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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Mountain Hare

Mountain Hare

The mountain hare is one of the most widely distributed of the hare species. It is also one of the largest, second only to the European hare. It is highly adapted for the snowy mountainous regions that it inhabits.

Mountain Hare

Mountain Hare

Scientific Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderLagomorpha
FamilyLeporidae
GenusLepus
Scientific NameLepus timidus
Irish Hare

Irish Hare

Quick Information

Other NamesIrish Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Tundra Hare, Blue Hare, Snow Hare, Alpine Hare
Subspecies15 recognized subspecies including the Irish mountain hare and the Scottish mountain hare
Size18-26 inches (45-65 cm); tail length is 1.6-3.1 inches (4-8 cm).
Weight5.5-8.8 lbs (2.5-4 kg); females are heavier than males
ColorSummer: Various shades of brown

Winter: Molts into a white colored coat
There are, however, variations based on geographic distribution

DistributionFrom Poland to the Pacific Ocean in the east, Scotland, Ireland, England, the Faroe Islands and the Alps
HabitatBoreal forests through most of their range; also in heather moorlands, mountain grasslands, forestry plantations, and dry rocky hills
CommunicationPrimarily through touch; scents are also used
Lifespan9 years on average in the wild
DietSummer: Forest inhabitants eat leaves and twigs, those in the tundra consume alpine plants

Winter: Mostly eat heather
Generally, they have also been known to feed on grasses, lichen and tree bark

Adaptations
  • Molting occurs to help them camouflage with the surroundings, thereby avoiding and evading predators
  • They are not known to and have never been seen drinking water, leading to beliefs that it eats snow to quench its thirst
Breeding SeasonBetween February and August
Gestation period50-54 days
Litter Size1-5
DiseasesTick and Trichostrongylosis retortaeformis, a gut parasite
PredatorsEurasian eagle-owls, red foxes, stoats, and golden eagles
IUCN Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Lepus Timidus

Lepus Timidus

Behavior

Mountain hares are nocturnal and solitary animals. Despite their solitary nature, they have been known to eat in groups of up to 70 individuals, especially during difficult weather conditions.

Their home ranges are between 80 to 100 hectares. Being saltatorial, their main method of locomotion is through leaping and hopping; a threatened individual can reach speeds of more than 60 km/h whilst hopping away.

Mountain Hare Images

Mountain Hare Images

Mating and Reproduction

During the breeding season, a female may be pursued by many males, but if the former is not in heat it may drive the suitors away by scratching or showing its back towards them with the ears laid back.

A female may have 2-3 litters in a year. Litter size varies with the size of the mother, and a larger female is capable of having a bigger litter than a smaller-sized female mountain hare.

Mountain Hare Baby

Mountain Hare Baby

Life Cycle

Infants, or leverets, are born with a weight of around 0.20lb (90gm), with fully developed fur and opened eyes. Suckling begins immediately after birth and weaning takes place after a month. Mothers leave their wards by themselves for most of the time, occasionally returning to the burrows only to feed and suckle her young.

Mountain Hare Photos

Mountain Hare Photos

Interesting Facts

  • The Arctic hare used to be considered as a subspecies of the mountain hare, but it has now been segregated into a distinct species.
  • There are sometimes fraternal associations between mountain hares, but females do not develop relations with each other.
  • Before getting into its burrow to rest, a mountain hare jumps around it own tracks to lay down footprints to confuse predators. This uncanny behavior is called ‘hooking.’
Mountain Hares

Mountain Hares

Mountain Hare Pictures

Mountain Hare Pictures

References

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_hare
  2. https://www.onekindplanet.org/animal/mountain-hare/
  3. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11791/45177198
  4. https://animalia.bio/mountain-hare
  5. http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepus_timidus/#lifespan_longevity
  6. https://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/mammals/mountain-hare/

Published on August 26th 2016 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 26th June 2023.

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