European hare vs Grayling

Lepus europaeus compared with Hipparchia semele

Key Differences

• European hare is Near Threatened while Grayling is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European hare	Grayling
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Lepus	Hipparchia
Species	Lepus europaeus	Hipparchia semele

Evolutionary Relationship

European hare and Grayling share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Grayling

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Grayling

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (37 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Grayling

Grayling (Hipparchia semele) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 9 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden