Download Snowshoe Hare

By Mrs. Stancil
Diet
 In the summer snowshoe hares eat grass, ferns and
leaves.
 In the winter they eat twigs, bark from trees and buds
from flowers.
 If few plants are available, they may eat dead rodents.
 Snowshoe hares are omnivores because they eat plants
and animals.
Food Chains
 Pine seedling -> Snowshoe Hare -> Red Fox -> Wolf
Habitat
 Conifer Forests
 Aspen, cedar and spruce swamps
 Places with trees and brush that can provide
protection from predators
Interesting Facts
 Also called the “varying hare” because its color
changes
 Babies are born above ground with all of their fur and
open eyes
 13-18 inches long and weighs 2-5 pounds
 Females are a little bigger than males
Physical Adaptations
 White fur to help camouflage it in the snow from
predators
 Large hind feet to help it move quickly in the deep
snow
Behavioral Adaptations
 Do little in the winter but eat and rest to help conserve
energy when there’s not much food in the winter
 Feed at night so that it can hide from predators during
the daytime
What if?
 Without white fur, it could protect from predators by
hiding in burrows during the day.
 Without large hind feet, it could scoot and slide in the
snow instead of hopping.
 It could hibernate in the winter to conserve energy
instead of just eating and resting.
 It could feed early in the morning before predators
wake up instead of at night.
Credits
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http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/VTCRITTERS/factsheets/mammals/Snowshoe%20Hare/Snowsho
e%20Hare.pdf
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/larson/images/lepus_americanus.jpg
http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/snowshoe-hare-baby-picture-7487-pictures.htm
http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Snowshoe_Hare_Photo.htm
http://www.plantsystematics.org/reveal/pbio/biome/lec35b.html