Hare               

Introduction

Most of the hares in New England are Snowshoe Hares which turn white in winter with thicker white fur and have large feet well adapted to travel on snow. There are a few European Hares to be found that do not turn white in winter. Snowshoe hares are nocturnal and are most active at dusk and dawn. Outside of breeding season, hares ranges overlap and there does not seem to be antagonism among them. They usually develop a network of trails used to get from one feeding or nesting placed to another. They can run up to 30 miles an hour.

Food Habits

Snowshoe Hares tend to be vegetarian although they occasionally feed on carrion.

Family Life

Snowshoe Hares have some unusual pre-mating activities. The male approaches the female and sniffs her. Then they jump over each other, urinating on the one below. Sometimes when one is in midair, the other runs beneath it. Once the female is fertilized, gestation takes 34-40 days. The female gives birth to 1-6 young. The young are born in dense cover but not in any nest. They are independent at birth with open eyes, fully furred, and able to hop. Snowshoe Hare babies nurse for 1-2 days and then become independent but return to the mother once a day to nurse for about 28 days. By the time they are two weeks old, they are able to nibble at vegetation. The female may have up to four litters a year.

Winter Habits

In winter, hares depend on buds and twigs of sapling trees or shrubs. Because they are light and can stand on snow, the snow allows them to reach higher to get food. When food is scarce, they may eat their own scats to absorb more of their nutritive value. They forage at night and during the day rest in "forms", small hollows among grasses and leaves, where the snow is shallow and there is protection from the winds. They can remain motionless for long periods of time to hide from predators. They may enter groundhog burrows but remain just inside.

Threats

They are stalked by many predators like coyotes, foxes, weasels, great horned owls, and larger hawks

Benefits

Problems and Solutions