Arctic fox vs cape hare

Vulpes lagopus compared with Lepus capensis

Key Differences

• Arctic fox is Critically Endangered while cape hare is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic fox	cape hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Vulpes (Foxes)	Lepus
Species	Vulpes lagopus	Lepus capensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic fox and cape hare share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Arctic fox

CR — Critically Endangered

cape hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic fox	cape hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic fox

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

cape hare

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Italy.

Arctic fox

The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a species in the genus Vulpes. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

cape hare

The Cape Hare (Lepus capensis) is a species in the genus Lepus. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.