They can reach speeds of up to 64 kilometers per hour, which is comparable to the speed of a car. With their strong hind legs, they can leap
two meters
into the air, which means they could jump over the heads of many people if they chose to.
What do artic hares eat?
Food can be scarce in the Arctic, but the hares survive by eating
woody plants, mosses, and lichens
which they may dig through the snow to find in winter. In other seasons they eat buds, berries, leaves, roots, and bark. Traditionally, the arctic hare has been important to Native Americans.
Do arctic hares eat snow?
The arctic hare
usually eats snow or chews on ice to get its water
. While not all animals can do this without dropping their body temperatures too low to survive, this hare is adapted to live in areas where all of the water is frozen and so can eat snow without freezing to death.
How does an arctic hare protect itself from predators?
When arctic hares spy predators, they
use their white camouflage as their first defense
. They freeze and wait until they are spotted before trying to run to safety. Arctic hares have unusual habits that help protect them from cold environment and predators. … At rest, arctic hares appear smaller than they actually are.
Why dont arctic hares dig a burrow?
Arctic hares dig burrows
beneath the snow to escape frigid weather
. Digging burrows is a quick and easy way of avoiding the biting wind. Besides, they provide refuge from predators. A single hare inhabits a single burrow unless it is a female with her young ones.
What are arctic hare babies called?
Young hares are called
leverets
. In the High Arctic, Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) are born in June with an average litter containing five leverets. In Newfoundland they are also born in June but the average litter size is three leverets.
Why do arctic hares turn white in winter?
Several species of hares—including the Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus), the mountain hare (L. timidus), and the snowshoe hare (L. americanus)—turn from brown or grayish to white in the winter. The color change is thought to be at least partially linked to photoperiod—that is,
the amount of light received during the day
.
Who eats the Arctic Wolf?
Polar bears
are the only animal predators of Arctic wolves.
Do polar bears eat Arctic hares?
Polar bears can detect a carcass from nearly 20 miles away with their extraordinary sense of smell and will feed on the bodies of beached bowhead whales and other remains. They'll also eat fish, shellfish, waterfowl, eggs,
rodents and hares
.
Why do arctic hares have black tipped ears?
The black fur on the ear tips
may be a way of keeping the sensitive ear tips warmer when the sun is shining
. Black ear tips are common to many species of hares. Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) do not hibernate.
What helps a arctic hare survive?
Arctic hares have large back feet that act like
snowshoes
and keep them from sinking in the snow. Their front feet have long, strong claws that help them dig beneath the snow to find food. Arctic hares have a great sense of smell that helps them find mosses and lichens underneath the snow.
Where does an Arctic hare sleep?
It usually
digs holes in the ground or under the snow
to keep warm and to sleep. Arctic hares look like rabbits but have shorter ears, are taller when standing, and, unlike rabbits, can thrive in extreme cold.
Can you have an Arctic hare as a pet?
These
hares are not kept as pets
, are not considered endangered, but they are hunted for materials and as food by the Eskimos of the Arctic, Canada, and Greenland, where they are naturally found. They do not harm the human economy or life. In the wild, this breed of hare will live up to five years.
What do arctic hare babies eat?
They eat
the leaves of the various shrubs
that manage to grow in this harsh environment. The Dwarf Willow – a tiny, woody plant that has adapted to Arctic environments – forms 95% of their diet. Arctic Hares also eat mosses, lichens and even carrion such as fish and caribou.
