Alpine Pika vs European hare

Ochotona alpina compared with Lepus europaeus

Key Differences

• Alpine Pika is Least Concern while European hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine Pika	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Ochotonidae	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Ochotona	Lepus
Species	Ochotona alpina	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpine Pika and European hare share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lagomorpha. (Rabbits & Hares)

Conservation Status

Alpine Pika

LC — Least Concern

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine Pika	European hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Pika

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

European hare

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), North America (4 countries), and South America (8 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Alpine Pika

The Alpine Pika (Ochotona alpina) is a species in the genus Ochotona. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

European hare

European hare (Lepus europaeus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.