Fun Snowshoe Hare Facts For Kids

A snowshoe hare, scientific name Snowshoe hare Lepus Americanus, is also regarded as the varying hare rabbit and snowshoe rabbit is a species of rabbit found in North America. Snow hares are named due to their hind feet that are very large in size. They have such huge feet which protects them from sinking in the snow and helps them hop and walk over snow.  These hares are nocturnal creatures and have acute hearing which safeguards them from predators as they are among the easiest prey of predators. The females can deliver up to three litters per year comprising one to eight leverets during the breeding season. This is the big reason behind their increasing population numbers. They got their name from their large hind feet.

The color of their fur can vary according to the season, so pin-pointing to a single color can be difficult. After you are done reading these interesting Snowshoe hare facts, do check out our other articles on pink fairy armadillo and tenrec.
 

What type of animal is a snowshoe hare?

A snowshoe hare is a species of hares that are found in and around places of North America. It is a herbivore and eats plants, grass and trees. As such their preferred habitat is forest areas that are covered with thickets and undergrowth.

What class of animal does a Snowshoe hare belong to?

Snowshoe hares are also known as snowshoe rabbits, belonging to the class of mammals in the Animalia kingdom.

How many snowshoe hares are there in the world?

Snowshoe hares are one of the most common species throughout their range. It is almost impossible to count the amount of snowshoe hares that are present around the world. They live in the wild which makes it more difficult to estimate and calculate the number of snowshoe hares. But there are millions of such hares around the world which are under no concern to be extinct.

Where does a snowshoe hare live?

Snowshoe hares are usually found in coniferous and boreal forests of North America, Alaska, New England, Minnesota, Michigan, and Montana. They are also found in and around mountain tops and hill ranges of America.

What is a snowshoe hare's habitat?

Snowshoe hares are found in areas and parts of North America. They are found in the wild and dark in both summers and winters as they are adaptable to both climatic conditions. They are found in open fields, riverside thickets, cedar bogs, and forest areas where the ground is covered with swamps, undergrowth, and thickets.

Who do snowshoe hares live with?

Even though snowshoe hares are often visibly solitary, they often live around other hares and usually share over overlapping houses. A group of snowshoe hares is called a band or down.

How long does a snowshoe hare live?

Snowshoe hares are a really common species among their range and reach the age of maturity in one year. Most of them do not even reach the age of maturity due to them being prey to a number of predators. Whereas, some of them can live up to five years long in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

Male and female snowshoe rabbits reach their sexual maturity within a year and can mate after that during the breeding season. A female snowshoe hare may have up to four litters a year based on the environmental condition. Male snowshoe hares try to mate and impress female snowshoe hares, whereas females are known to mate with different males over a year. Their mating season runs from mid-March to August. Young snowshoe hare looks very cute.

What is their conservation status?

Snowshoe hares are very common creatures throughout the areas where they are found. Even though they are one of the favorites among predators they are far from being extinct. There is no concern regarding their conservation as they are able to breed real fast and so their population grows as fast as it diminishes or maybe even faster.

What do snowshoe hare look like?

Snowshoe hares are fully furred hares that have exceptionally big feet and ears. They are also known for their adaptational changes due to which their fur color changes to white in winters to help them hide in the snow and the fur color becomes grayish brown or reddish-brown during summers to help them camouflage with their surroundings.

How cute are they?

The snowshoe hares are really cute fluffy creatures that have long ears and huge legs that help us differentiate them from others.

How do they communicate?

One of the best ways these snowshoe hares use to communicate with one another is through thumping their hind feet against the ground. They are not particularly vocal but do make loud squealing sounds if they are captured and also snort or hiss while fighting with one another.

How big is a snowshoe hare?

Snowshoe hares are really small creatures when compared to other predator animals such as lynx, or bobcats that are almost ten times their size and so make them easier prey to such predators.

How fast can a snowshoe hare run?

Snowshoe hares are really fast runners as they are one very most common prey for predators. Their hind legs help them to run faster as compared to other hares and rabbits. An adult snowshoe hare can almost cover ten feet in one bound and can travel or run at a speed of 27 mph.

How much does a snowshoe hare weigh?

A typical snowshoe hare would weigh between 3-4 lb. They are usually heaviest during their peak and a full-grown adult snowshoe hare has an average weight of 4 lb. Different from other animals, male snowshoe hares are comparatively lighter than female snowshoe hares.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Like many other creatures, there are no specific terms or names used for male and female snowshoe hare. Snowshoe hare males and females are called male snowshoe hare and female snowshoe hare based on their gender.

What would you call a baby snowshoe hare?

Like various other categories and species of hares and rabbits, the young ones or babies of snowshoe hare are known as ‘leverets’. Young hares are born fully furred and ready to run.

What do they eat?

Snowshoe hares have diverse diets in different seasons and usually come out at night. They usually prefer herbaceous plants and the growth of woody vegetation in the summer season and twigs, buds, and barks in the winter season. Snowshoe hares eat different plants, shrubs, grasses, and trees at different places where they are safe from predators.

Are they friendly?

Yes, they are friendly as they like to lay around being lazy and have their meals on time.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they would make adorable pets, but you have to observe their eating habits and their health.

Did you know...

One of the most striking features about a snowshoe hare vs rabbit is that they can change colors in different seasons. They usually turn white in the winter season and change their color to reddish-brown in the summer season so that they can camouflage in their environment in order to protect themselves from predators.

Another important characteristic of a snowshoe hare is that it has really big and long hind feet of 3-6 in which makes it a lot easier for them to hop and walk in snow.

Why are they called snowshoe hares?

These hares are specially named and called snowshoe hares due to the presence of their unique characteristic feature, large hind legs. They have really huge hind legs, which makes it a lot easier for them to adapt to their environment and walk on snow really easily and fast enough to safeguard themselves from any predators.

When are snowshoe hares most active?

Snowshoe hares are most active during the low light times and are often found or seen during the dawn, dusk, or night. This is because they are a favorites among predators that hunt during the light hours of the day, so in order to protect themselves, they prefer times when there is low or dim lighting.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including Brown hare, or Arctic hare.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our snowshoe coloring pages.