Sometimes called a Snowshoe hare, a varying or Snowshoe rabbit, the Snowshoe hare can be found in North America. These hares can be found in North America. Their name comes from the large, snowshoe-like paws on their back feet. These paws help the hare stay on top of the snow in winter and change the color of its fur to make it more camouflaged.
Continue reading as we examine this amazing animal in detail to find out more and decide if it is something you would like to keep as your pet.
Here are some quick facts about the Snowshoe Hare
| Species Name: | L. americanus |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Care Level | High |
| Region: | North America |
| Temperament: | Wild |
| Color Form: | In summer, brown/grey, and white in winter |
| Lifespan: | 5 years |
| Size: | 20-inches long and weighs 3 – 4 pounds |
| Diet: | Plant, grass, leaves, ferns |
| Habitat size | 20 acres |
| Compatibility: | Indoor pets are not allowed |
Snowshoe Hare Overview
The Snowshoe Hare can be found in many parts of North America. It can be found as far north and south as New Mexico, as well as Alaska. They can be found in both the Appalachian Mountains and the Rockies. They are often called rabbits by many people. However, even though they appear similar, they are quite different. Snowshoe Hare’s large, back-paws make it easier to move through snow and can travel at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour (MPH).
A Snowshoe Hare’s fur will change from brown and gray in the summer to white in winter. A rabbit’s fur will remain the same. Recent discussions have focused on the effects of climate change on Snowshoe Hares. Snowfall that arrives later in the year leaves them vulnerable to predators in the fall.
What Does a Snowshoe Hare Really Cost?
Snowshoe Hares cannot be sold or bred for pets. This is a wild animal that cannot be fulfilled in an artificial environment. It is better to buy one of the many rabbit varieties that are better suited for living in a home with people.
The Typical Behavior and Temperament
The Snowshoe Hares, also known as crepuscular, are active mostly at dawn and dusk. Their eyes have fewer rods than ours, which makes it difficult for them to see in bright sunlight. However, they can see quite well in dark, though not as well, as a cat. Although a Snowshoe Hare is able to see 360 degrees, the majority of its vision is monochrome, making it difficult to determine depth. The Snowshoe Hare will move its head sideways and up to find out how fast an object is moving against its surroundings. Things closer to you will move faster, but objects further away will not move as fast.
Appearance and Varieties
In summer, the Snowshoe Hare’s fur is a dark brown color. It may also have white patches on its belly. It turns all white in winter. The color-changing process can take between 60 and 90 days. Its large, paw-like back helps it keep the snow on its feet. To protect itself from cold temperatures, the fur is thickened on its soles. It is not hibernating and must be fed all winter.
Snowshoe Hares can grow to 20 inches in length and weigh approximately four pounds. It will have ears about 2.5 inches long and a tail that is approximately 1.5 inches.
How to Care for a Snowshoe Hare
A habitat that is more than a few acres is required for the Snowshoe Hare. The Snowshoe Hare is active in the vicinity of five to ten acres, but can also be found in areas as large as 25 acres. They are often found in coniferous forests which conceal them and offer protection. These animals also love areas with lots of Cedar, Spruce, and Aspen trees.
Snowshoe Hares need 16-foot-tall trees for travel and base cover. They also require a large number of younger, smaller trees for food and shelter in the future. The Snowshoe Hares will need to have plenty of protected, permanent herbaceous plants for food and protection against predators.
Are Snowshoe Hares able to get along with other pets?
Although many pet dogs will chase Snowshoe Hares if they are allowed to go out, few have succeeded in catching them. Your dog may start barking if one walks through your yard at night. They can also be chased by cats, but they will have a harder time catching and removing Snowshoe Hares due to their large size as well as their speed.
How to Feed Your Snowshoe Hare
Snowshoe Hares are herbivores that eat a variety of plants, including berries, grasses, ferns, and berries. They rely on bark, buds, and twigs for their winter nutrition.
How to Keep Your Snowshoe Hare Fit
To invite Snowshoe Hares to your yard, make sure you have as many coniferous trees as you can. This will give them somewhere to hide and protect themselves. To provide food, you will need to plant as much dense vegetation as possible. Tall grass is great for dense vegetation in rural areas, but it will be necessary to add several low-lying plants close together in the city to make it look good.
Breeding
The Snowshoe Hare is able to have fully-developed babies. They are born above the ground, have fur on their bodies, and open their eyes. The baby can hop instantly and will start foraging for food within 10 days. Within a few hours after giving birth, the mother will begin breeding again. Another litter can be expected within five weeks. Each litter will contain between one and nine baby Hares.
Rabbits, on the other hand, are born below ground and become blind and naked within the first few days.
Are Snowshoe Hares suitable for you?
The large habitat they need makes the Snowshoe Hare not a good choice for a house pet. There are many things you can do to get one to come to your yard. We recommend that dense vegetation be planted around your home to make it more appealing. They can quickly eat and destroy gardens, so not everyone will be thrilled.
We hope that you enjoyed our in-depth review of this rarely-seen animal, and have learned something. This guide to the Snowshoe Hare can be shared on Facebook and Twitter if it helps others.
What distinguishes the snowshoe hare?
Hares are somewhat bigger than rabbits, with higher hind legs and longer ears. Snowshoe hares have big, hairy feet that let them walk about on snow in the winter. They also have a snow-white winter coat that turns brown each spring when the snow melts.
What are three fascinating hare facts?
Fast facts: They can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. Hares may be found in Africa, Eurasia, North America, and Japan. Hares are herbivores (they exclusively consume plants), and grass is their preferred meal.
What are hares well-known for?
Hares are well-known for their incredible speed. A brown hare can reach speeds of more than 70 km/h while sprinting at full speed, making it Britain’s fastest-running wild animal. And in order to catch one, mankind had to selectively breed a highly fast, long-legged canine called the greyhound.
Why is the rabbit also known as the hare?
Though the terms hare and rabbit are commonly used interchangeably, there are variations in biology and vocabulary. A “jackrabbit” is a hare, while a “swamp hare” is a rabbit. Hare is derived from the Old English word for “gray.” In the 14th century, the word rabbit was borrowed from the French.
Can you go close to a hare?
The article’s content. “They’re afraid of being handled. “To them, it’s no different than being scooped up by a predator – they don’t comprehend our aim,” said Kim Blomme, the society’s director of wildlife services.
Is it possible to eat a snowshoe rabbit?
Or at least I was when filming Season 7 of the History Channel’s Alone in the frigid tundra of the Northwest Territories. ” Snowshoe hares are tasty.”
What bunnies can’t you eat?
Avocados should never be eaten by rabbits. Chocolate. Fruit pits and seeds. Onions, leeks, and garlic, all raw. Meat, eggs, and dairy products. Broad beans and kidney beans are two types of beans. Rhubarb. Lettuce (iceberg).
What foods are forbidden to rabbits?
Cereals, grains, nuts, seeds, maize, beans, peas, bread, biscuits, sweets, sugar, morning cereals, chocolate, or other garden plants that are poisonous to rabbits should not be fed (see links below).
Is there such a thing as a carnivorous rabbit?
New images demonstrate for the first time that your fluffy pet bunny’s relative is a carnivore—and a cannibal. Snowshoe hares in Canada’s Yukon Territory eat meat to boost their meals during the harshest winters on the planet.
What distinguishes a snowshoe hare from a rabbit?
Maine is home to two rabbit-like species, although only one of them is a real rabbit: the New England cottontail (NEC) or Cooney. The snowshoe hare is the other. Snowshoe hares have a bigger body, long ears, and significantly longer feet than cottontails.