{"id":11467,"date":"2022-03-01T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=527"},"modified":"2022-03-01T12:53:15","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T11:53:15","slug":"march-hares-why-do-they-box-and-best-places-to-see-them-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/march-hares-why-do-they-box-and-best-places-to-see-them-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"March hares: why do they box and best places to see them in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By countryfile\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 01 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Ever wondered what the phrase, \u2018mad as a March hare\u2019 means? Where did this odd saying come from?<\/p>\n

The saying refers to the seemingly erratic boxing displays of hares in March, as they begin to exhibit mating behaviour. It is one of Britain\u2019s most memorable wildlife spectacles. But what\u2019s behind it?<\/p>\n

Our guide to explains why and when hares box, and the best places to see them in the UK.<\/p>\n

Why do hares box?<\/h2>\n

Most people would assume that boxing is the courtship display of male hares, eager to prove themselves a worthy mate to females. It may surprise you to find out that it\u2019s in fact the females who instigate boxing as a way to defend themselves against the mating urges of the males.<\/p>\n

Hares are usually solitary creatures but come March\/April time, you can see females standing on their hind legs and boxing like champions, giving male hares the unmistakeable message, \u2018no, thank you.\u2019<\/p>\n

\""European\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
European Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus) female boxing fighting with male in field during the breeding season\/Credit: Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What species of hare are found in the UK?<\/h2>\n

There are three types of hare in the UK: the brown hare, the mountain hare and the Irish hare. The brown hare is the most common and you\u2019re most likely to see these on arable farmland and large, flat expanses of grassland. The open plains of Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire are a stronghold for brown hares, as are the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire.<\/p>\n

\""Hare"\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Hare at sundown \u00a9Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Brown hares have golden brown fur and a white belly, and they have long ears with black tips. At full pelt, they can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.<\/p>\n

Track them by looking out for tufts of fur caught in brambles and barbed wire, or their droppings on the ground, which resemble those of a rabbit, but are larger, with a slightly tapered end. The best time to spot hares is either first thing in the morning or early evening.<\/p>\n

\""Boxing\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Boxing mountain seen in the Cairngorms national park in Scotland\/Credit: Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

White hares are most commonly seen in Northern England and Scotland.<\/p>\n

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