Characteristics and living habits of Arctic hares

The Arctic hare is larger than a domestic rabbit, has a fat body, and has smaller ears and hind limbs. Of course, "rabbits can't grow tails" is a common feature of all rabbits. The Arctic hare has fluffy down, which acts like an insulating layer to effectively prevent energy loss, which is crucial to surviving the severe cold in the Arctic.

arctic hare

In the Arctic, the only herbivore slightly larger than the lemming is the hare. But their numbers are much smaller than those of lemmings. In the Arctic, the number of hares is very limited, not even as large as foxes. This is because Arctic hares are not very reproductive. Due to climate and food restrictions, they can only give birth to one brood per year. There are only 2 to 5 animals in each litter, but their survival rate is relatively high, so the number is relatively stable. They do not have ups and downs like lemmings. They commit collective suicide. Of course, they are not as famous as lemmings.

Arctic hares

The Arctic hare has different names. In some places it is called mountain hare or blue hare, and in North America it is called snowshoe hare. Because in North America, this kind of rabbit not only has large hooves, but also has long hair on the bottom, which helps to reduce pressure and is less likely to sink even when running on the snow. This kind of rabbit has a common feature, or survival trick, that is, it can change its fur color with the seasons. It is gray-brown in spring, summer and autumn, and turns to white in winter. This is not only easy to camouflage, but also white. It can also act as an optical reflection, making it difficult for natural enemies to detect it.

In addition, the North Pole has a unique trick, that is, its young can eat things as soon as they are born, which is also necessary for survival. The eyes of domestic rabbit babies are always closed after birth, and they cannot open their eyes to see until 12 days later.

Arctic rabbit meat is delicious and its fur is valuable. Therefore, it has become the target of people's hunting.

animal tags： rabbit hare