My Science School

       Although they are often confused there are many differences between the hare and the rabbits. They are faster too.

       Hares are the wild counterparts of domesticated rabbits. Rabbits are often kept as house pets, or grown for meat. Hare have longer ears and larger feet than rabbits.

       Rabbits are antiracial. This means that their young are born undeveloped with no hair and sight. However, hares, in contrast, are usually born with hair, and are able to see. While young rabbits depend on their mothers are able to fend for themselves very quickly after birth.

       The hind legs of hares are longer and stronger. While rabbits live underground, in burrows and warrens, hares live in simple nests above the ground. Both animals have short tails.

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       Have you ever had any doubt about who lost the race to the tortoise? Was it a rabbit or a hare? Or, are they the same? The rabbit and hare are two different species that belong to the Leporidae family.

       The name ‘leporidae’ comes from the Latin language. The word means ‘those that resemble a hare’. A hare is called lepus in Latin. Leporids live in grassy lands. Their large eyes and long ears help them see and listen for predators. The ears of a hare can grow more than 10 centimetres long. The animal has powerful hind legs too. The eyes of the animal are so big that it can see above and even behind itself, so that it can spot predators that target it from the far sky.

       The members of the family vary considerably in size. The smallest in the family has a length of 25 to 30 centimetres from head to rear, and weighs about 500 grams. On the other hand, the European hare is 60 to 76 centimetres long, and weighs about 2.5 to 5 kilograms.

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       Do you know how long the neck of a giraffe is? It is as long as 5.7 metres, and the weight of the giraffe is about a whopping 1192 kilograms!

       The long legs of the giraffe are strong too. A giraffe can run as fast as 60 kilometres per hour covering short distances! However, if the animal decides to take s long stride, it can run at a speed of 16 km/h. The tongue of the animal is also very long. The 53 centimetres tongue helps them pluck tasty morsels from branches. Giraffes love spending time eating incessantly.

       The chief advantage of the animal is its exceptional eyesight. Having a long neck and superb eyesight can help the animal spot enemies, such as hyenas and lions, from a long distance. The long neck is also used like a hammer to hit another giraffe when fighting for a mate or over other disputes.

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       We all know which the tallest animal in the world is. It is none other than the giraffe. The name of the family to which the giraffes belongs is Giraffidae. There are only two members in the family – the giraffe and the okapi.

       The okapi does not have many similarities with the giraffe. It does not have a long neck like a giraffe. It looks more like a zebra. The hind of the animal are striped. In spite of all these differences, there are certain similarities between them. Both animals have a long, dark coloured tongue and horns covered in skin called ossicones.

       The okapi is also called the forest giraffe or zebra giraffe. It has a height of 1.5 metres at the shoulder and has an average body length around 2,5 m. Its weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg.

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       Although giraffes and okapis belong to the same family, they live in different places, and possess varied behavioural characteristics.

       Okapis live in the deep forests of central Africa. They prefer to live alone, not forming herds. Their home ranges are relatively small. Okapis feed on leaves, twigs, or other high-growing vegetation, known as browse. However, they also like to graza in grasslands.

       Giraffes, on the other hand, are gregarious animals. They prefer the company of other giraffes, and live in a herd of 20 40 25 animals.

       Their home range is large, and they usually live in large open savannahs. Between okapis and giraffes, the latter has excellent eyesight. Giraffes are browsers, meaning that they feed on vegetation from tall trees.

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They make good use of their long necks to reach the tall branches of trees and even eat the crowns of trees.