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.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Lagomorpha
Family	Leporidae
Genus	Lepus
Scientific Name	Lepus timidus

Quick Information

Other Names	Irish Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Tundra Hare, Blue Hare, Snow Hare, Alpine Hare
Subspecies	15 recognized subspecies including the Irish mountain hare and the Scottish mountain hare
Size	18-26 inches (45-65 cm); tail length is 1.6-3.1 inches (4-8 cm).
Weight	5.5-8.8 lbs (2.5-4 kg); females are heavier than males
Color	Summer: Various shades of brown Winter: Molts into a white colored coat There are, however, variations based on geographic distribution
Distribution	From Poland to the Pacific Ocean in the east, Scotland, Ireland, England, the Faroe Islands and the Alps
Habitat	Boreal forests through most of their range; also in heather moorlands, mountain grasslands, forestry plantations, and dry rocky hills
Communication	Primarily through touch; scents are also used
Lifespan	9 years on average in the wild
Diet	Summer: 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 Season	Between February and August
Gestation period	50-54 days
Litter Size	1-5
Diseases	Tick and Trichostrongylosis retortaeformis, a gut parasite
Predators	Eurasian eagle-owls, red foxes, stoats, and golden eagles
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

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.

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.

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.

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.’

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_hare
2. http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/visit-the-zoo/rodents-and-hares/lepus-timidus
3. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11791/0
4. http://www.arkive.org/mountain-hare/lepus-timidus/
5. http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepus_timidus/#lifespan_longevity
6. http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/mammals/mountain-hare/