Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus)[]
The following species profile information obtained from Alaska Department of Fish and Game, where additional information can also be obtained.
General Description:[]
Snowshoe hares are somewhat larger than cottontail rabbits. They average around 18 to 20 inches (.5 m) in total length and weigh 3 to 4 pounds (1.4–1.8 kg). In summer the coat is yellowish to grayish brown with white underparts, and the tail is brown on top. This coat is shed and replaced by white pelage in winter, but the hairs are dusky at the base and the underfur is gray. The ears are dark at the tips. The large hind feet are well-furred, adapting these animals for the deep snows of the boreal forests—hence the name "snowshoe."
Life History:[]
Growth & Reproduction:[]
Snowshoe hares breed at about 1 year of age and have two to three litters per year. Breeding begins in mid-May and lasts through August. They exhibit polyandrous breeding habits, where both male and female hares have multiple mates. The gestation period is 36 to 37 days. First litters are born around the middle of May in Interior Alaska and average about four leverets (young hares). The second litter, in years of increasing abundance, often averages six young, and occasionally there is a third litter. Females breed immediately after the birth of a litter.
The leverets are born in an unlined depression or “form.” They weigh about 2 ounces (57 g) at birth and can walk by the time their fur is dry. Like all hares, they are born with a full coat of fur and their eyes and ears open. In a day or two they are wandering about the nest, and in less than two weeks will be eating green vegetation. They nurse for about a month before they disburse from the nest. The color pattern of the young snowshoe is similar to the summer pattern of adults.
Feeding & Ecology:[]
They feed on a wide variety of plant material—grasses, buds, twigs, and leaves in the summer and spruce twigs and needles, bark, and buds of hardwood such as aspen and willow in the winter.
Range & Habitat:[]
The snowshoe, or varying hare (Lepus americanus), is the most common and widespread of the two species of hares in Alaska. It is distributed over the state except for the lower Kuskokwim Delta, the Alaska Peninsula, and the area north of the Brooks Range. It is sparsely distributed along the southeastern mainland except for major river deltas.
Snowshoe hares are found in mixed spruce forests, wooded swamps, and brushy areas.
They do not dig burrows or build nests but use natural shelters and depressions and rest under branches or bushes. The snowshoe hare travels about on well-established trails or runways which become deeply worn in the snow or forest floor. It is interesting that the winter trails through the deep snow follow the summer pathways.
Trends:[]
Populations of snowshoe hare are subject to cycles of high abundance and scarcity. The population in an area will build up over a period of years to peak abundance, followed by a sudden decline to a very low level. During periods of peak abundance, there are as many as 600 animals per square mile (230/km²) of range. The exact cause or causes for the decline are unknown. Some possibilities include overbrowsing their food supply, predators, and shock disease due to stress, parasites, or a combination of these.
Threats:[]
General threats include climate change altering vegetation communities, human development, and mining and fuel exploration and development, by reducing, fragmenting or eliminating habitats.
Fast Facts:[]
Size:[]
Length: 18–24 inches Weight: 3–4 lbs
Life Span:[]
1–5 years
Range/Distribution:[]
Throughout the taiga of Alaska
Diet:[]
Grasses, buds, twigs, and leaves in the summer and spruce twigs and needles, bark, and buds of hardwood such as aspen and willow in the winter.
Predators:[]
Avian and mammalian predators, including ground squirrels and red squirrels, gray foxes, red foxes, coyotes, wolves, lynx, bobcats and mink.
Reproduction:[]
Breeding begins in mid-May. Females give birth to 2-3 litters averaging 4 young each.
Habits:[]
Hares are most active at dusk and dawn.
Scat & Tracks (aka Sign):[]
Photographs of snowshoe hare sign (scat & tracks) can be seen at this link to the ADF&G website.
Canadian Lynx (Lynx Canadensis) & Snowshoe Hares (Lepus americanus) Live Chat:[]
Ranger Sarah Gage and Ranger Carolyn Rohdenburg's August 2021 live chat about Katmai's Canadian lynx and snowshoe hares (aka varying hare).
Katmai's Lynx and Showshoe Hares - Live Chat
Explore.org video
2023 Booming Summer for Snowshoe Hare at Brooks Camp:[]
It's a booming summer for hare in Brooks Camp!
2023.05.26: Ranger Naomi Boak captured this May 2023 NPS photograph of a snowshoe hare. She has seen more snowshoe hare than she has ever seen before at Brooks Camp. (p 05/28/2023 09:00):
2023.05.28: Ranger Carl Ramm, a member of KNP&P's bear management staff, shared this information about the snowshoe hare he has observed at Brooks Camp this season in his May 28, 2023 07:22 comment:
"As you all know, this is a relatively slow time for bears at Brooks, but there were by far the most snowshoe hares I have ever seen. I counted 21 on one morning walk from Valley Road housing to camp (about 20 minutes). For the majority of my time at Brooks I would not have seen a single hare on that walk. Not surprisingly, there have been plenty of lynx sightings, and some very impressive wolf tracks along the beach."
2023.06.13: They were still shedding out their white winter fur when employees arrived in May and now they are completely in their summer brown phase. Brooks Lodge shared this June 13, 2023 photograph by Kara Stenberg of a snowshoe hare in their June 22, 2023 09:46 Facebook post.:
Please request Kara Stenberg's permission prior to using her photographs!
Snowshoe Hares Observed on the Explore.org Live Cams:[]
September 2024:[]
2024.09.03: FloppyLeftEar created this gif of two snowshoe hares from the riffles cam (p 22:15) - "Aaaand they're gone". Raptor747 created this gif of the snowshoe hares appearing to be having a good time (p 09/04/2024 00:04 #2). LunaCre created this gif of the snowshoe hare (p 09/04/2024 13:47 #27).:
"Aaaand they're gone"
