COMMON NAME: Arctic Hare
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepus arcticus
APPEARANCE:
|
ADAPTATIONS:
- Most arctic hares have coats that change seasonally for cryptic coloration
- White fur during the winter
- Brown-gray fur during the summer
- Have the ability to hop on 3 legs making their tracks not look like hare tracks
- Winter coat is thick and soft for good insulation
- Short ears so blood doesn't travel as far from heart
- Gather in groups of 10 - 60 when feeding
- Northern ones can gather up to 300
- Long straight incisors used to pull out plants from crevices
- Black eyelashes that act like sunglasses and keep sun out of eyes
- Young avoid being eaten by staying motionless among rocks and vegetation
- Adults avoid predators by staying extremely still or hiding in the snow or by running away as fast as they can
- Feeds on woody plants, but sometimes eats meat
- Eats snow for water
- Heavily padded feet are good for running and not freezing
- Strong long claws are used to dig under snow to find food
- Makes burrows underground to avoid predators
FUN FACT: Arctic hares can leap up to 2.1 meters in a single bound. Also, their front feet step at separate times and are then followed by both back feet.