Snowshoe Hare
| Snowshoe hare Conservation status: Secure | ||||||||||||||
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| Lepus americanus Erxleben, 1777 |
The Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus), so named because of the large size of its feet which prevents it from sinking into the snow, is a common type of hare in North America. It is the dominant herbivore in the boreal forest and tundra ecosystems of northern North America.
For camouflage, its fur turns white during the winter and brown during the summer. The Snowshoe Hare is also distinguishable by the black tufts of fur on the edge of its ears.
At high latitudes, the snowshoe hare's population oscillates with a period of 11 years; its peak population can be as much as 40 times greater than its minimum population. Explaining this phenomenon in terms of the hare's relation to its food supply and predators has been a common object of study in ecology.
Categories: Leporids