Lepus Arcticus
The arctic hare is large, up to 28 inches in length and weighing an average of 7 - 12 pounds. When it sits up it is over a foot and a half tall. They have short bushy tails and the feet are equiped with strong claws for digging. The coat in winter is white with black ear tips. During other seasons the coat color varies geographically from blue-gray to white and every shade between. Arctic hares are nocturnal and crepuscular and most of the time are solitary animals. It is not unknown, though, for these hares to form groups numbering up to 300.
Gender differences:
Similar
Habitat:
Lowland and mountainous areas. It prefers uneven terrain that has sheltered areas, with vegetation in summer and is relatively free of deep snow in the winter. Geographically it is located in tundra regions of Canada from Newfoundland west to the Mackenzie delta and north to the tip of Ellesmere Island.
Diet:
Diet consists of grass, roots, berries, willow twigs, leaves of spruce and pine and other plants. When near a shore line they will eat kelp and other seaweed that has washed up. They have been known to eat snow when thirsty.
Reproduction:
Breeding season is spring through summer. The nest is built by the female, usually a depression in the ground behind rocks or a bush. She then lines it with her fur and grasses. Gestation is 36 to 42 days, two to four young being born each time. Young hares weigh 2 - 4 ounces at birth, are fully furred and have their eyes wide open. They can hop about a few minutes after birth. For the first few days the mother stays with the babies, after that they protect themselves by remaining motionless when she is away. By the time they are two to three weeks old they begin to leave the nest, returning only to nurse. At eight to nine weeks they are fully weaned.
Other:
The arctic hare can reach speeds of up to 40 mph using a variety of gaits. They will run on all fours or hop on their hind legs, sometimes combining the two gaits. When necessary they will swim short distances.
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