The Snowshoe Hare

[Guest]

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Snowshoe hare
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Adult

Baby

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General Information;

Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Size: 16 to 20 in (41.3 to 51.8 cm)
Weight: 2 to 4 lbs (0.9 to 1.8 kg)
Conservation status:

Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Lagomorpha, Family: Leporidae, Genus: Lepus, Species: L. americanus
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

# Snowshow hare Range


The snowshoe hare, also called the varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks. Its feet also have fur on the soles to protect it from freezing temperatures. Snowshoe hares are forest-dwellers that prefer the thick cover of brushy undergrowth. They are primarily a northern species that inhabits boreal forests and can also range as far north as the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
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Physical Features;
Snowshoe hares have especially large, furry feet that help them to move atop snow in the winter. It takes about ten weeks for the coat to completely change color. For camouflage, its fur turns white during the winter and rusty brown during the summer. Its flanks are white year-round. The snowshoe hare is also distinguishable by the black tufts of fur on the edge of its ears. Its ears are shorter than those of most other hares.
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Mental Features;
The species is solitary, promiscuous, and sedentary. Males compete aggressively for receptive females, biting and scratching each other. Rarely, such encounters prove fatal to one of the combatants. Both sexes occupy small, overlapping home ranges of 1.6-4.8 ha (4-12 acre) that vary in shape with the configuration of the habitat. This species, which is well known for its dramatic fluctuations in numbers in other parts of its range, maintains relatively stable populations is the Adirondacks, and within suitable habitat, some of the highest densities anywhere, 1.7 per ha (0.7 per acre). Snowshoe hares use visual, tactile, vocal, chemical, and mechanical signals to communicate. Individuals "thump" with their hindfeet, perhaps as an alarm signal. During courtship, partners may touch noses before a male rushes or chases the female. Chases then alternate between the two, both stopping abruptly and turing to leap over the back of the other. Both may urinate on the other while leaping. Snowshoe hares perform guttural hisses at the conclusion of mating, and grunt, snort, or growl in other contexts. When captured, injured or frightened, they may scream.
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Diet;
In summer, it feeds on plants such as, grass, ferns and leaves; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and buds from flowers and plants and, similar to the Arctic hare, has been known to steal meat from baited traps. Hares are cannibalistic under the availability of dead animals, and have been known to eat dead rodents such as mice due to low availability of protein in an herbivorous diet. It can sometimes be seen feeding in small groups. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate.
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Threats towards this animal;
The threats towards this animal excluding wolves are:

Lynx, bobcats, american martens, long-tailed weasels, minks, coyotes, dogs, cats, mountain lions, great-horned owls, golden eagles, crows, black bears, spotted owls, and red-tailed hawks.
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Credits (c);

Images:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/6990916044/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/5728192736/

Information:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/snowshoe-hare/?source=A-to-Z
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowshoe_hare
http://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/snowshoe_hare.htm
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