Where the hares make their hole. Animal hare: description of habits with photos and videos, where the hare lives and what it eats

The hare is a small mammal that has recently belonged to the order Lagomorpha and the family Lagoraceae. Before this, they were considered a type of rodent. The international scientific name of the genus of hares is Lepus (lat.). Hares only at first glance seem to be harmless animals. Thanks to powerful legs and long claws, they are able to withstand danger. Since ancient times, this furry animal has been a desirable prey for hunters because of its dietary meat and rare fur.

Hare - characteristics, description, and appearance of the animal

The hare has a slender, slightly elongated body, up to 68-70 cm long.

The hare has long locator ears, 9 - 15 cm long. The hearing of this animal is more developed than other senses. Sound can be picked up by one ear independently of the other, which facilitates the animal's auditory orientation.

Distinctive feature The hare has a long foot of hind legs, which gives it the ability to run away from predators (fox, owl, wolf) at a speed of 80 km/h, abruptly change the direction of movement and jump to the side. A small animal can easily climb to the top of a hill, but when it comes down from it, it rolls head over heels down.

The hare's sweat glands are located on the soles of its feet. It is almost impossible for a predator to smell a lying animal.

Hares molt in spring and autumn.

The stomach of lagomorphs is divided into two sectors. One section is for fermenting food, the other is for digesting it.

How much does an adult hare weigh?

Average weight animal 5-7 kg. The hare's tail is small, raised upward.

Is a hare a rodent or not?

Lagomorphs differ in blood composition from rodents.

Another distinctive feature is the structure of the teeth. Hares have incisors in the upper jaw, 2 pairs on each side. The inert palate is a bridge connecting the right and left molars. In rodents it is in the form of a complete bone platform. There are no gaps between the protruding parts of the upper and lower teeth, allowing for better processing of food.

Agouti, the so-called humpbacked or golden hare, is considered a rodent.

The color of a hare is directly related to the season. In summer, its coat can be brown, reddish-gray, or brown. The color of the animal is uneven, since the fluff under the fur has a dark shade. There are also small inclusions. The fur on a hare's belly is always white. In winter, the fur of the fluffy animal becomes lighter, but only the white hare’s is impeccably white. The tips of the ears of lagomorphs are black all year round.

How many years does a wild hare live?

Males live on average 5 years, females up to 9 years. A tamed hare lives much longer.

The type of eared animal has an impact on the number of years lived. So, a white hare can live up to 17 years. Such cases are unique. Browns live much shorter lives, usually 5 years. Very rarely live to 14 years.

The American hare lives on average 7-8 years. The black-tailed hare lives up to a maximum of 6 years, but often representatives of this species die much earlier from disease or predators. The lifespan of an agouti (or, as they are also called, a golden or humpback hare) can reach 20 years.

Seal - sea hare lives approximately 30 years, males often live only up to 25 years.

Types of hares

The genus of hares consists of a dozen subgenera, each of which is divided into species.

White hare (Latin: Lepus timidus). Body length is about 44-65 cm; weight 1.6-4.5 kg. A distinctive feature of this white hare is its ability to masterfully camouflage itself. A hare has a white fur color in winter; in summer it acquires fur gray. White hare– the goal of many sport hunters. Habitat: Russia (including the Arctic); China, Mongolia, northern Europe, South America.

Brown hare (Latin: Lepus europaeus). The largest representative of lagomorphs, has brown fur. The body length is 68 cm, weight up to seven kilograms. The fur shines and curls a little. The tail and ears are larger than those of the hare. The hare, one might say, is a steppe hare. Habitat: Europe, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Transcaucasia, Arabian Peninsula, North Africa.

Antelope hare (Latin: Lepus alleni). The body length is 45-60 cm. A distinctive feature of the antelope hare is its impressively sized ears, up to 20 cm. They help normalize the animal’s heat exchange in hot climates. Lives this type in northwestern Mexico and American Arizona.

The Chinese hare (Latin: Lepus sinensis) is distinguished by its miniature size. The body length is 30-45 cm, weight is within 2 kg. Fur color varies from chestnut to red. The coat is short and harsh in texture. Habitat: China, Taiwan and Vietnam; inhabits mainly elevated areas.

Tolai hare (Latin: Lepus tolai). Outwardly it has similar features to the hare, only noticeably more compact in size. Body length 39-55 cm, weight 1.5-2.8 kg. The fat hare's limbs and ears are larger than those of the brown hare. Lives in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Northeast China and Mongolia. Almost everywhere in Russia.

Yellowish hare (Latin: Lepus flavigularis). Body length 60 cm, weight 4 kg. The ears and legs are large. The yellowish hare has an original ear color. From their base to the back of the head there are two black stripes, the sides white. Hare's habitat: the coast of the Gulf of Tehuantepec in Mexico. Terrain: Coastal grassy dunes and open grasslands. Stays awake in the dark.

Broom hare (Latin: Lepus castroviejoi). The body length of a hare of this species is 45-65 cm, weight is from 2.6 to 3.2 kg. The color of the hare is black-brown, with small white patches. It lives in Spain and is listed in the Red Book of this country. The species is widespread in areas with little vegetation. In many characteristics, the broom hare is similar to the brown hare.

Black-tailed (California) hare (Latin: Lepus californicus). Body length 47-63 cm, weight 1.5-3 kg. Distinctive feature The species are long ears and massive hind legs. The fur on the upper part of the body is gray-brown in color. The back of the animal is decorated with a black stripe. The population of these lagomorphs is most impressive in the western United States and Mexico. The black-tailed hare is a loner.

Manchurian hare (Latin: Lepus mandshuricus). Body size Manchurian hare is 40-55 cm, weight 1.3-2.5 kg. The legs, tail and ears are relatively short, which gives the Manchurian hare similar features to the wild (European) rabbit. The fur is hard and bristly. The color of the coat is brown, uneven, with gray patches. Along the back there is a dark stripe of longer hair. It is found in the south of the Russian Far East, in the Chinese region of Manchuria and in the north of Korea. We can say that this is a forest hare that prefers deciduous forests with dense bushes.

Tibetan curly hare (Latin: Lepus oiostolus). The body length is 40-58 cm. Weight is 2.3 kg. The fur of this animal has a yellowish tint, and the fur on the back is slightly wavy. Habitat: China, India, Nepal. Terrain: highlands of Tibet.

Agouti (Latin: Dasyprocta) or South American golden hare(humpback hare). This animal belongs to the order of rodents and is a relative guinea pigs. Agouti is also popularly called the golden (or golden) hare. This animal has a body length of 50 cm and weighs about 4 kg. It received its second name due to its golden color. The humpback hare is widespread in Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil. Agoutis are very good swimmers.

The hare, unlike the rabbit, which is a burrowing animal, needs space and a lot of movement. If desired, hares can be bred at home, following certain rules.

Features of keeping a hare at home:

The hare needs a spacious cage or enclosure.
Walking around the apartment. Until the age of 1 month under close supervision, from 1 month free walking.
The hare must be vaccinated and dewormed.
The little bunny should be immediately taught to go to the toilet; diapers or dry grass should be used as litter for the tray. Granular litter cannot be used.

Hares are very sociable animals, living in an apartment, they require constant interaction with humans, games, and attention. But these animals should not be held in your arms all the time; they do not like hugs.

Features of feeding a hare at home:

Hare's milk is very fatty in composition, up to 20%, so it is impossible to feed a hare with cow's milk or human infant formula. It is recommended to give bitch and cat milk substitutes every 3-4 hours.
You cannot sweeten milk for rabbits.
From the age of two weeks, in addition to milk, you need to give green grass, leaves and twigs.
From one and a half months, it is necessary to completely switch the teenager to solid food: green grass, twigs, berries, fruits.
From two months of age, add grain-free ready-made food to the hare’s diet.

You cannot release an already tamed hare into the wild; it will not survive.

Giant Rabbit (Flanders)

One of the most amazing representatives Lagomorpha is Flanders, or Belgian giant. This is an industrial breed of rabbits. The body length of adult individuals is 67 cm, weight 7-10 kg. The coat is thick, the color is hare-gray, yellow-gray, dark gray, iron-gray. The breed began to be bred in 1952.

Sea hare seal

The bearded seal, or bearded seal, belongs to the family of true seals. The body length is 2.5 meters. In winter, the weight is 360 kg. The sea hare seal lives in the shallow waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean and adjacent waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Representatives from seal skin northern peoples make household items. The pregnancy of a female sea hare lasts a year, one calf is born, with a body length of 120 cm. The ability to reproduce appears at the age of five years.

Hares are land animals; they cannot swim or climb trees. Some species love space, spaces with little vegetation. Other types belong to forest hares, inhabit places with dense thickets. Hares can live separately; some species live in colonies and build burrows. The white hare lives in the tundra, rarely in forest and forest-steppe zone. The humpbacked hare rodent is a resident of the tropics and savannah. Lagomorphs inhabit the entire globe. Recently, they have been introduced to Australia, South America, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia.

What does a hare eat?

Hares belong to mammals and eat food of plant origin.

Brown hare food:

White hare diet:

The humpback hare feeds on fruits and other parts of plants.

The bearded seal eats benthic invertebrates and bottom fish: flounder, cod, and goby.

In nature, hares can form pairs, but an isolated lifestyle is not uncommon. A female hare can give birth three times a year, with 5-10 hares in each litter. The gestation period is 50 days. Hares have high fertility. Cubs are born with fur and can see and walk. In the first seven days of life, rabbits need milk. But by the third week they are completely adapted to plant foods. Puberty occurs by the age of 7-11 months.

Hares communicate by making “drum rolls” with their paws.
By touching plants with their noses, hares inform their relatives of their arrival.
Despite the fact that hares are vegetarians, they can eat poultry meat, such as partridge, tearing apart game with their paws.
The hare's hind legs are asymmetrical from birth.
In hares, the phenomenon of double pregnancy sometimes occurs, when re-fertilization can occur even before the birth of the offspring.

Hares are perhaps the most common animals in our country. Despite the fact that they are a favorite trophy of many hunters, their numbers are practically unchanged, since due to their fertility, these animals reproduce very actively.

There are about 30 species in total, all types of hares are slightly different external features and habits.

Appearance

If you take general description hare (mammal, hare family), then it should be noted that all species have similar features:

long ears;
underdeveloped collarbones;
long and strong hind legs;
short fluffy tail.

Females are larger than males, the size of animals ranges from 25 to 74 cm, and weight reaches 10 kg.

Thanks to its long hind legs, this animal is able to run fast and jump. The running speed of a brown hare, for example, can reach 70 km/h.

Shedding

These animals molt twice a year, in autumn and spring. The onset and timing of molting are related to external conditions. Molting begins with changes in duration daylight hours, and its duration is determined by the air temperature.

Spring molting in most species begins in late winter - early spring and lasts on average 75-80 days. The animal begins to shed from the head to the lower extremities.

Autumn molting, on the contrary, begins from the back of the body and moves to the head. It usually begins in September, and molting ends by the end of November. Winter fur grows thicker and more lush, it protects the animal from the cold.

Varieties

There are four common species in Russia: the Manchurian hare, the sandstone hare, the white hare and the brown hare. Let's look at them in more detail.

Manchurian

This species has much in common with wild rabbit, but it’s still difficult to confuse them, since the Manchurian hare looks a little different.

This is a small animal no more than 55 cm long and weighing up to 2.5 kg. The length of the ears is about 8 cm. The fur is hard and thick, brownish-ochre in color. The belly and sides are lighter than the body; there are several dark stripes on the back.

The habitat of this species is the Far East, the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China. In cold weather, this species experiences seasonal migration over short distances, during which animals move to places where there is less snow.

In nature, the species is not very widespread and has no commercial significance.

Sandstone

This species is also called tolai or talai. Compared to the Russians, it is quite small. Length 40-55 cm, weight up to 2.5 kg. But the tail and ears are longer: the length of the tail reaches 11.5 cm, the ears - up to 12 cm. Narrow paws are not adapted to move on snow. In summer, this species has grayish-buff fur, white on the throat and belly, and always remains dark on the rest of the body. The molting period largely depends on the habitat and weather conditions.

Tolai chooses flat areas, deserts and semi-deserts for life, but sometimes climbs high into the mountains. In Central Asia it can be found at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level. Often this hare lives in a hole abandoned by another animal; it rarely digs holes itself.

Tolay leads settled life and migrates only in case of severe deterioration in weather conditions or in case of acute lack of food.

This species reproduces less frequently than others - 1-2 times a year, but since it is not hunted often, a decrease in numbers is not observed.

Tolay is widespread in Central Asia. It is also found in Transbaikalia, Mongolia, Southern Siberia and some provinces of China. In Russia, tolai lives in Altai, in Astrakhan region, in Buryatia and the Chui steppe.

Belyak

Description of the hare: this is a fairly large representative of the hare family. How much does a hare weigh? The average weight of a white hare is 2-3 kg, and can reach up to 4.5 kg. Body length is from 45 to 70 cm, ears - 8-10 cm, tail - 5-10 cm. This species has wide paws. Thanks to its feet covered with thick hair, the hare moves easily even on loose snow in winter. The color depends on the time of year. In summer, the skin is gray - dark or with a reddish tint, with brown spots. The head is darker than the body, the belly is white. In winter, the white hare's skin becomes pure white. She sheds twice a year, in autumn and spring.

Where does the white hare live? In Russia, the white hare inhabits most of the territory from western Transbaikalia and the upper Don to the tundra. Large populations of this species also live in China, Japan, Mongolia, South America and Northern Europe.

For life, they choose small forests located near water bodies, farmland and open spaces, places rich in herbaceous plants and berries. They lead a sedentary lifestyle, occupying an area of 3 to 30 hectares, migrating only in case of severe bad weather and lack of food supply. Long-distance and mass migrations of the hare are observed only in the tundra zone, where the snow cover in winter is so high that the hare’s food (low-growing plants) becomes inaccessible.

They breed 2-3 times a year, and there are up to 11 hares in a litter. Lifespan of a hare wildlife from 7 to 17 years.

Hare

The brown hare is larger than the hare. With a body length of 57-68 cm, it weighs from 4 to 7 kg. The length of the ears is 9-14 cm, the tail of the hare is 7-14 cm. The hare has longer and narrower paws than the hare.

This hare is gray in summer with an ocher, brownish or reddish tint. In winter, a gray hare living in middle lane, practically does not change its color, only becomes a little lighter. Animals inhabiting the northern regions become almost white, leaving only a dark stripe on the back.

Where does the brown hare live? In Russia, Russians inhabit the entire European part, the region Ural mountains, in Southern Siberia, Khabarovsk Territory and territories near Kazakhstan, in Transcaucasia in the Caucasus and Crimea.

Brown hare populations also inhabit Europe, the USA, Canada, Asia Minor and Asia Minor.

What does the hare eat? Since it is a herbivore, its diet consists of green parts of plants: clover, dandelion, mouse peas, yarrow, and cereals.

Rusak is a steppe hare, for life he chooses open spaces, rarely lives in forest areas and mountains. The animals lead a sedentary life, occupying an area of 30 to 50 hectares. Seasonal migrations occur only among Russians living in mountainous areas. The brown hare descends from the mountains in winter, and climbs back to higher ground in summer.

They reproduce depending on the habitat and weather conditions, from 1 to 5 times a year. There are 1 to 9 hares in a litter. How many years does a hare live? The average life expectancy of a hare is 6-7 years.

Habitats

Hares are distributed almost everywhere. Their populations are numerous and inhabit all continents. Antarctica is the only place on earth where these animals do not live.

Lifestyle and habits

This eared animal leads twilight night image life. During the day, the animal rests for days. True, in places where there is a high number of obliques, the habits of the hare change and, often, it is active during the day.

Unlike rabbits, the scythe does not dig deep holes. A hare hole is a small depression in the ground, under bushes or tree roots. These animals choose their beds depending on the terrain and weather conditions. In warm, clear weather, they can roost almost anywhere if there is at least a small shelter nearby. In winter, finding places to lie down is not a problem at all, since hares sleep right in the snow.

The oblique runs very fast, while running it often makes long jumps and can suddenly change direction. This method of movement helps the animal escape from the predators pursuing it. Eared cunning creatures are excellent at confusing their tracks. At the slightest threat, the animal freezes motionless until it considers that nothing threatens it anymore.

Many people wonder if hares can swim. Although they do not like water and try to stay away from it, they swim well.

Nutrition

The diet of the oblique is very varied. What a hare eats depends on the season, weather conditions and habitat.

In summer

In summer, this herbivorous animal eats more than 500 species of plants, preferring their green parts. Also loves to eat melons, vegetables and fruits. Animals often get out into the fields and raid vegetable gardens and orchards. In autumn, their diet includes more and more solid food. Withered grass, roots and branches of bushes become their main food.

in winter

What do hares eat in winter, when there is no greenery?

The thicker the layer of snow, the harder it is for the long-eared animal to obtain food. High snow levels can hide almost everything that hares eat in winter. Animals save themselves from hunger by moving closer to settlements. Help them out in harsh winters haystacks, frozen berries on bushes and fall fruits that animals dig out from under the snow.

Tree bark makes up the majority of the diet during the cold season. Usually the scythe selects soft trees: aspen, birch, willow and others.

in spring

In spring, the diet becomes significantly more varied due to buds, young shoots and fresh grass. To make up for the deficit nutrients, the long-eared eats pebbles, earth and even animal bones.

Reproduction

The weather conditions directly determine when the hares begin mating. IN warm winters the rut can begin in January, and after frosty winters - in early March.

Communicate in mating season These animals tap a certain rhythm with their front paws on the ground. Males compete for the attention of females, engaging in spectacular fights.

Young individuals are ready for reproduction at the age of one year. Most species produce offspring several to five times a year, with an average of 2-5 cubs per litter. Despite the fact that the rabbits are born developed and sighted, for the first days they practically do not move, hiding in a hole.

The female leaves the brood almost immediately after giving birth and only occasionally returns to feed the cubs. Since females have offspring at the same time, any hare that comes across hungry cubs will definitely feed them. This behavior is easy to explain. Baby hares have no smell, unlike adults, and the less often the female is near them, the less chance the cubs have of becoming prey to a predator.

Hunting

Hare hunting is popular in our country. This animal is an object of fur trade and sport hunting. IN large quantities These animals are hunted for their fur and tasty, nutritious meat.

Hunting begins in October before snowfall and lasts throughout the winter. There are many ways of hunting: by tracking, in blinds, in powder, with dogs and “in the wild”.

The scythe has many enemies in nature besides hunters. They're hunting him birds of prey, wolves, bobcats, coyotes and foxes. High fertility helps these animals maintain their numbers.

Video

Prefers open spaces. Also, after molting, the coat of a white hare becomes white, while the hare remains gray. Otherwise, these species are so similar that they even periodically interbreed with each other, producing viable, albeit sterile, offspring.

They feed on food that is not held in high esteem by other rodents - tree bark and thin branches, leaves and young shoots. In winter, animals in search of food often come to human habitation, where they can feast on the bark of fruit trees and hay.

Hares have - quite a lot of predators want to taste the tender meat of the animals. Rodents have to survive due to their speed and cunning. Hares not only run fast, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h, but they also masterfully deceive their pursuers, zigzagging, retracing their steps and making sharp leaps to the side. If the predator nevertheless catches up with the animal, the hare uses its last trump card - it lies on its back and tries to fight off with its powerful hind legs.

Hares are widespread not due to their numerous talents for entangling enemies, but due to their fertility. In the European territory of Russia, a hare gives birth three times, and in each litter there are five to seven cubs. Scientists still have not agreed on whether a hare is considered a good mother by human standards. Some believe that females do not leave their cubs, and during their forced absence the male watches over the offspring. According to others, a hare, having fed her children, can easily leave them for several days, and other bunnies will feed their hungry offspring.

Did you know that hares live everywhere in nature? You won't find them only in Antarctica and Australia. In total, there are about 30 species, but in Russia only the stomping hare, Manchurian, hare and brown hare are common. The last two species are the most famous hares in the nature of our country.

What does a hare look like?

White hare large mammal an animal reaching a length of 74 cm, weight - up to 5 kg. Characteristic features are long ears, a short fluffy tail. The paws are wide, the hind legs are much longer than the front ones. Thanks to this, the hare runs fast and jumps very well.

But it’s easy for him to run up the hill, but difficult to go down - long paws interfere. And he has to roll head over heels down the mountain.

In winter, the coat is thick, pure white, only the very tufts of the ears are colored black. They shed in spring and autumn, in summer the color of the fur coat is camouflage - the gray color has brownish-red tints.

The brown hare is very similar in appearance to the hare, only its body weight can reach 7 kg. Its ears and tail are much longer than those of its brother. The summer color is almost the same as that of the hare; in winter it only becomes a little lighter.

They also differ in their habitat. The hare prefers open spaces, and the hare likes forest thickets, although in the spring it feeds on the first grass also in meadows and fields.

Why is the hare called oblique?

If you look at the hare directly, his eyes are large, velvety dark in color and not at all slanted. They are simply located a little closer to the sides of the head.

In addition, the neck muscles are inactive and he cannot turn it. And when a hare runs very fast, he has to squint his eyes to see his pursuers.

Do hares dig holes?

The hare does not have his own house. In winter, he spends the night in deep snow. The fur coat is so warm that he is not afraid of any frost, and on a white snow tablecloth it is difficult for both the hunter and the fox to notice him.

In summer he sleeps in any hole under a bush or hides under the roots big tree, tossed out by a storm, and runs around all day looking for food.

Also, under a bush in a small hole, a hare gives birth to cubs. Hares are very fertile, the offspring can be up to 11 hares, and this happens 2-3 times a year. Parents do not care for the bunnies. Males fight fiercely during the mating season, hitting each other with their front paws, and having achieved the female’s favor, they disappear.

The hare herself also stays with the newborns for only 4–5 days, then runs away in search of food. From birth, rabbits are covered with fur, move well, but prefer to sit quietly in their hole.

The mother comes running to them only sometimes, and a completely strange hare can also come running. Feed fat nutritious milk and they run away again.

In the summer, adult hares feed on juicy fresh herbs and sweet roots; they climb and feast on vegetables in gardens. Despite all their caution, if they are not driven, they can do it systematically and unceremoniously, losing all fear.

In winter they chew the bark different trees, often aspen. In orchards, the bark of young apple trees is damaged, and haystacks are found that people put there for their pets. They shovel snow in the fields and eat winter wheat.

The animals are defenseless against many predators. Eagles, hawks, owls, foxes - everyone is not averse to eating hare. People hunt hares for their fluffy skin and eat the meat.

Only fast legs save the hare - it can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. Fleeing from its pursuers, the hare meanders, confuses its tracks, and follows them twice and three times. At the same time he makes leaps to the side. And the dog or fox gets lost, the prey runs forward or backward. It knows how to hide well in any place, and in high water it easily jumps from ice floe to ice floe.

Every person knows what a hare looks like. early childhood. Rattle bunnies hang in cradles, plush bunnies are given to all children without exception, and a chocolate bunny is a coveted delicacy for any child. Cartoons, books, songs about hares, and the replicated image of the animal are constantly found on the logos of various companies.

Where does this popularity come from? The answer suggests itself, just look at the charming fluffy creature with long ears and a pompom tail. However, few people think about what it’s like for the public’s favorites to live in nature, what do hares eat, especially in winter, on plains and forests covered with snowdrifts? An interesting question, but the answer lies in the lifestyle of long-eared animals.

The hare eats grass.

What kind of animal is a hare?

Hares are representatives of the order Lagomorpha and the family Lagoraceae. It is interesting that for some time hares were classified as rodents, but they were separated due to a completely different structure of the teeth. Unlike rodents (squirrels, mice, jerboas, hamsters), hares have not one, but two pairs of incisors on the upper jaw, which are located one after the other.

In addition, plant food - what hares eat - does not particularly attract rodents, some of them are completely carnivorous, most eat insects, fish, and bird eggs. And hares are absolute vegetarians, this is a sign of a completely different evolutionary line, allowing them to be considered as an independent order.

Hares form a genus of the same name, which includes about 32 species of animals found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. There are 4 species of hares on the territory of Russia: the well-known hare and hare, as well as the tolai hare and the little-studied, most secretive species - the Manchurian hare. These animals inhabit various biotopes and have species-specific external features and habits.

What do Russian hares look like?

The brown hare is the largest hare in our country; the size of adult individuals ranges from 57 to 68 cm, and the weight can reach 7 kg. The summer fur of hares is brown, brown, grayish, reddish with clearly visible dark streaks and characteristic waviness, only the belly is white. After the autumn molt, the hares acquire lush winter fur and become a little lighter. The hare's diet is dominated by above-ground parts of plants.

The hare is slightly inferior in size to the hare: hares grow to 44-65 cm and weigh from 1.6 to 4.5 kg, rarely up to 5.5 kg. The hare's ears and tail are noticeably shorter, and the color changes depending on the season. In summer, the white hare is reddish-gray or dark gray with brown spots, and when shed in the fall it becomes snow-white, only the tips of the ears are black. Unlike hare, these animals dig more into the ground and often feed on bulbs and rhizomes of plants.

The tolai hare is a smaller copy of the hare with the same elongated ears and relatively long tail. The body length of an adult tolay is 39-55 cm, and the animal weighs no more than 1.5-2.8 kg. The color of the fur coat is the same as that of light brown hares, but without wavy and also becomes lighter in winter. But the diet of the tolay is very similar to the diet of the hare.

The Manchurian hare is as small as the tolai, but with short ears and a tail like a hare. Unlike its relatives, the Manchurian hare's fur is hard and bristly, and this hare all year round wears an outfit of the same color. The back and head of the animal are brownish with black streaks, the sides are lighter, the belly is dirty white, the cheeks are strewn with light spots. A characteristic feature of the species is a stripe of dark fur running along the ridge.

In the southern population of Manchurian hares, there are melanistic specimens, completely black above, snow-white below with a fawn throat. It is interesting that among what hares of this species eat there is legume Lespedeza and the range of the animals does not extend beyond the territory of distribution of this culture.

The hare eats grass.

Where do hares live?

The hare is a typical steppe animal, widespread in Eurasia and North Africa. In Russia it is found from the coast Lake Ladoga to Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. These animals prefer open spaces - plains, steppes and semi-deserts, and even in forests they choose edges, burnt areas and open forests.

White hare live in the tundra, forests and forest-steppes from Scandinavia to Mongolia, China and Japan. In Russia it is found almost everywhere, especially in summer, when there is an abundance of food. This is a typical forest animal, but the white hare avoids dense forests, but is accustomed to wetlands with thickets of willow and reeds, in the shrubby tundra, and in search of rich food territory it often finds itself on agricultural lands, near towns and villages.

Tolai hare - amazing creature, which does not need forests and fields. Favorite places The habitat of animals is the deserts and semi-deserts of Central Asia. In Russia, the tolai range is fragmentarily scattered in the arid steppes and mountainous regions of Southern Siberia from Altai mountains to the southern part of the Astrakhan region. What do the hares that have chosen such a strange habitat eat? The animals nibble rare young grass, wormwood, cattail, tamarisk, sand acacia branches, and dig up plant tubers. The diet of the tolay necessarily contains ephemerals and, interestingly, coarse shoots of saxaul.

The Manchurian hare is found on Far East Russia, Chinese Manchuria and northern Korea. These animals love forests with dense undergrowth, hazel, birch, and wet lowlands and rarely appear in open areas. In addition to the aforementioned Lespedica, the bicolor animal happily eats the green parts of all kinds of vegetation. Like all relatives, the diet of the Manchurian hare greatly depends on the time of year.

What do hares eat in summer?

Hares are defenseless against predators and humans, so they are active at dusk and at night, but during the rutting season they are often spotted during the day. Hares are territorial solitary animals, their individual plots occupy an area of up to 50 hectares. During the day, hares hide in secluded places: in bushes, thick grass, empty fox and badger holes, and at night they go out in search of food.

In summer, hares have enough food within their personal territory. Among what hares eat, the most diverse parts of green plants come first. The hare enjoys eating goldenrod and bedstraw, and feeds on mouse peas and yarrow. It gets the vitamins and microelements necessary for health from dandelions and clover.

The hare's summer diet is dominated by clover and dandelion, alfalfa, rapeseed, very healthy chicory, rich essential oils tansy. In search of delicacies, Russians often visit places where cultivated plants are grown, where they feast on all kinds of cereals, buckwheat and young sunflowers. They especially prefer melons, but will not refuse vegetables.

Hares breed during the time of abundant food - from March to September. These animals are extremely fertile and one female can give birth 5 times per season, and there are up to 9 rabbits in a litter. With the onset of autumn and before frost, hares begin to actively eat blueberry shoots, horsetail, and dig out of the ground a special delicacy - deer truffle. Branches of young trees and shrubs appear in the diet, and with the onset of frost, hares switch to solid food.

Hare in the grass.

What do hares eat in winter?

If the summer diet of hares is basically identical, then the winter diet different types noticeably different. The hare continues to look for soft food, digging out withered grass from under the snow, visiting vegetable gardens in search of tops of cultivated plants, and obtaining shoots of winter crops in the fields.

When the snow falls in a thick layer, the hare is forced to move onto the bark and shoots of trees and shrubs. Particularly prefers hazel, broom, oak and maple. Less commonly, it gnaws the bark of apple, pear and willow trees.

Whites do not like rags of grass, but they dig through the snow in search of dwarf cedar and berries, and eat hay in stacks. The hare's favorite winter food is bark and twigs of willow, larch, birch and aspen. Rosehip, juniper, bird cherry, alder and hazel shoots play an important role in the survival of the animals.

The diet of the Manchurian hare is similar to that of the hare, and the animals give particular preference to aspen and poplar. The tolai hare, like the brown hare, digs a lot in the snow in search of herbaceous plants, and among solid foods it especially respects damson and tamarisk.

Hare in winter.

Hares do not die of hunger and find enough food at any time of the year. They live on average 10-12 years, white hare are long-lived and can live 17 years. However, in natural conditions Hares are defenseless against predators and humans, so at best they live for about 5 years. Only due to their rare fertility, all 4 species of hares living in Russia are quite numerous and the state of their populations does not cause concern among scientists.