regions far from its native home. All domestic rabbits were developed from this species. The European rabbit lives in large groups in underground warrens, burrows that are connected by runways. This rabbit is 16 to 18 inches (40 to 45 cm) long and may weigh as much as 6 pounds (2.7 kg). It has a grayish-brown coat.

The European rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.

resembles the cottontail but is larger, averaging a little more than 18 inches (45 cm) in length. It is dark brown on top, lighter underneath. It lives in swamps and marshes from eastern Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas east to northwestern South Carolina.

The swamp rabbit is Sylvilagus aquaticus.

is similar in color to the swamp rabbit, but is smaller and has relatively shorter ears and tail. It lives in marshes in Florida and along the coastal plain north to Virginia.

The marsh rabbit is Sylvilagus palustris.

is the common hare of Europe. It is also native to parts of Asia, and has been introduced into the United States and Canada. It averages about 24 inches (60 cm) in length, and has large ears and a relatively long tail. Its curly hair is dark brown. It is a fast runner and good swimmer.

The European hare is Lepus europaeus.

gets its names because its coat varies from brownish-gray in spring to white in autumn, and because in winter the fur on its feet grows more thickly and helps it to walk on snow. It is 14 to 18 inches (35 to 45 cm) long. It is found in North America ranging from Alaska to as far south as Tennessee in the east and northern California in the west.

The varying hare is Lepus americanus.

is found in central and western North America from British Columbia south into Mexico. There are six species. Jackrabbits range from 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) in length, and may weigh from six to eight pounds (2.7 to 3.6 kg). They vary in color from blackish gray to light brown or cream-colored above, and from white to dark brown below. The white-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbits change to a lighter color in winter. The white-tailed jackrabbit is one of the fastest hares, capable of attaining a speed of 45 miles an hour (72 km/h).

The white-tailed jackrabbit is Lepus townsendii; the black-tailed, L. californicus. The other species are the antelope jackrabbit, L. alleni; the white-sided, L. callotis; the black, L. insularis; and the Tehuantepec, L. flavigularis.

When it’s a jackrabbit! That’s because a jackrabbit is actually a hare. It is one of several lagomorphs whose names are confusing. For example, the snowshoe hare is often mistakenly called the snowshoe rabbit. And the Belgian hare is actually a breed of domestic rabbit.

Despite its confusing name, you can easily tell a jackrabbit from a true rabbit. A jackrabbit is much larger. It can grow nearly 27 inches (69 centimeters) long. That’s about 6 inches (15 centimeters) longer than the biggest wild rabbit. A jack rabbit may weigh up to 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms).

Jackrabbits live in the deserts and prairies of western North America. They like to eat plants with thick, juicy leaves and stems. One of their favorite foods is cactus, which holds lots of water.

A jackrabbit’s most outstanding feature is its long ears. They point straight up in the air. A jackrabbit’s ears may be up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long.

As with all rabbits and hares, a jackrabbit’s ears are shaped somewhat like a funnel. They give the hare excellent hearing. A jackrabbit can pick up many sounds that humans cannot hear. It can move its ears together or turn each one in a different direction.

A jackrabbit’s ears are important in another way, too. They help control the animal’s body temperature. In the summer, blood flows through the ears and is cooled off by the air. That keeps the hare cool. In the winter, less blood flows to the ears. That keeps the hare warm.