Snowshoe hare

Species

Varying hare

The varying hare is called that because of it's unique ability to camouflage in different environments. In winter it is as white as snow and in summer it is a rusty brown.

Genus Lepus

The Genus Lepus contains all sorts of jackrabbits, all considered mammals and herbivores. These mammals are known for their unique ability to survive on their own at a young age as it seems the were born with the knowledge of how to survive.

Lifetime

Anatomy

The body length of the snowshoe hare is 36-52 centimetres, and the tail length is 2.5-5.5 centimetres. As an adult, it is larger than other hares and weighs about 3 to 4 pounds. Because of its big back feet, the snowshoe hare is suitably named.

Daily life

Environment

Harsh cold

Trees

In the winter the Snowshoe hair turns into a bright white in order to camouflage in with the snow on trees and on the ground. During the summer they turn into a rusty brown to camouflage into a rusty brown to camouflage with the dry environment. There has been a few reported cases of them turning orange to match with the leaves of Fall. So it is assumed that they actually change based on the ways the trees look as Eagles were the main predators. So they have evolved to camouflage with the help of trees to avoid detection from an aerial view. But seeing them be orange was rare, normally they would shed their brown fur in preparation for the winter.

Other animals

Herbivores.

The snowshoe hare is known to mainly live in solidarity. But on a few accounts the have been seems to hang around Deer and other types of Herbivores.

Carnivores

Wolf and Eagles are the main predators.

Food

Since the Varying hare is an herbivore they have been seen eating a range of greens in the spring and summer, including grass, clover, ferns, and garden plants. They eat the bark and twigs of birch, aspen, and conifer trees in the fall and winter. The snowshoe feeds on succulent plants in the summer and short twigs, buds, and bark in the winter.

Habits

Snowshoe hares are nocturnal, so they're mostly seen at dawn and dusk. They sleep for long periods of time, and unlike rabbits that sleep underground, these hares usually sleep above ground under roots or debris.

Resources

Predators

Wolf

Golden Eagle

Articles

Videos