Dark flying fox vs European hare

Pteropus subniger compared with Lepus europaeus

Key Differences

• Dark flying fox is Extinct while European hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Dark flying fox	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Pteropodidae (Fruit Bats)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Pteropus (Flying Foxes)	Lepus
Species	Pteropus subniger	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Dark flying fox

EX — Extinct

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Dark flying fox	European hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Dark flying fox

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.

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.