Mountain hare lives at elevations from 700 to 3800 m, depending on biographic region and season. The mountain hare is a large species, though it is slightly smaller than the European hare. It grows to a length of , with a tail of , and a mass of , females being slightly heavier than males. In summer, for all populations of mountain hares, the coat is various shades of brown. In preparation for winter most populations moult into a white (or largely white) pelage. The tail remains completely white all year round, distinguishing the mountain hare from the European hare ("Lepus europaeus"),
Swedish Hare temperament and athletic body type were paramount in developing the Elfin rabbit. Arched and muscular but large Rhinelanders were bred to the American version of the smaller Polish breed to bring the size. Other foundation stock included the Belgian Hare, the Tan, the Harlequin, the Mini Satin, and the Britannia Petite. Now that the Elfin have been included in the Swedish Hare population, an international exchange of breeding stock is possible. Though it is not the standard of the Swedish Hare, the working standard for the Elfin breed (which appears below) called for a small rabbit weighing no more than