Any novice zoologist is well aware that the Arctic hare is a hare well adapted to living in mountainous and polar regions. It has adapted well to the harsh northern climate, and for life it chooses mainly wastelands and bare areas of land.
Brief description of appearance
The average length of an adult four-kilogram individual reaches 55-70 centimeters. By analogy with most of its relatives, the Arctic hare has a small fluffy tail and powerful long hind legs, allowing it to quickly jump through deep snow. The animal’s head is adorned with relatively short ears, and its body is covered with thick fur, which helps it better withstand sub-zero temperatures. Hares living in the far north have a white coat. Individuals inhabiting other regions acquire a grayish-blue hue in summer, thanks to which they are easily camouflaged as local vegetation and rocks.
Where does this species live?
The Arctic hare inhabits the northernmost regions of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and Greenland. It can also often be found in na This animal is equally at home in highland and lowland areas. In summer, hares choose areas where vegetation grows quickly. In winter, they move to secluded corners where they do not need to dig deep to get food. They try to avoid wet meadows, preferring to settle in drier areas.
The Arctic hare can make seasonal migrations. Thus, hare hare living in Rankin Inlet move from the mainland to small islands in late spring. The main reason for this relocation is considered to be the smaller number of predators living there.
What does the arctic hare eat?
The Arctic hare belongs to the category of herbivores. The basis of its diet consists of woody plants. He can also feast on grass, leaves, berries and buds. The animal has a well-developed sense of smell, so it can easily dig up roots and willow twigs hidden under a layer of snow.
In addition, there have been recorded cases of the Arctic hare eating bark, sedge, lichens, mosses and even meat from hunting traps. It can also eat tidal algae. When eating, the hare tries to lean on its hind legs, raking the snow with its front legs, under which edible vegetation is hidden. After eating, they always clean their fur. To get food hidden under a hard layer of snow, the animal hits it with its powerful paws and then begins to gnaw at the ice crust.
Features of reproduction
The mating season usually falls in April-May. At this time, whites split into pairs, but one male can have several females at once. The hare, having chosen a secluded place behind rocks or under a bush, digs a hole there and lines it with fur and grass. The average duration of pregnancy for a female is 36-42 days. The closer to the north, the later the hares are born.
In a litter, as a rule, there are from four to eight babies, each weighing 56-113 grams. They are born already sighted, and their bodies are covered with gray-brown hair. Just a few minutes after birth, babies are already able to jump. Two-week-old bunnies become more independent and no longer need their mother so much. By September they look like their parents, and the following season they begin to reproduce.
Features of behavior
Unfortunately, this aspect of the white hare’s life has been studied much less well compared to its relatives. It is known for certain that the Arctic hare is a nocturnal and crepuscular animal. It does not hibernate in winter because it tolerates low temperatures well due to its thick fur and low ratio between the area and volume of its body. It is thanks to this feature that the hare’s body manages to compensate for the slowdown in basal metabolism.
In particularly severe frosts, hares hide behind boulders or in dug holes. They live in relatively small areas, so they go in search of food along the same paths. To escape from predators, these animals can rush at a speed of about 60 km/h.
The Arctic hare is a hare mainly adapted to living in polar and mountainous areas. Previously it was considered a subspecies of the mountain hare, but is now recognized as a separate species.
The Arctic hare is distributed across the tundra regions of Greenland and the northernmost parts of Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador in the southeast, the Mackenzie River delta in the west, and the Arctic islands as far north as Ellesmere Island.
Inhabits both highland and lowland regions. In summer they prefer areas where vegetation quickly grows during a short summer, and in winter they prefer sheltered places where they do not have to dig deep to get food. They prefer bare land and wastelands, avoid wet meadows and are more willing to settle in drier areas.
On average, it reaches a length of 55 - 70 cm, weighs about 4 - 5.5 kg. Like other hares, it has a small fluffy tail (5 cm) and long, powerful hind legs, which allow it to jump through the snow at high speed. Its ears are relatively short, which reduces heat transfer. It has fur that allows it to withstand the cold well. In the far north it is white all year round, with only black tips to its ears. In other places, in summer it has a grayish-blue color (disguising itself as local rocks and vegetation), but the tail remains white, and by winter it turns white again. The time of molting depends on the area. There are many varieties of intermediate color. The undercoat is gray and dense. Males and females do not differ in appearance. Northern individuals tend to be larger. On the paws, especially on the front ones, the claws are elongated and curved. Hares use them to dig out dense snow. Their incisors are longer and straighter than those of most hares. They are used to crack frozen Arctic plants, and Greenland hares have sharper incisors. Arctic hare have a total of 28 teeth. The hind legs are four-toed, the front legs are five-toed. The hind legs are covered with yellowish thick and rough skin. Their special digestive system allows them to digest food twice.
There are large eyes on the sides, thanks to which the animal can see almost 360° around itself without turning its head. The pupils are round, the iris is reddish-brown in color. Black eyelashes provide good protection from the sun. Arctic hare have a highly developed sense of smell, and their nose and nostrils are constantly in motion. The sense of smell is used to find food and identify the scent of other individuals. The hare's long fluffy ears can move in different directions and when they hear a sound, they turn to find its source.
It is believed that they live for about 5 years.
The Arctic hare, or arctic hare (Latin: Lepus arcticus) has adapted to life in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. The local population traditionally uses its meat for food, and its fur for sewing outerwear.
Young hares are the main source of protein for many predators in the Arctic. The lucky ones who managed to survive the dangerous periods of childhood and adolescence become practically inaccessible to polar foxes and birds of prey. They master the art of masterly escape and camouflage to such an extent that they even often come very close to a person’s home. Confident in their intellectual superiority and dexterity, they study with interest the habits of homo sapiens.
The species was first described in 1819 by John Ross, a navigator and Arctic explorer.
Behavior
Arctic white hare live in tundra and mountainous areas at altitudes up to 900 m above sea level. The main criteria for their choice of residence are the presence of vegetation during the short Arctic summer and not too much snow in winter. Animals must be able to make holes in the snow to get to moss, lichens and plants.
In the absence of access to plant food, they switch to animal food, and can even extract meat from hunting traps. In summer, polar hares love to feast on berries and young grass.
The legs, especially the front ones, are relatively long and strong. With their help, hares easily cope with the crust and get to the desired food under the snow. They chew through icy crusts with incisors, which are stronger and longer than those of their related common hare.
Arctic hare hare lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle, but can periodically gather in groups of up to 300 individuals. Such groups always have their own sentries, vigilantly monitoring the environment and sounding an alarm at the slightest danger.
While escaping, the hare reaches speeds of up to 65 km/h. It is interesting that hares living in more northern regions always start running on their hind legs, and then switch to regular four-legged running. If necessary, they can swim across small rivers.
Feeding takes place at dusk and at night. Animals usually feed in the same area and migrate only in extreme cases. During their solitary period, hares defend their territory from their relatives. They stand on their hind legs and box each other with their front legs. The fight is accompanied by grabbing and scratching, but noble duelists do not allow themselves to bite.
Reproduction
The mating season begins in April and can last, depending on climatic conditions, until mid-September. In warm summers, the female can have two litters. Pregnancy lasts from 36 to 42 days. Whites retain mating pairs until offspring appear. Having seen his offspring, the father loses all interest in his family and goes in search of a new female.
The female brings from 2 to 8 cubs. The nest is usually located in rock crevices or under stones. The inside is lined with dry grass and moss. The expectant mother always insulates him with her own down. For the first three days after the birth of the babies, the female remains constantly with them. After this, they can come out of hiding and carefully explore the surrounding area.
At the age of 2-3 weeks, babies become quite independent, so the mother visits them only for feeding. They consume up to 50 g of milk per day. Milk feeding stops in the second month of life.
By September, the hares grow to the size of adults, and in the spring of the following year they reach sexual maturity.
Description
The body length is 40-63 cm, and the weight ranges from 3 to 6.8 kg. Males are externally indistinguishable from females. The further north hares live, the larger their size. In winter, hare whites wear dazzling white fur. Only small edges on the ears remain black.
In the southern regions of their range, polar hares acquire gray-bluish fur in the summer, and only the tail remains white. The underfur is thick and greyish. There may be different shades of summer color.
The lifespan of the Arctic hare in natural conditions is about 7 years.
The polar hare is the largest among its other brothers. He looks a lot like a rabbit, only his ears are much longer.
This species has perfectly adapted to living conditions in cold areas. It tolerates temperatures well even minus 30 degrees Celsius. Habitat: northern Canada and the tundra of Greenland. But this animal is not found in Alaska.
Appearance of a polar hare
An adult weighs 4-5 kg, its body reaches 60-70 cm in length. Externally, males and females are no different.
The color of the fur varies depending on the time of year: in winter it is white, and in summer it is gray or light brown. Hares living in the polar regions of Canada do not change the color of their fur; their fur is always white.
Behavior and nutrition of the polar hare in nature
The polar hare is a frisky and fast animal, it runs at a speed of 65 km/h. This is due to the strong and long hind legs. When running, the hare simultaneously pushes off the ground with both hind legs, and touches the ground alternately with its front legs. The paws have fairly strong claws with which the hare can dig up frozen ground or rake through dense snow cover in search of food. Prefers to live in areas with a small layer of snow. Not found in swampy areas and damp areas.
These animals are good swimmers and can swim across a small river. The location of the eyes gives a wide viewing angle; the animal can inspect the area without turning its head. This allows you to see the predator in time and avoid an attack. There are many people who want to attack the polar hare. This is an arctic fox, an ermine, a polar wolf. Young individuals are often attacked by snowy owls. Therefore, the hare is always forced to be careful and, in addition to searching for food, ensure its own safety. On average, these animals live 5 years.
Hares can lead both a solitary and gregarious lifestyle. They often live in groups, the number of which can reach several thousand individuals. Everyone lives there on equal terms, there are no leaders. Such groups are short-lived, their composition is unstable. In winter, these animals live on the mainland, and with the arrival of spring, on the ice floes that have not yet melted, they move to the islands located to the north of the mainland. The main reason for this movement is the complete absence of predators on these islands. These animals are nocturnal; this time is safer for them.
The basis of the diet is plant foods. In winter, the arctic hare feeds on woody plants, lichens and moss, which it digs out from under the snow. The rest of the time it feeds on berries, tree bark, leaves and roots of plants. If it finds a dead small animal, it eats it too.
Reproduction of hares
The mating season takes place in the spring, in April – May. The animals form pairs, and in some cases a male mates with several females. The female is in charge of arranging the burrow. A burrow is a hole dug in the ground behind a large stone or rock; at its bottom there is a bedding made of the hare’s own fur, which the female plucks, and leaves.
The duration of pregnancy is approximately 1.5 months. Women living in the southern regions give birth almost a week earlier. From 2 to 8 cubs are born. The offspring grow very quickly and by September they are as large as adults. They become sexually mature in the spring of next year and begin to reproduce.
These animals have been hunted for centuries. Their meat was used for food, and clothing was made from their fur. Therefore, man has always been an enemy for the hare. But it’s still more dangerous for this animal
The Arctic is the region surrounding the North Pole, which includes almost the entire Arctic Ocean, Greenland, as well as the northern territories of the United States, Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia.
The climate is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Precipitation in the Arctic typically falls in the form of snow. Many parts of the Arctic are arid and receive less than 500 mm of precipitation per year.
And those inhabiting the Arctic are well adapted to the harsh environment. Arctic vegetation is hardy and most species of native flora are compact in size, such as lichens, mosses, small shrubs and grasses. Animals such as Arctic hare, musk ox and pika graze on these plants. Other animals such as Arctic foxes and wolves hunt herbivores.
Below are the various animals that inhabit the Arctic, as well as a brief description of their features that allow them to live in one of the harshest conditions on our planet.
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Arctic fauna:
Arctic fox
(Alopex lagopus)- a small species of fox that inhabits the Arctic. Arctic foxes feed on a variety of small animals, including rabbits, lemmings, voles, birds and carrion. They have thick fur that allows them to maintain a normal body temperature in the extreme cold conditions of the Arctic.
polar bear
(Ursus Maritimus)- one of the largest predators on Earth. Polar bears have a diet that consists almost entirely of ringed seals and seals. They also sometimes eat beached whale carcasses, walruses, and bird eggs. The range of polar bears is limited to the Arctic, where large amounts of ice and seals create ideal conditions for these ferocious predators.
Walrus
Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)- a large marine mammal that inhabits the Arctic Ocean, the coast of Eastern Siberia, Wrangel Island, the Beaufort Sea and the coast of Northern Alaska. Walruses feed on a variety of animals, including shellfish, sea cucumbers, shrimp, tube worm crabs and other marine invertebrates. Walruses are threatened by several predators, including killer whales and polar bears.
Muskox
(Ovibos moschatus) are large ungulate mammals that belong to the same family as bison, antelope, goats and cattle. Musk oxen live in the tundra and Arctic, where they feed on plant matter such as lichens, moss, flowers, grass and roots. The thick, long coat helps keep bodies warm in extremely cold environments. An outer layer of long, coarse guard hairs provides protection from the wind, while an inner layer of shorter hairs provides insulation.
Musk oxen form large herds of two to three dozen individuals, which gives them protection from predators.
The harp seal's range extends across the ice of the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans, from Newfoundland to northern Russia.