Arctic Hare vs Common Seal

Lepus arcticus compared with Phoca vitulina

Key Differences

Arctic Hare is Least Concern while Common Seal is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arctic Hare	Common Seal
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Pinnipedia (Seals & Sea Lions)
Family	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)	Phocidae (True Seals)
Genus	Lepus	Phoca (Harbor Seals)
Species	Lepus arcticus	Phoca vitulina

Evolutionary Relationship

Arctic Hare and Common Seal share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

View Class: Mammalia

Conservation Status

Arctic Hare

LC — Least Concern

Common Seal

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arctic Hare	Common Seal
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arctic Hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Norway.

Common Seal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Arctic Hare

The Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) is a species in the genus Lepus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

The most widely distributed pinniped, harbor seals inhabit temperate and subarctic coastal waters of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific. Adults reach up to 130 kg and spend roughly equal time at sea hunting fish, squid, and crustaceans and hauling out on beaches or rocks to rest. Their large, expressive eyes are adapted for underwater vision in low light. Harbor seals are a critical food source for orcas, sharks, and polar bears.