To investigate the differences of digestive ability between yarkand hares(Lepus yarcandensis)and domestic rabbits(Oryctolagus curiculus), and hence to explore the mechanism underlying the adaptability to food environment in yarkand hares, we assayed the following digestive enzyme activities: amylase activity (Iodine starch colorimetric?method), cellulose enzyme activity (3, 5 - 2 nitro salicylic acid method), lipase activity (turbidity method) and trypsin (ultraviolet absorption method), with the samples taken from pancreas and intestinal tract of yarkand hares and domestic rabbits using domestic rabbits as control. The experimental data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 15 software.The results demonstrated that: 1) The amylase activity in intestinal tract of yarkand hares was significantly higher than those of domestic rabbits. Among them, the amylase activity in duodenum, jejunum, ileum of yarkand hares was extremely significantly higher than those of domestic rabbits（P ＜ 0.01）. The amylase activity got the maximum in jejunum of yarkand hares and domestic rabbits. 2) The cellulase activity in intestinal tract of yarkand hares was higher than those of domestic rabbits. Among them, the cellulase activity in cecum of yarkand hares was extremely significantly higher than those of domestic rabbits（P ＜ 0.01）, the cellulase activity in ileum of yarkand hares was significantly higher than those of domestic rabbits（P ＜ 0.05）. The cellulase activity got the maximum in cecum of yarkand hares and domestic rabbits. 3) The lipase activities in pancreas and intestinal tract of domestic rabbits were significantly higher than those of yarkand hares. Among them, the lipase activities in pancreas, duodenum, jejunum, ileum of domestic rabbits were significantly higher than those of yarkand hares（P ＜ 0.05）. Compared with the digestive tract, the lipase activity got the maximum in pancreas of domestic rabbits and yarkand hares, and the lipase activity of jejunum was the highest in intestinal tract. 4) The trypsin activity in pancreas and intestinal tract of domestic rabbits were higher than those of yarkand hares. Among them, the trypsin activity in duodenum and jejunum of domestic rabbits were significantly higher than those of yarkand hares（P ＜ 0.05）. The trypsin activity got the maximum in jejunum of domestic rabbits and yarkand hares. In conclusion, yarkand hares have strong abilities to digest starch and cellulose, but the digestion ability for fat was weak. The amylase and cellulase activities of yarkand hares were higher than those of domestic rabbits, and the lipase and trypsin activities of yarkand hares were lower than those of domestic rabbits.This could be one of the important factors that yarkand hares adapt to the barren and deficient food environment.