capybara vs European hare

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris compared with Lepus europaeus

Key Differences

• capybara is Least Concern while European hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	capybara	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Caviidae	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Hydrochoerus	Lepus
Species	Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

capybara and European hare share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

capybara

LC — Least Concern

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	capybara	European hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

capybara

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Belgium, Norway, Poland), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

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.

capybara

The Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a species in the genus Hydrochoerus. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States 🇻🇪 Venezuela