Abstract / Introduction / Summary:
Three leverets of the Japanese hare Lepus brachyurus were observed in Kagoshima Prefecture. The first and second leverets were estimated to be about 12 and 23 days old, respectively, based on their ear lengths. The first and third leverets didn’t run away and stayed still by the roadside. The second leveret wasn’t fast enough to run away (4–16 km/h), and after that, it stopped running and stayed still. Therefore, because leverets are slow runners, it is speculated that if a predator is approaching, it would be safer for them to be still rather than run away.
