Snowshoe Hare
Encyclopedia
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.
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 hare
s.
In summer, it feeds on plants such as, grass
, fern
s and leaves; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and buds from flowers and plants and, along with the Arctic Hare
, has been known to steal meat from baited traps. Hares are cannibalistic under availability of dead conspecifics, and have been known to eat dead rodent
s such as mice
due to low availability of protein in an herbivorous diet. It is sometimes seen feeding in small groups. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate
.
The Snowshoe Hare may have up to four litters in a year which average 3 to 8 young. Males compete for females and females may breed with several males.
the Sierra Nevada to central California; in the Rocky Mountains to
southern Utah and northern New Mexico; and in the Appalachian Mountains
to North Carolina and Tennessee. Locations of subspecies are as follows:
In Utah snowshoe hares used Gambel oak (Quercus gambelli) in the northern portion of the Gambel oak range. In the Southwest, the southernmost populations of snowshoe hares occur in
the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico, in subalpine scrub: narrow
bands of shrubby and prostrate conifers at and just below timberline that is usually composed of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata), limber pine (P. flexilis), and/or common juniper (Juniperus communis).
In Minnesota, snowshoe hares use jack pine (P. banksiana) uplands, edges, tamarack (Larix laricina) bogs, black spruce (Picea mariana) bogs, and sedge (Carex spp.), alder, and scrub fens. In New England, snowshoe hares favor second-growth aspen (Populus spp.)-birch (Betula spp.) near conifers, but other forest types occupied by snowshoe hares include aspens, paper birch (B. papyrifera), northern hardwoods, red maple (A. rubrum), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), red
spruce (Picea rubens)-balsam fir, eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), oak (Quercus spp.)-pine (Pinus spp.), eastern white pine (P. strobus)-northern red oak-red maple, and eastern white pine. Snowshoe hares also use shrub swamps dominated by buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), alders, and silky dogwood (Cornus ammomum). Further details on plant communities used by snowshoe hares in different regions are in Bittner and Rongstad.
downed piles of timber. They occasionally use the large burrows of mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa) as forms. Diurnal activity level increases during the breeding season. Juveniles are usually more active and less cautious than adults.
Snowshoe hares are active year-round. The breeding season for hares is stimulated by new vegetation and varies with latitude, location, and yearly events (such as weather conditions and phase of showshoe hare population cycle). Breeding generally begins in late December to January and lasts until July or August
. In northwestern Oregon male peak breeding activity (as
determined by testes weight) occurs in May and is at the minimum in November. In Ontario the peak is in May and in Newfoundland the peak is in June. Female estrus begins in March in Newfoundland, Alberta, and
Maine, and in early April in Michigan and Colorado. First litters of the year are born from mid-April to May.
The gestation period is 35 to 40 days; most studies report 37 days as the average length of gestation. Litters average three to five leverets depending on latitude, elevation, and phase of population cycle, ranging from one to seven. Deep snowpack increases the amount of upper-branch browse available to snowshoe hares in winter and therefore has a positive relationship with the nutritional status of breeding adults. Litters are usually smaller
in the southern sections of snowshoe hare range since there is less snow. Newborn snowshoe hares are fully furred, open-eyed, and mobile. They leave the natal form within a short time after birth, often within 24 hours. After leaving the birthplace siblings stay near each other during the day, gathering once each evening to nurse. Weaning occurs at 25 to 28 days except for the last litter of the season which may nurse for 2 months or longer.
Female snowshoe hares can become pregnant anytime after the 35th day of gestation. The second litter can therefore be conceived before the first litter is born (snowshoe hares have twin uteri). Pregnancy rates ranged from 78 to 100% for females during the period of first litter production, 82 to 100% for second litters, and for the periods of third and fourth litters pregnancy rates vary with population cycle. In Newfoundland the average number of litters per female per year ranged from 2.9 to 3.5, and in Alberta the range was from 2.7 to 3.3. The number of litters
per year varies with phase of population cycle (see below). In Alberta the average number of litters per year was almost 3 just after a population peak and 4 just after the population low. Females normally first breed as 1-year-olds. Juvenile breeding is rare and has only been observed in females from the first litter of the year and only in years immediately following a low point in the population cycle.
In Yukon Territory 30-day survival of radio-tagged leverets was 46%, 15%, and 43% for the first, second, and
third litter of the year, respectively. There were no differences in mortality in plots with food added. The main proximate cause of mortality was predation by small mammals including red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii). Littermates tended to live or die together more often than by chance. Individual survival was negatively related to litter size and positively related to body size at birth. Litter size is negatively correlated with body size at birth.
Northern populations of snowshoe hares undergo cycles that range from 7 to 17 years between population peaks. The
average time between peaks is approximately 10 years. The period of abundance usually lasts for 2 to 5 years followed by a population decline to lower numbers or local scarcity. Areas of great abundance tend to be scattered. Populations do not peak simultaneously in all areas, although there is a great deal of synchronicity in northern latitudes. From 1931 to 1948 the cycle was synchronized within 1 or 2 years over most of Canada and Alaska, despite differences in predators and food supplies. In central Alberta, low snowshoe hare density occurred in 1965 with 42 to 74 snowshoe hares per 100 acres (40 ha). The population peak occurred in November 1970 with 2,830 to 5,660 snowshoe hares per 100 acres (40 ha). In the southern parts of its range snowshoe hare populations do not fluctuate radically.
Exclosure experiments in Alberta indicated that browsing by snowshoe hares during population peaks has the greatest impact on palatable species, thus further reducing the amount of available foods. In this study there was insufficient nutritious young browse available to sustain the number of snowshoe hares present in the peak years (1971 and 1972) in winter.
forests with abundant understories. The presence of cover is the primary determinant of habitat quality for snowshoe hares and is more significant than food availability or species composition. Species composition does, however, influence population density; dense softwood understories support greater snowshoe hare density than hardwoods because of cover quality. In Maine it was observed that female snowshoe hares were more common on sites with less cover but more
nutritious forage; males tended to be found on sites with heavier cover.
Winter browse availability depends on height of understory brush and winter snow depth; 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m) saplings with narrow stem diameters are required for winter browse in heavy snow.
In northern regions snowshoe hares occupy conifer and mixed forests in all stages of succession, but early successional forests foster peak abundance. Deciduous forests are usually occupied only in early stages
of succession. In New England snowshoe hares preferred second-growth deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woods with dense brushy understories; snowshoe hares appear to prefer shrubby old-field areas, early- to mid-successional burns, shrub-swamps, bogs, and upper montane krumholz vegetation. In Maine snowshoe hares were more active in clearcut areas than in partially cut or uncut areas. Sapling densities were highest on 12- to 15-year-old plots; these plots were used more
than younger stands. In northern Utah snowshoe hares occupied all the later stages of succession on quaking aspen and spruce-fir but were not observed in meadows. In Alberta snowshoe hares use upland shrub-sapling stages of regenerating aspens (either postfire or postharvest). In British Columbia overstocked juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands formed optimal snowshoe hare habitat.
In western Washington most unburned, burned, or scarified clearcuts will normally be fully occupied by snowshoe hares within 4 to 5 years as vegetation becomes dense. In older stands (more than 25 years) stem density begins to decline and cover for snowshoe hares decreases. However, in north-central Washington snowshoe hares may not
colonize clearcuts until 6 or 7 years and it may take 20 to 25 years for snowshoe hare density to reach maximum. Winter snowshoe hare pellet counts were highest in 20-year-old lodgepole pine stands, lower in older lodgepole stands, and lowest in spruce-dominated stands. In western Oregon, snowshoe hares were abundant only in early successional stages including stable brushfields. In west-central Oregon, an old-growth Douglas-fir forest was clearcut and monitored through 10 years of succession. A few snowshoe hares were noted in adjacent virgin forest plots; they represented widely scattered, sparse populations. One snowshoe hare was observed on the disturbed plot 2.5 years after it had been clearcut and burned; at this stage ground cover was similar to that of the uncut forest. By 9 years after disturbance snowshoe hare density had increased markedly.
In western Washington snowshoe hares routinely used steep slopes where cover was adequate; most studies, however, suggest
that snowshoe hares tend to prefer gentle slopes. Moonlight increases snowshoe hare vulnerability to predation,
particularly in winter. Snowshoe hares tend to avoid open areas during bright phases of the moon and during bright periods of a single night. Their activity usually shifts from coniferous understories in winter to hardwood understories in summer.
Vegetative structure plays an important role in the size of snowshoe hare home ranges. Snowshoe hares wander up to 5 miles (8 km) when food is scarce. In Montana home ranges are smaller in brushy woods than in open woods. In Colorado and Utah the average home range of both sexes was 20 acres (8.1 ha). On Montreal Island of Quebec, the average daily range for both sexes was 4 acres (1.6 ha) in old-field mixed woods. In Montana the home range averaged 25 acres
(10 ha) for males and 19 acres (7.6 ha) for females. In Oregon the average snowshoe hare home range was 14.6 acres (5.9 ha).
with season. Succulent green vegetation is consumed when available from
spring to fall; after the first frost buds, twigs, evergreen needles,
and bark form the bulk of snowshoe hare diets until spring greenup
. Snowshoe Hares typically feed at night and follow well worn forest paths to feed on various plants and trees .
fast-growing birches and willows and avoid spruce. At high snowshoe hare densities, however, the apical shoots of small spruce are eaten. The snowshoe hare winter diet is dominated by bog birch (Betula glandulosa) which is preferred but not always available. Greyleaf willow (Salix glauca) is eaten most often when bog birch is not available. Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) is the fourth most common diet item. White spruce (Picea glauca) is eaten but not preferred. In Alaska spruce, willows, and alders comprise 75% of snowshoe hare diets; spruce needles make up nearly 40% of the diet. In northwestern Oregon winter foods include needles and tender bark of Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla); leaves and green twigs of salal; buds, twigs, and bark of willows; and green herbs. In north-central Washington willows and birches are not plentiful; snowshoe hares browse the tips of lodgepole pine seedlings. In Utah winter foods include Douglas-fir, willows, snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.), maples, and serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.). In Minnesota, aspens, willows, hazelnut (Corylus spp.), ferns (Pteridophyta spp.), birches, alders, sumacs (Rhus spp.), and strawberries (Fragaria spp.) are winter foods. In New York winter foods include eastern white pine, red pine (Pinus resinosa), white spruce, paper birch, and aspens. In Ontario sugar maple (Acer saccharum), striped maple (A. pensylvanicum), red maple, other deciduous species, northern white-cedar (T. occidentalis), balsam fir, beaked hazelnut (C. cornuta), and buffaloberry were heavily barked. In New Brunswick, snowshoe hares consumed northern white-cedar, spruces, American beech (Fagus grandifolia), balsam fir, mountain maple (A. spicatum), and many other species of browse. In Newfoundland, paper birch is preferred. Further details on regional food preferences are summarized in.
Grasses are not a major item due to low availability associated with sites that have adequate cover. In summer leaves of willows, black spruce, birches, and bog Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) are also consumed. Black spruce is the most heavily used and the most common
species in the area. Pen trials suggest that black spruce is not actually preferred. Roses (Rosa spp.) were preferred but a minor dietary item as they were not common in the study area. In northwest Oregon summer foods include grasses, clovers (Trifolium spp.), other forbs, and some woody plants including Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, and young leaves and twigs of salal. In Minnesota aspens, willows, grasses, birches, alders, sumacs, and strawberries are consumed when green. In Ontario, summer diets consist of clovers, grasses, and forbs.
(Lynx canadensis), bobcat
s (L. rufus), fishers (Martes pennanti), American martens (M. americana), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), minks (M. vison), foxes (Vulpes and Urocyon spp.), coyote (Canis latrans), domestic dogs (C. familiaris), mountain lions (Felis concolor), domestic cats, great horned owl
s (Bubo virginianus), barred owl
s (Strix varia), spotted owls (S. occidentalis), other owls, red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), other hawks (Buteonidae), golden eagles (Aquila chryseatos), and crows and ravens. Other predators include black bears (Ursus americanus). In Glacier National Park snowshoe hares are a prey item of Rocky
Mountain wolves (Canis lupus irremotus).
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. 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.
For camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
, 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 hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
s.
In summer, it feeds on plants such as, grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
, fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s and leaves; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and buds from flowers and plants and, along with the Arctic Hare
Arctic Hare
The arctic hare , or polar rabbit is a species of hare which is adapted largely to polar and mountainous habitats. The arctic hare survives with a thick coat of fur and usually digs holes under the ground or snow to keep warm and sleep...
, has been known to steal meat from baited traps. Hares are cannibalistic under availability of dead conspecifics, and have been known to eat dead rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s such as mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
due to low availability of protein in an herbivorous diet. It is sometimes seen feeding in small groups. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
.
The Snowshoe Hare may have up to four litters in a year which average 3 to 8 young. Males compete for females and females may breed with several males.
Taxonomy and distribution
Snowshoe hares occur from Newfoundland east to western Alaska; south inthe Sierra Nevada to central California; in the Rocky Mountains to
southern Utah and northern New Mexico; and in the Appalachian Mountains
to North Carolina and Tennessee. Locations of subspecies are as follows:
- Lepus americanus americanus (Erxleben) – Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Montana, and North Dakota
- L. a. cascadensis (Nelson) – British Columbia and Washington
- L. a. columbiensis (Rhoads) – British Columbia, Alberta, and Washington
- L. a. dalli (Merriam) – Mackenzie District, British Columbia, Alaska, Yukon Territory
- L. a. klamathensis (Merriam) – Oregon and California
- L. a. oregonus (Orr) – Oregon
- L. a. pallidus (Cowan) – British Columbia
- L. a. phaeonotus (J. A. Allen) – Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota
- L. a. pineus (Dalquest) – British Columbia, Idaho, and Washington
- L. a. seclusus (Baker and Hankins) – Wyoming
- L. a. struthopus (Bangs) – Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Maine
- L. a. tahoensis (Orr) – California, western Nevada
- L. a. virginianus (Harlan) – Ontario, Quebec, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Tennessee
- L. a. washingtonii (Baird) – British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon
Plant communities
Snowshoe hares are primarily found in boreal forests and upper montane forests; within these forests they favor habitats with a dense shrub layer. In the Pacific Northwest snowshoe hares occupy diverse habitats including mature conifers (mostly Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii] and variants), immature conifers, alder (Alnus spp.)/salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)/salal (Gaultheria shallon), and cedar (Thuja spp.) swamps. In western Oregon, snowshoe hares were present in brush patches of vine maple (Acer circinatum), willows (Salix spp.), rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.), and other shrubs.In Utah snowshoe hares used Gambel oak (Quercus gambelli) in the northern portion of the Gambel oak range. In the Southwest, the southernmost populations of snowshoe hares occur in
the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico, in subalpine scrub: narrow
bands of shrubby and prostrate conifers at and just below timberline that is usually composed of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata), limber pine (P. flexilis), and/or common juniper (Juniperus communis).
In Minnesota, snowshoe hares use jack pine (P. banksiana) uplands, edges, tamarack (Larix laricina) bogs, black spruce (Picea mariana) bogs, and sedge (Carex spp.), alder, and scrub fens. In New England, snowshoe hares favor second-growth aspen (Populus spp.)-birch (Betula spp.) near conifers, but other forest types occupied by snowshoe hares include aspens, paper birch (B. papyrifera), northern hardwoods, red maple (A. rubrum), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), red
spruce (Picea rubens)-balsam fir, eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), oak (Quercus spp.)-pine (Pinus spp.), eastern white pine (P. strobus)-northern red oak-red maple, and eastern white pine. Snowshoe hares also use shrub swamps dominated by buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), alders, and silky dogwood (Cornus ammomum). Further details on plant communities used by snowshoe hares in different regions are in Bittner and Rongstad.
Timing of major life events
Snowshoe hares are crepuscular to nocturnal. They are shy and secretive and spend most of the day in shallow depressions, called forms, scraped out under clumps of ferns, brush thickets, anddowned piles of timber. They occasionally use the large burrows of mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa) as forms. Diurnal activity level increases during the breeding season. Juveniles are usually more active and less cautious than adults.
Snowshoe hares are active year-round. The breeding season for hares is stimulated by new vegetation and varies with latitude, location, and yearly events (such as weather conditions and phase of showshoe hare population cycle). Breeding generally begins in late December to January and lasts until July or August
. In northwestern Oregon male peak breeding activity (as
determined by testes weight) occurs in May and is at the minimum in November. In Ontario the peak is in May and in Newfoundland the peak is in June. Female estrus begins in March in Newfoundland, Alberta, and
Maine, and in early April in Michigan and Colorado. First litters of the year are born from mid-April to May.
The gestation period is 35 to 40 days; most studies report 37 days as the average length of gestation. Litters average three to five leverets depending on latitude, elevation, and phase of population cycle, ranging from one to seven. Deep snowpack increases the amount of upper-branch browse available to snowshoe hares in winter and therefore has a positive relationship with the nutritional status of breeding adults. Litters are usually smaller
in the southern sections of snowshoe hare range since there is less snow. Newborn snowshoe hares are fully furred, open-eyed, and mobile. They leave the natal form within a short time after birth, often within 24 hours. After leaving the birthplace siblings stay near each other during the day, gathering once each evening to nurse. Weaning occurs at 25 to 28 days except for the last litter of the season which may nurse for 2 months or longer.
Female snowshoe hares can become pregnant anytime after the 35th day of gestation. The second litter can therefore be conceived before the first litter is born (snowshoe hares have twin uteri). Pregnancy rates ranged from 78 to 100% for females during the period of first litter production, 82 to 100% for second litters, and for the periods of third and fourth litters pregnancy rates vary with population cycle. In Newfoundland the average number of litters per female per year ranged from 2.9 to 3.5, and in Alberta the range was from 2.7 to 3.3. The number of litters
per year varies with phase of population cycle (see below). In Alberta the average number of litters per year was almost 3 just after a population peak and 4 just after the population low. Females normally first breed as 1-year-olds. Juvenile breeding is rare and has only been observed in females from the first litter of the year and only in years immediately following a low point in the population cycle.
In Yukon Territory 30-day survival of radio-tagged leverets was 46%, 15%, and 43% for the first, second, and
third litter of the year, respectively. There were no differences in mortality in plots with food added. The main proximate cause of mortality was predation by small mammals including red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii). Littermates tended to live or die together more often than by chance. Individual survival was negatively related to litter size and positively related to body size at birth. Litter size is negatively correlated with body size at birth.
Northern populations of snowshoe hares undergo cycles that range from 7 to 17 years between population peaks. The
average time between peaks is approximately 10 years. The period of abundance usually lasts for 2 to 5 years followed by a population decline to lower numbers or local scarcity. Areas of great abundance tend to be scattered. Populations do not peak simultaneously in all areas, although there is a great deal of synchronicity in northern latitudes. From 1931 to 1948 the cycle was synchronized within 1 or 2 years over most of Canada and Alaska, despite differences in predators and food supplies. In central Alberta, low snowshoe hare density occurred in 1965 with 42 to 74 snowshoe hares per 100 acres (40 ha). The population peak occurred in November 1970 with 2,830 to 5,660 snowshoe hares per 100 acres (40 ha). In the southern parts of its range snowshoe hare populations do not fluctuate radically.
Exclosure experiments in Alberta indicated that browsing by snowshoe hares during population peaks has the greatest impact on palatable species, thus further reducing the amount of available foods. In this study there was insufficient nutritious young browse available to sustain the number of snowshoe hares present in the peak years (1971 and 1972) in winter.
Preferred habitat
Major variables in habitat quality include average visual obstruction and browse biomass. Snowshoe hares prefer youngforests with abundant understories. The presence of cover is the primary determinant of habitat quality for snowshoe hares and is more significant than food availability or species composition. Species composition does, however, influence population density; dense softwood understories support greater snowshoe hare density than hardwoods because of cover quality. In Maine it was observed that female snowshoe hares were more common on sites with less cover but more
nutritious forage; males tended to be found on sites with heavier cover.
Winter browse availability depends on height of understory brush and winter snow depth; 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m) saplings with narrow stem diameters are required for winter browse in heavy snow.
In northern regions snowshoe hares occupy conifer and mixed forests in all stages of succession, but early successional forests foster peak abundance. Deciduous forests are usually occupied only in early stages
of succession. In New England snowshoe hares preferred second-growth deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woods with dense brushy understories; snowshoe hares appear to prefer shrubby old-field areas, early- to mid-successional burns, shrub-swamps, bogs, and upper montane krumholz vegetation. In Maine snowshoe hares were more active in clearcut areas than in partially cut or uncut areas. Sapling densities were highest on 12- to 15-year-old plots; these plots were used more
than younger stands. In northern Utah snowshoe hares occupied all the later stages of succession on quaking aspen and spruce-fir but were not observed in meadows. In Alberta snowshoe hares use upland shrub-sapling stages of regenerating aspens (either postfire or postharvest). In British Columbia overstocked juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stands formed optimal snowshoe hare habitat.
In western Washington most unburned, burned, or scarified clearcuts will normally be fully occupied by snowshoe hares within 4 to 5 years as vegetation becomes dense. In older stands (more than 25 years) stem density begins to decline and cover for snowshoe hares decreases. However, in north-central Washington snowshoe hares may not
colonize clearcuts until 6 or 7 years and it may take 20 to 25 years for snowshoe hare density to reach maximum. Winter snowshoe hare pellet counts were highest in 20-year-old lodgepole pine stands, lower in older lodgepole stands, and lowest in spruce-dominated stands. In western Oregon, snowshoe hares were abundant only in early successional stages including stable brushfields. In west-central Oregon, an old-growth Douglas-fir forest was clearcut and monitored through 10 years of succession. A few snowshoe hares were noted in adjacent virgin forest plots; they represented widely scattered, sparse populations. One snowshoe hare was observed on the disturbed plot 2.5 years after it had been clearcut and burned; at this stage ground cover was similar to that of the uncut forest. By 9 years after disturbance snowshoe hare density had increased markedly.
In western Washington snowshoe hares routinely used steep slopes where cover was adequate; most studies, however, suggest
that snowshoe hares tend to prefer gentle slopes. Moonlight increases snowshoe hare vulnerability to predation,
particularly in winter. Snowshoe hares tend to avoid open areas during bright phases of the moon and during bright periods of a single night. Their activity usually shifts from coniferous understories in winter to hardwood understories in summer.
Vegetative structure plays an important role in the size of snowshoe hare home ranges. Snowshoe hares wander up to 5 miles (8 km) when food is scarce. In Montana home ranges are smaller in brushy woods than in open woods. In Colorado and Utah the average home range of both sexes was 20 acres (8.1 ha). On Montreal Island of Quebec, the average daily range for both sexes was 4 acres (1.6 ha) in old-field mixed woods. In Montana the home range averaged 25 acres
(10 ha) for males and 19 acres (7.6 ha) for females. In Oregon the average snowshoe hare home range was 14.6 acres (5.9 ha).
Cover requirements
Snowshoe hares require dense, brushy, usually coniferous cover; thermal and escape cover are especially important for young snowshoe hares. Low brush provides hiding, escape, and thermal cover. Heavy cover 10 feet (3 m) above ground provides protection from avian predators, and heavy cover 3.3 feet (1 m) tall provides cover from terrestrial predators. Overwinter survival of snowshoe hares increases with increased cover. A wide variety of habitat types are used if cover is available. Base visibility in good snowshoe hare habitat ranges from 2% at 16.5 feet (5 m) distance to 0% at 66 feet (20 m). Travel cover is slightly more open, ranging from 14.7% visibility at 16.5 feet (5 m) to 2.6% at 66 feet (20 m). Areas with horizontal vegetation density of 40 to 100% at 50 feet (15 m) are adequate snowshoe hare habitat in Utah.Food habits
Snowshoe hares eat a variety of plant materials. Forage type varieswith season. Succulent green vegetation is consumed when available from
spring to fall; after the first frost buds, twigs, evergreen needles,
and bark form the bulk of snowshoe hare diets until spring greenup
. Snowshoe Hares typically feed at night and follow well worn forest paths to feed on various plants and trees .
Winter
Snowshoe hares prefer branches, twigs, and small stems up to 0.25 inch (6.3 mm) diameter; larger stems are sometimes used in winter. In Yukon Territory snowshoe hares normally eatfast-growing birches and willows and avoid spruce. At high snowshoe hare densities, however, the apical shoots of small spruce are eaten. The snowshoe hare winter diet is dominated by bog birch (Betula glandulosa) which is preferred but not always available. Greyleaf willow (Salix glauca) is eaten most often when bog birch is not available. Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) is the fourth most common diet item. White spruce (Picea glauca) is eaten but not preferred. In Alaska spruce, willows, and alders comprise 75% of snowshoe hare diets; spruce needles make up nearly 40% of the diet. In northwestern Oregon winter foods include needles and tender bark of Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla); leaves and green twigs of salal; buds, twigs, and bark of willows; and green herbs. In north-central Washington willows and birches are not plentiful; snowshoe hares browse the tips of lodgepole pine seedlings. In Utah winter foods include Douglas-fir, willows, snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.), maples, and serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.). In Minnesota, aspens, willows, hazelnut (Corylus spp.), ferns (Pteridophyta spp.), birches, alders, sumacs (Rhus spp.), and strawberries (Fragaria spp.) are winter foods. In New York winter foods include eastern white pine, red pine (Pinus resinosa), white spruce, paper birch, and aspens. In Ontario sugar maple (Acer saccharum), striped maple (A. pensylvanicum), red maple, other deciduous species, northern white-cedar (T. occidentalis), balsam fir, beaked hazelnut (C. cornuta), and buffaloberry were heavily barked. In New Brunswick, snowshoe hares consumed northern white-cedar, spruces, American beech (Fagus grandifolia), balsam fir, mountain maple (A. spicatum), and many other species of browse. In Newfoundland, paper birch is preferred. Further details on regional food preferences are summarized in.
Spring, summer and fall
In Alaska, snowshoe hares consume new leaves of blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), new shoots of field horsetails (Equisetum arvense), and fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) in spring.Grasses are not a major item due to low availability associated with sites that have adequate cover. In summer leaves of willows, black spruce, birches, and bog Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) are also consumed. Black spruce is the most heavily used and the most common
species in the area. Pen trials suggest that black spruce is not actually preferred. Roses (Rosa spp.) were preferred but a minor dietary item as they were not common in the study area. In northwest Oregon summer foods include grasses, clovers (Trifolium spp.), other forbs, and some woody plants including Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, and young leaves and twigs of salal. In Minnesota aspens, willows, grasses, birches, alders, sumacs, and strawberries are consumed when green. In Ontario, summer diets consist of clovers, grasses, and forbs.
Predators
The snowshoe hare is a major prey item for a number of predators. Major predators include Canada lynxCanada Lynx
The Canada lynx or Canadian lynx is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. It is a close relative of the Eurasian Lynx . Some authorities regard both as conspecific. However, in some characteristics the Canada lynx is more like the bobcat than the Eurasian Lynx...
(Lynx canadensis), bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s (L. rufus), fishers (Martes pennanti), American martens (M. americana), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), minks (M. vison), foxes (Vulpes and Urocyon spp.), coyote (Canis latrans), domestic dogs (C. familiaris), mountain lions (Felis concolor), domestic cats, great horned owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
s (Bubo virginianus), barred owl
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...
s (Strix varia), spotted owls (S. occidentalis), other owls, red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), other hawks (Buteonidae), golden eagles (Aquila chryseatos), and crows and ravens. Other predators include black bears (Ursus americanus). In Glacier National Park snowshoe hares are a prey item of Rocky
Mountain wolves (Canis lupus irremotus).
External links
- Hinterland Who's Who
- Environmental Education for Kids!: Critter Corner
- National Park Service
- Snowshoe hare at Animal Diversity Web