 The European hare ( Lepus europaeus ) , also known as the brown hare , is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Western Asia and Central Asia . It is a mammal adapted to temperate , open country . It is related to and looks very similar to the European rabbit , which is in the same family but in a different genus . Hares are larger than the European rabbit , have longer ears and hind legs and breed on the ground rather than in a burrow . They rely on speed to escape from predators . 
