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| Arctic Hare |
Arctic Hare Facts That Change Color Depending On The Season
The special feature of the Arctic hare is that it changes its body color twice every year. During the winter season, these hare turn white and turn themselves brown during the summer. The color-changing hare is hunted by foxes, snowy owls, gray wolves, Canadian lynxes and ermines.
The Arctic hare is a class of hare living in the Arctic region and these hare are well adapted to withstand the harsh cold of the winter season. This species of hare are omnivorous and prefer to eat mostly plants, mainly arctic willow, berries, leaves and roots.
The breeding season of the Arctic hare is in the spring and mostly lasts from April to May. During the winter season, Arctic hare gather together and create warmth for each other. Let's know about interesting facts and information about the Arctic hare.
Where Are Arctic Hare Found
This species of hare mostly lives in the Far North and the North American tundra is the home area of these hare. Arctic hares are adapted to live in these weather conditions and these areas include Greenland, Northern Canada, Canadian Arctic Islands, Ellesmere Island, Labrador and Newfoundland.
Another feature of them is that Arctic hare are able to see up to 360° without turning their head. Due to which this hare is helped to detect any predator or danger around them. Apart from this, these hare do not hibernate throughout the year and they adapt themselves according to the change of every season.
During winter, these hare gather in large groups of thousands to keep themselves warm as this herd helps them to maintain warmth in the body. The body of the Arctic hare is adapted and their body temperature does not decrease even after eating snow to fulfill their water requirements.
They are good jumping hare and Arctic hare can jump 6.8 feet in one jump. Another interesting fact about these hare is that they change the color of their body depending on the season. The color of these hare is brown in summer and changes to white in winter.
But let us also tell you that hare living in the Far North remain white throughout the year and scientists believe that the color change can be attributed to the photoperiod as there is nothing else except the amount of sunlight during the day. Apart from this, exposure of the skin of the animal's body to sunlight can be a possible reason for the change in body color.
Scientific Name Of Arctic Hare
The scientific name of Arctic hare is Lepus arcticus and this hare belongs to the mammalian class. Female Arctic hare have mammary glands and feed their babies with milk for 8 to 9 weeks after birth. Arctic hare is a type of hare and it can be seen in snowy areas like Arctic tundra.
Arctic hare is also called polar hare. The ears of Arctic hare are small and the tip is black. These small ears help in reducing the body heat of this hare. In the far north of tundra areas, the hare remains white throughout the year. This helps in protecting them from predators as their white color makes them blend in with the surrounding snow.
Habitat Of Arctic Hare
The habitat of these white colored hare includes tundra, rocky areas and treeless coasts of the Arctic. Arctic hare have a very high percentage of fat in their bodies to withstand the cold weather and the temperature in these areas can drop to -14.8 °F.
Arctic hare can eat snow without lowering their body temperature or dying from the cold. Arctic hares prefer to live a solitary life and they gather or form groups only during the winter season. They form large groups of hundreds or even more to get warmth during the winter season.
This phenomenon of these hare gathering in groups is called herd and they separate from the group only during the breeding season for mating. The mating season for these white colored hares is from April to May.
How Do Arctic Hare Look Like
Arctic hare look fat because of their short body parts and ears. The tips of their ears are black in color which is a unique feature of this hare species. Arctic hare can stand on their hind legs and can see 360° around to detect any predatory threat.
Arctic hares are the largest species of the hare family. Arctic hare have very long claws on their front legs and hind legs which help them to find food buried deep in the snow. The fur of the Arctic hare is soft and white. Read- Brent Goose | Facts About Goose That Flies Over 3000 Miles
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Size Of Arctic Hare
Arctic hares are 19-28 inches long in size and are twice the size of an ordinary hare which can grow only up to 16 inches. Arctic hare can reach the knees of an adult human in their standing position and their weight is around 2.5-7 kg.
What Do Arctic Hare Eat
Arctic hares prefer to eat woody plants, berries, leaves, roots, moss and lichens in their diet. Arctic hares have very long and straight teeth which is one of the longest teeth among rabbit species which arctic hares use to get food from inaccessible sources.
When the food sources of arctic hares can be buried by snow during winter season then arctic hares swim in the snow to find food. Apart from this, these arctic hares eat snow to fulfill their water requirement.
How Arctic Hare Breed
Male Arctic hare and female Arctic hare come together for mating during the spring breeding season during April and May. Arctic hare leave their groups and mate in a different area. Female hare give birth to 2 to 8 babies and their mating is polygamous.
Polygamous means that the female hare mates with multiple males and the male hare also chooses to mate with multiple females. The mating male and female hare stay together until the babies are born and after the birth the male hare leaves to choose another female. The gestation period of Arctic hares is about 53 days.
How Long Do Arctic Hare Live
Arctic hare are known to live for 3 to 5 years in their life and they do better in the wild. Arctic hare in zoos have a short lifespan and can only live for one and a half years.
How Fast Can Arctic Hare Run
Arctic hares are very fast animals and can reach speeds of up to 64 kilometres per hour. When jumping on their hind legs, arctic hares can reach speeds of up to 48 kilometres per hour.
How Do Arctic hare Communicate
Arctic hares form large groups only during winter to keep themselves warm. They do not form large groups during the rest of the year. Apart from this, these hares communicate with their mates through head, ear and boxing movements.
Arctic hares express love by licking or scratching their mates. Male hares will place their paws on the back to establish their mate preference and scare away other males.
How Many Arctic Hare Are There In The World
The exact number of Arctic hares around the world has not been estimated and it is believed that the population of these hares species will be significant given their vast distribution in the Arctic tundra.
According to the IUCN Red List, these hares fall into the category of least concern and the world population of Arctic hares is not in any immediate danger of extinction. The IUCN Red List classification shows that the population of these hares species is well distributed and not endangered. Read- 12 Clumsy Animal Of The World Whose Actions Will Surprise
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Arctic Hare Behavior
Arctic hares are a very internal group and keep to themselves most of the year. Arctic hares pose no threat to humans and are a very safe group of animals.
Arctic hares are physically adapted to survive in cold times. So taking them away from the natural habitat of the arctic hares will decrease their chances of survival.
Arctic Hare Facts For Kids
1. What is an Arctic hare?
The Arctic hare is the largest hare species found in North America. In summer, the Arctic hare has brown fur and small, black-tipped ears. In winter, the entire fur of the Arctic hare is white except for the black tips on its ears.
2. How do Arctic hares change their color?
When winter arrives, receptors in the retina transmit the information to the Arctic hare's brain, which causes the brown hair to be replaced by white hair, starting with the Arctic hare's hands and feet.
3. What do Arctic hares eat?
Arctic hares prefer to eat woody plants, berries, leaves, roots, moss and lichens in their diet.
4. Are Arctic hares rare?
These abundant Arctic hares are hunted for food and for their fur, which is used to make clothes.
5. What are interesting facts about Arctic hares?
Arctic hares only wear their thick white coat in the winter season and in the summer season the Arctic hares hair is thinner and brown in color which matches the rocks and vegetation.
6. What do arctic hares eat for kids?
Arctic hares survive by eating woody plants, mosses and lichens, which arctic hares can find through the snow in winter. In other seasons arctic hares eat buds, berries, leaves, roots and bark.
7. What are real hares stories told?
The arctic hare digs holes under the snow to stay warm and sleep. Arctic hares look like rabbits, but arctic hares have smaller ears, appear taller when erect and can thrive in colder conditions than hares.
8. Why do arctic hares have small ears?
Arctic hares have small ears to reduce heat loss and have black fur at the ends to help absorb heat from the sun. The arctic hare has very large front teeth and long toenails which arctic hares use to dig up their food. Apart from this, their vision is very good and the Arctic hare can see around itself up to 360 degrees without moving its head.
9. What are some interesting facts about Arctic hare?
The claws of the Arctic hare are long and the Arctic hare uses its claws to dig in the snow. Apart from this, this hare can jump on its hind legs at a speed of 30 miles per hour like a kangaroo. Apart from this, the Arctic hare also has front teeth and they are longer and straighter than hares.
10. How do Arctic hare get water?
During the winter season, Arctic hare dig snow to look for buried food and it is said that Arctic hare eat fish and other meat, Arctic hare eat snow to get water.