snowshoe hare
(Lepus americanus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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In summer, the fur is yellowish-brown to grayish-brown above with a blackish rump and a blackish line down the back from the neck to the rump. The nape of the neck is the same color as the back. The underparts are white. The outer tip of each ear is black. The tail is dark above, white below. In winter the fur is white or pale gray except for dark eyerings and the black tip of each ear. The rear feet are large. The soles of the feet are densely furred. |
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Size |
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Total length: 16″ to 20″ Head and body: 13″ to 18″ Tail: 1″ to 1½″ Ear: 3½″ to 4″ |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Woods, thickets, coniferous swamps and bogs |
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Biology |
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Behavior |
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It is active mostly from dusk through dawn, but also on cloudy days. It is mostly solitary excepot when populations are high. |
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Lifespan |
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5 years |
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Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Sources Minnesota varying hare (Lepus americanus phaeonotus) is found throughout northern Minnesota. Varying hare (Lepus americanus americanus) may be found in the forested parts of northeastern Minnesota. |
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| 1/25/2017 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Cyclical |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Mammalia (mammals) | ||
| Subclass | Theria | ||
| Infraclass | Eutheria (placentals) | ||
| Magnorder | Boreoeutheria | ||
| Superorder | Euarchontoglires | ||
| Clade | Glires (rodents and rabbits) | ||
| Order | Lagomorpha (hares, pikas, and rabbits) | ||
Family |
Leporidae (rabbits and hares) | ||
Genus |
Lepus (hares and jackrabbits) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Alaska varying hare (Lepus americanus dalli) Bighorn Mountain snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus seclusus) British Columbia snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus columbiensis) Cascades snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus cascadensis) Klamath snowshoe rabbit (Lepus americanus klamathensis) Mackenzie varying hare (Lepus americanus macfarlani) Minnesota varying hare (Lepus americanus phaeonotus) Nova Scotia varying hare (Lepus americanus struthopus) Oregon snowshoe rabbit (Lepus americanus oregonus) Rocky Mountain snowshoe rabbit (Lepus americanus bairdii) Sierra Nevada snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus tahoensis) snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus pallidus) snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus pineus) varying hare (Lepus americanus americanus) Virginia snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus virginianus) Washington snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus washingtonii) |
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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snowshoe hare snowshoe rabbit varying hare |
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Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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| Slideshows | ||
| Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) Bill Keim |
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| Snowshoe Hare Gerald (Wayne) Prout |
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| Lepus americanus (Snowshoe Hare) Andrew Hoffman |
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| Snowshoe Hares Tom Reichner |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Other Videos | |||
| Snowshoe Hare Steve Geronazzo |
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About
Published on Apr 13, 2014 Snowshoe Hare feeding on calcium along the highway near Forteau, Labrador on 2014-04-13. |
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| Snowshoe hare at the North American Bear Center, Ely, MN njwebfoot1 |
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About
Published on Jun 21, 2012 Snowshoe hare eating a apple in the bear's rock den at the North American Bear Center in Ely, MN on 6/17/12. |
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| Snowshoe Hare HD 720p Sparky Stensaas |
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About
Published on Feb 4, 2013 Sparky's contact info: |
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| Wintering Snowshoe Hare greenbunting |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 20, 2011 |
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| Snowshoe Hare Hunting In Minnesota bud deny |
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About
Published on Jan 24, 2016 Description |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
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