Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819

Arctic hare

Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System external link, T Orrell (custodian) in 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC) external link Showing: scientific names

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Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819

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Lepus arcticus
Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819
Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819
Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819
Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819

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General Description

Description

Source and Additional Information
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Smithsonian's North American Mammals external link
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Smithsonian Institution - North American Mammals external link
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The beautiful Arctic Hare has a far northerly distribution in the tundra of Greenland and Canada. Arctic Hares are larger, heavier, and more thickly furred than Snowshoe Hares. They, too, change color seasonally, molting from winter white to a grayish summer coat. Young are born in the summer, with gray coats that turn white when they are 2-3 weeks old. The mother nurses them until they are 8-9 weeks old. The young are preyed upon by weasels, foxes, owls, falcons, and hawks, but the adults are so fast and agile they can usually escape most predators. Arctic Hares are usually solitary, but may form groups of 100-300 individuals. When on a slope, they always face upwards, unless they are running downhill.

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
References
  • Ross, J., 1819.  A voyage of discovery, made under the orders of the admiralty, in his majesty's ships Isabella and Alexander, for the purpose of exploring Baffin's Bay, and inquiring into the probability of a north-west passage. Second ed. Volume 2, appendix 4, p. 151, 170. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown (not seen, cited in Nelson, 1909:61; title and publisher from National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints, 505:139).
Katja Schulz. Curator. "Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/988114". Accessed 20 Mar 2010.