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Research has found that the more litters hares have the smaller the litter size tends to be. In some locations they can cause damage to seedlings orchards horticultural crops and soil conservation areas.

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Hares are not a declared pest.

Are there hares in australia. European hares have an average 42 day gestation period but this ranges from 38 46 days. Hares are officially regarded as a minor pest and therefore dr stott says research funding is hard to come by. But he predicts should the lid be taken off australia s population it will only take a couple of years before farmers are faced with plague numbers.

Hares lepus europaeus occidentalis are an introduced species into australia and have spread throughout most grassland areas. There are several genera and hundreds of species some of which can grow up to 14 kg. Hares currently exist in huntable numbers in victoria new south wales tasmania south australia and southern queensland.

The standard size however is around 20 centimetres. Rabbits are smaller than hares but often dominate them and force hares out. Rabbits and hares are different species and do not interbreed.

Feature rabbits hares origins not native to australia originate. At birth leverets are fully furred 13 17 cm in length and weigh 80 180 g. Hares are mainly nocturnal animals moving over wide areas to graze on young grasses cereals and herbs2.

Professor culum brown from macquarie university s department of biological sciences says sea hares are incredibly common making regular visits to australia s coastline. Abyssinian hare lepus habessinicus subgenus macrotolagus antelope jackrabbit lepus alleni antelope jackrabbit lepus alleni subgenus poecilolagus snowshoe hare lepus americanus snowshoe hare lepus americanus subgenus lepus arctic hare lepus arcticus alaskan hare lepus othus mountain hare. There is no requirement to con trol hares.

Thankfully for our primary producers the population has now levelled out to a tolerable situation in most areas and the hare is only considered a pest when it raids cereal and lucerne crops or gnaws the bark from fruit trees and vines. Little is known about the breeding habits of european hares in australia. They feed at night and mainly rest during the day while they digest the previous night s forage.

It is important to be able to dis tinguish between the two species. Hares look similar to rabbits but are a lot bigger and have black tipped ears. Mountain hares are smaller than brown hares have grey fur which goes white in winter and have shorter legs and ears.