Snowshoe Hare

Lepus americanus

Population, Conservation Status, Threats:

Considered least concern by the IUCN, with populations remaining stable. As a species adapted very specifically for snowy arctic environments, snowshoe hares are likely to be negatively impacted by climate change and a warming planet.

Physical Description:

Slightly larger than a cottontail, snowshoe hares are recognizable by their large feet, relatively small ears, and thick fur. They are primarily known for their bright white winter coat, though this is shed during the summer in favor of a solid brown furcoat.

Overall snowshoe hare range from Montana Field Guide. Snowshoe hare require forested ecosystems with adequate cover and snowfall to thrive, limiting them to the northernmost parts of the United States and along the rocky mountains and pacific northwest, as well as most of Canada and Alaska.

Habitat:

Snowshoe hares are widespread, though generally prefer dense forests or shrub and marshland with significant cover, and only occur in higher-altitude habitats with significant seasonal snowpack.

Behavior:

Snowshoe hares are nocturnal and active year-round, spending the nights, especially the time around dawn and dusk, foraging, while resting in shallow dug-out "forms" during the daytime. Juveniles and breeding individuals during mating season may be more active during the day than is typical.

Diet:

During the summer months they eat grasses, forbs, and tender plants. In the winter, they rely on pine needles and twigs, and the buds and bark of shrubs and hardwoods for food.

Reproduction:

The breeding season lasts from spring through the summer, and females are capable of producing up to three litters a year. Both males and females will take multiple mates throughout the year. Gestation lasts roughly 36 days, and litters consist of an average of 4 young. Young are precocial and able to walk on their own shortly after birth, and the female is capable of conceiving again immediately after the birth of a litter. After about a month, the young will wean and leave their mother, reaching sexual maturity at 1 year of age.

Associated Species:

Lynx are almost entirely dependent upon snowshoe hares as a prey species, and lynx populations will fluctuate along with hare populations. They are also an important prey species of great-horned owls and northern goshawks.

Illustration by Willow Sedam

Sources: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=snowshoehare.main, https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Snowshoe-Hare, https://www.nps.gov/articles/snowshoe-hare.htm

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