Mountain Hare Facts
- This beautiful small mammal most frequently goes by the informative common name of the Mountain Hare in much of its range. Yet, the wonder of Nature does have several other general titles. These include tundra hare, blue hare, white hare, Irish hare, and alpine hare.
- Within the scientific community, however, the mammal’s possibly significantly better known by its purely technical designation. Fortunately for the layperson, that’s a comparatively simple one to pronounce. That’s because the marvel holds the official epithet of Lepus timidus.
- This beautiful creature received that designation due to the efforts of Carl Linnaeus himself. The highly esteemed Swedish researcher recorded the first acknowledgement of it as a separate and distinct species. He achieved that scientifically noteworthy deed in the year 1758.
- Thankfully, the remarkable Mountain Hare appears to be maintaining a population base that’s both stable and sufficient. This pleasant state also seems to hold true across its entire range. The IUCN thus currently shows it as Least Concern on its Red List of Threatened Species.
- The gorgeous animal nevertheless still faces the same potential threats to its continued existence as all species on earth today. Like the rest of us, most of those stem from the actions of man. They include the closely related perils of habitat loss and ongoing climate change.
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Mountain Hare Physical Description
The amazing Mountain Hare, like many of its numerous relatives across the globe, captures the attention of most people lucky enough to encounter it. This specific example of its kind, though, does so for several reasons. That’s true since it’s not just lovely, but also slightly larger than average.
In regards to purely physical measurements, this beautiful creature follows the same evolutionary path as its countless brethren. That’s demonstrated by the fact that it displays a certain degree of the phsyiological characteristic of sexual dimorphism. In its case, though, it’s a small amount.
Technically, males of the species tend to achieve slightly greater average sizes than females. The total difference, however, remains so slight as to not always easily discernible without close examination. In general, males and females of this mammal thus exhibit similar characteristics.
In terms of overall length, individuals of both genders reach approximately the same mean range of head-and-body measurement. This trait varies somewhat, though, from about 18 – 26 in (45-65 cm). The short, relatively bushy tail also adds an average of about 1.5 – 3 in (4 – 8 cm) to this.
Body masses sometimes vary more noticeably between the sexes, however. Taken together, this aspect of the animal generally ranges from 4.5 – 11.75 lb (2 – 5.3 kg). On this scale, females typically tend to be on the higher end, while their male counterparts most commonly appear on the lower.
Yet, it’s doubtless the literally eye-catching coloring of the gorgeous Mountain Hare that usually garners the most interest among observers. During the summer months, this consists of various shades of brown. In winter, however, this changes to pure or mostly pure white for camouflage.
Otherwise, the stunning hare also possesses comparatively long, distinctive ears, often black-tipped. Its eyes develop as large and round, positioned on the sides of its head to provide a wide field of vision. Its feet also have a dense covering of fur, and the hind feet grow larger than the front.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Lagomorpha
- Family: Leporidae
- Genus: Lepus
- Species: L. timidus
Mountain Hare Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology
The delicate marvel known as the Mountain Hare evolved as native to a relatively broad expanse of the surface of the earth. That large zone of habitation in fact covers a large portion of the Northern Hemisphere, in fact. Lamentably, however, its concentrations still remain rather scattered.
Luckily, it’s still widespread across much of Eurasia. The mammal inhabits regions from Scandinavia to Eastern Siberia, including countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and Eastern Europe. It’s also found in Scotland and Ireland. In Asia, it’s also seen in China, and Mongolia.
Nature further blessed this natural wonder with a moderate degree of flexibility regarding its choice of habitat. It’s therefore found in a wide variety of habitats within its territorial range. These do, however, tend to share certain traits that the animal clearly prefers in its place of residence.
As its very name implies, this wonder of Nature and evolution obviously favors upland and mountainous areas. In these locations, the wonder seeks out habitats with a favorable mix of open spaces and cover. This includes such settings as heathland, moorland, alpine meadows, and tundra.
While it principally prefers open areas, the small mammal also requires at least some vegetation cover for shelter and protection from predators. It frequently appears in locations hosting sparse shrubs, grasses, heather, and various other low vegetation where it’s possible to both hide and nest.
Given its demonstrated preference for mountainous regions, altitude also plays an important factor in its selection of where to live. The amazing hare evolved as perfectly adapted to colder climates and often shows up at elevations ranging from sea level to over 9,800 ft (3,000 m) above that.
Given its very nature, the wondrous Mountain Hare also evolved as herbivorous in nature. The precise compostion of its diet varies, though, depending on the nature of the precise region of each individual. In some areas, this largely consists of grasses, while in others it’s mostly twigs and bark.
The hare’s also crepuscular, meaning it’s most active during the periods of dawn and dusk. It’s known for its amazing agility and speed, used to evade predators. During the day, it usually rests in forms, shallow depressions in the ground or under vegetation, where it remains well hidden.
Breeding season for this remarkble animal occurs from the month of January to August, with peak activity occurring in spring and early summer. Females generally give birth to litters of young known as leverets, which, intriguingly are born fully furred, and with their small eyes completely open.
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