Do hares chew cud? In Leviticus 11:6, a hare is referred to as a "chewer of the cud." What evidence is there on this matter? It is not necessary, strictly speaking, that the evidence be on chewing cud in the same sense as ruminants. From my research, hares are not ruminants and do not possess the proper physiology. However, I am interested in any references or pieces of evidence for behavior that could be _perceived_ as chewing cud.

As long as you are willing for the definition of "chewing cud" to be very broad, then caecotrophy may count.

Rabbit/hares excrete special pellets from the anus (different to regular faeces), which are reswallowed and redigested.

> Night feces (cecotropes) from this cecal fermented material are packaged in mucin and pass through the colon to the anus. These cecotropes are ingested by the rabbit and swallowed intact where they contribute substantially to the protein, mineral and vitamin nutriture of the animal.

* Harrison Pet \- not a particularly strong reference, but I don't think the science is in doubt here.



In the sense that the food is passed through the mouth twice for further digestion, it has some similarities to chewing the cud.