Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) - Northern Chameleon
Did you Know?
The snowshoe hair bares its name because of the large size of its hind feet, which resemble snowshoes and prevent it from sinking into deep snow.
The feet of the Snowshoe Hare have fur on their soles that protects them from freezing temperatures. On average a snowshoe hare may have up to four litters per year which average three to eight baby hares each.
Photo: Dger from Wikipedia.org
Habitat - Snowshoe Hares prefer young forests with abundant understories.
Size - 40-50 cm
Weight - 1-2 kg
Average Life Span - 1 year or less (in the wild)
Range - The snowshoe hare can be found throughout Canada, with the exception of the northern most parts of Canada's territories. Its range extends all the way from Newfoundland to Alaska and can be found as far south as northern New Mexico as well as North Carolina and Tennessee.
Diet - Grass, ferns, leaves, buds, twigs, evergreen needles and bark.
Status - S5, Secure (what does this S-rank mean?)
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
Identification:
In order to camouflage itself the Snowshoe Hare's fur changes from a rusty brown in the summer to white in the winter.
Other distinguishing traits include
Black tufts on the edge of its ears The relatively short length of its ears as compared to other Hares Its flanks, which are white all year round.
Photo (Top): Wsiegmund from Wikipedia.org
Photo (Bottom): DenaliNPS from Flickr.com
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
Snowshoe Hare Range Map
Map: Cephas from Wikipedia.org
Interesting Facts:
Snowshoe Hares are typically active at night and follow well-worn forest paths to feed on various trees and plants. The Snowshoe Hare is a favorite prey item for a number of different predators, including coyotes, fishers, lynx, predatory birds, wolves, bears and foxes. Because of this the ite serves an important role in the ecosystems it inhabits. The vegetative density of an area is almost always directly correlated to the density of the Snowshoe Hare population.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]