mountain hare vs Red Fox

Lepus timidus compared with Vulpes vulpes

Key Differences

• mountain hare is Near Threatened while Red Fox is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	mountain hare	Red Fox
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Lepus	Vulpes (Foxes)
Species	Lepus timidus	Vulpes vulpes

Evolutionary Relationship

mountain hare and Red Fox share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

mountain hare

NT — Near Threatened

Red Fox

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	mountain hare	Red Fox
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	70 cm
Average Weight	—	6.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

mountain hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Red Fox

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Cyprus, Israel), Europe (8 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina).

Red Fox

The most widespread wild carnivore on Earth, red foxes have colonized habitats from Arctic tundra to urban environments across the Northern Hemisphere and introduced ranges in Australia. Recognized by their russet coat, white belly, and bushy tail. Highly adaptable omnivores, red foxes eat everything from rabbits and voles to fruit and human refuse. They communicate with over 40 distinct vocalizations.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden