Snowshoe hare is a medium-sized hare that lives in North America. It is also called varying hare. Snowshoe hares live in forests and swamps of Canada and the northern United States, including Alaska. They also are found in mountains as far south as New Mexico in the west and Tennessee in the east. Snowshoe hares have large, hairy hind feet for hopping over snow.
Adult snowshoe hares measure up to about 20 inches (50 centimeters) long. Most weigh about 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms). For most of the year, a snowshoe hare has a brown upper coat and a whitish chin, belly, and tail. In winter, the animal sheds its coat and grows a new one. This coat is all white except for black on the tips of the animal’s long ears.
Snowshoe hares are active mainly at night. They feed on a variety of plant life, including grasses and leaves. In some areas, deep snow during winter allows them to feed on the leaves of such trees as spruces and pines. Female snowshoe hares give birth as many as four times a year. Two to four young may be born each time.
Many animals prey on snowshoe hares. Their chief enemies include snowy owls and lynx. In addition, people kill hundreds of thousands of snowshoe hares each year for food and sport.
