Interesting facts from the life of hares. Hares: interesting facts. Hares live in large families

29.06.2020

As soon as the hunting season opens, the hare becomes the desired prey. However, it is not so easy to catch him. He is not only cautious, but also endowed with a sharp mind that allows him to confuse the trail. This representative of the hare-like order is of interest to both amateur hunters and large companies selling tasty meat and warm fur.

The appearance of a hare

The brown hare attracts attention with its impressive size. Its body length varies between 50-60 cm. In some representatives of the breed, the body length reaches 70 cm. The height at the withers is 25-30 cm. The average body weight is 6 kg.

If we talk about other varieties, then the weight of a white hare rarely exceeds 4.5 kg, its body length is about 45-55 cm, and the average height at the withers is 50 cm. At the same time, the white hare belongs to large breeds.

The sizes of the Russians living in the northern regions of the country are slightly larger than those of the southern counterparts. The largest representatives live in Bashkiria.

The body of the animal is proportionately folded. The long body ends with a wedge-shaped short tail, the average length of which is 10 cm. The short neck smoothly passes into a small head.

Long, wedge-shaped erect ears are set high on the top of the head. Their length is 12-15 cm. The eyes are red-brown, slanted and medium in size. The hind legs are stronger and longer than the front. The back is narrow and level.

Color features

The color of the fur coat depends on the season. The exception is animals living in the southern and western regions.

In a warm climate, the color of the coat remains the same throughout the year. In color there are fawn, yellow, red and gray shades. They harmonize with each other. There are ripples on the back. With the onset of cold weather, the coat brightens. Especially on the sides and cheeks. However, the dark stripe on the back does not change its color. The upper part of the tail, like the tips of the ears, is always black.

The wavy coat is silky. animals molt in spring and autumn. The seasonal molt lasts about 2 months. In the spring, the hare begins to molt from the head, in the fall from the back of the body. In winter, the body is overgrown with thick fur that can protect against the most severe frosts.

Outwardly, the hare is most similar to the hare.

Lifestyle features

During daylight hours, a hare is rarely seen.

During the day, he prefers to sleep in a hole. An active lifestyle begins to lead after dusk. The exceptions are regions that are overpopulated by this variety of hares. In such conditions, they can be active during the day. For sleep, the animal chooses different places. It all depends on climatic conditions and terrain.

The ability to run very fast is one of the advantages of these animals.

What distinguishes rabbits of this breed is that they are not prone to arranging deep holes. Most often, they choose a place to rest near dense shrubs or trees. In winter, they can do without a hole, falling asleep in the snow.

Going on vacation, they confuse their tracks so as not to become prey to natural enemies. It also complicates trail hunting (trailing) practiced by humans. This ability indicates the presence of a developed intellect. Its natural enemies are wolves, lynxes and foxes. Another threat to hare is stray dogs.

The life expectancy of males and females is different. Males live no more than 5 years, and females 8-9 years. There are cases when hares of this breed lived up to 14 years. The habitat of rabbits is steppes and forest-steppes.

Few people know that representatives of the hare family can be seen in the water. They do not like to swim, but if necessary they can even overcome a wide river.

Nutrition Features

The diet of a brown hare varies depending on the time of year.

Summer diet

In the summer, the animal has the most varied diet. It feeds mainly on plants, eating up to 500 species of herbs and small shrubs.

Rusak, like his close relative white hare, does not miss the opportunity to feast on melons, fruits or vegetables growing in agricultural fields. By making frequent raids, the hares are able to destroy more than 50% of the crop per season.

Winter diet

In winter, the diet of hares consists of berries and fruits left on shrubs and fruits.

They also begin to consume the bark of trees. The hares especially like to feast on the bark of soft tree species (aspen, birch, willow, etc.).

In winter, animals approach settlements as close as possible, and, raiding households, gnaw the bark of fruit trees, feast on hay and straw, and vegetables harvested by people for the winter.

Autumn and spring diet

In autumn, the diet of the hares consists of branches of large and small shrubs. They also consume withering grass and the roots of plants that are close to the surface of the earth.

In the spring, young shoots, buds of shrubs and trees, fresh grass appear in the diet. Also in spring, rabbits feast on animal bones, small pebbles and earth. This helps to make up for the lack of minerals and vitamins that arose due to the scarcity of the winter diet.

Features of breeding hares

Rabbits are not herd animals. They gather in small groups only during the mating season, which falls at the end of winter or the beginning of spring.

It depends on how early the heat comes. The breeding season ends in August. The highest birth rate of rabbits is observed during the second half of May, June and July.

During the breeding season, the female gives birth 4-5 times, which is the reason for the high population of rabbits. The exception is cold regions, where the female gives no more than 2 broods per year.

mating season

The habits of animals during the mating season are interesting. They seldom beep.

They call their partner for mating by tapping the ground with their front paws. Males become more aggressive, get into fights with other males. The female lets the male approach her only when she is ready to mate.

For rabbits, females equip minks, similar to those in which they live. They are shallow, reminiscent of depressions in the ground.

Unlike many other animal species, the skin of newborn rabbits is covered with fur. They quickly gain weight and begin to live an independent life.

They start looking for food on their own from 5 days of age. The number of rabbits in a brood varies from 1 to 9. The warmer it is outside, the larger the brood. The weight of newborns is 130 g.

Attention is drawn not only to the appearance of the hare, but also to some of its features.

The hare has a well-developed hearing and sense of smell. At the slightest hint of danger, he disappears before the hunter realizes that there was prey here. The field of view of the animal is 3600, and it is capable of turning 1900.
The animal is able to develop a speed of 80 km / h. At the same time, he can change the direction of movement at any time. It takes him a fraction of a second. This ability allows the animal to elude natural enemies. Despite this, it is difficult to call this type of rabbit hounds. They maintain such a speed for a short time. The average speed of movement is 45-50 km / h.
The animal senses danger at a distance of 350 m.
Leaving the place where the rabbit lives during the rest, in search of food, he easily overcomes 10-15 km of the way.
Habitat hare captures Sweden, Finland, Iran, Turkey, Africa, Asia and Ukraine. Today, rabbits of this variety live in the United States. However, initially this country was not their habitat. The animals were brought there in 1983.
The description of interesting facts would be incomplete if not to say that the animal has the ability to adopt the habits of other animals with which it grows together. In the wild, this phenomenon is rare. And at home, the rabbit is able to adopt the habits of a dog or cat. True, the hare is not intended for growing at home. He can be aggressive. And, given the large size, the content becomes dangerous for humans.

hare

HARE-RUSAK: Hunting in late autumn.

Hares: hare and hare. June. European hare, Mountain hare in June.

hare

The speed of a brown hare often saves his life. The external signs of the breed do not allow confusing it with other representatives from the hare classification. In winter, animals live near human settlements, and in summer they move away from them. And to be less invisible in winter, they change color.

A hare is an animal that belongs to the class Mammals, order Lagomorphs, family Hare, genus Hare ( Lepus). Contrary to popular belief, they do not belong to rodents and are far from being so harmless. In case of danger, they show aggressiveness and resist the attacker. Since ancient times, the hare has been a desirable trophy for hunters because of its delicious meat and warm fur.

Hare - description, characteristics, appearance. What does a hare look like?

hare body slender, slightly compressed from the sides, its length in some species reaches 68-70 cm. The weight of a hare can exceed 7 kg. A characteristic feature of the hare is wedge-shaped ears, reaching a length of 9 to 15 cm. Thanks to the ears, the hearing of the hare is much better developed than the sense of smell and vision. The hind limbs of these mammals have long feet and are more developed than the front ones. In the event of a threat, the speed of a hare can reach 80 km / h. And the ability to suddenly change the direction of running and jump sharply to the side allows these animals to get rid of the pursuit of enemies: wolf, fox, owl, etc. Hares run well up the slopes, but you have to go down head over heels.

hare color depends on the season. In summer, the fur of the animal has a reddish-gray, brown or brown tint. Due to the dark color of the undercoat, the color is uneven with large and small "spots". The fur on the belly is white. Hares change color in winter, their fur brightens, but only the white hare becomes completely snow-white. The tips of the ears of all members of the genus remain black all year round.

How long does a hare live?

The average life expectancy of males does not exceed 5 years, females - 9 years, however, there are recorded cases of a longer life span of a hare - about 12-14 years.

Types of hares, names and photos

The genus of hares is diverse and includes 10 subgenera, divided into several species. Below are several types of hares:

Hare— hare(Lepus timidus )

The most common representative of the genus of hares, living in almost the entire territory of Russia, in Northern Europe, Ireland, Mongolia, South America and in many other countries of the world. This species of hares is distinguished by characteristic seasonal dimorphism - in areas with stable snow cover, the color of the fur becomes pure white, with the exception of the tips of the ears. In summer, the hare is gray.

hare(Lepus europaeus )

A large species of hares, some individuals of which grow up to 68 cm in length and weigh up to 7 kg. The fur of the hare is shiny, silky, with a characteristic waviness, different shades of brown, white rings around the eyes. The habitat of the hare covers the European forest-steppes, Turkey, Iran, the north of the African continent and Kazakhstan.

Antelope hare(Lepus alleni )

Representatives of the species are distinguished by very large and long ears, growing up to 20 cm. The auricles are designed in such a way that they allow the animal to regulate heat transfer at too high a temperature of the habitat. The antelope hare lives in the state of Arizona in the USA and 4 Mexican states.

Chinese hare(Lepus sinensis )

The species is characterized by small body size (up to 45 cm) and weight up to 2 kg. The coloring of short, hard fur consists of many shades of brown, from chestnut to brick. A characteristic black triangular pattern stands out at the tips of the ears. This species of hares is found in the hilly areas of China, Vietnam and Taiwan.

tolai hare(Lepus tolai )

Medium-sized individuals outwardly resemble a hare, but differ in longer ears and legs, as well as the absence of crimped fur. This hare is a typical representative of deserts and semi-deserts, lives in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and in the Russian steppes - from the Altai Territory to the south of the Astrakhan Region.

yellow hare(Lepus flavigularis )

The only population of yellowish hares inhabits the meadows and coastal dunes of the Gulf of Mexico Tehuantepec, hence it has a second name - the Tehuantepec hare. Large individuals, up to 60 cm long and weighing 3.5-4 kg, are difficult to confuse with other types of hares due to two black stripes running from the ears to the back of the head and along the white sides.

broom hare(Lepus castroviejoi )

The habitat of this species of hares is limited to the scrub wastelands of the north-west of the Cantabrian mountains of Spain. In appearance and habits, there is a resemblance to a brown hare. Due to extermination, predation and violation of the natural ecosystem, the species is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book of Spain.

blacktail(California) hare (Lepus californicus )

The species is characterized by long ears, powerful hind limbs, a dark stripe running along the back, and a black tail. It is considered the most common species of hares in Mexico and the United States.

Manchurian hare(Lepus mandshuricus )

Small representatives of this species of hares grow up to 55 cm and weigh no more than 2.5 kg. Ears, tail and hind legs are quite short, due to which there is a clear resemblance to a wild rabbit. The fur is hard and short, brown in color with black ripples. A typical representative of deciduous forests and shrub plains can be found in the Far East, in Primorye, as well as in Northeast China and Korea.

Curly hare (Tibetan curly hare)(Lepus ioostolus )

The species is distinguished by small size (40 - 58 cm) and a weight of just over 2 kg. A characteristic feature is the yellowish wavy fur on the back. It lives in India, Nepal and China, including the mountain steppes of the Tibetan highlands, from where it got its second name - the Tibetan curly hare.

Where does the hare live?

Hares live in open steppe and forest-steppe landscapes. Numerous populations are found in desert-steppe regions, on open forest edges, fields and meadows, and in places of massive deforestation. They try not to climb into the depths of the forest, preferring areas with developed agriculture. They feel at ease in ravines and gullies overgrown with shrubs. These animals are well adapted to life in harsh climatic conditions, so they are found even in the expanses of the Arctic and Alaska. Recently, populations have been noted in Australia and New Zealand. Not found only in Antarctica. Hares do not have permanent bunkhouses, although they can use abandoned fox or badger burrows. They are active in the evening and at night.

The diet of hares in spring and summer includes young branches and shoots of shrubs and trees, leaves of various plants, clover, dandelion and other herbs. They will not refuse vegetable and melon crops.

In winter, hares have to dig out the remains of agricultural crops from under the snow, eat the bark of shrubs and trees, including fruit trees, harming them. In the northern regions, there have been cases when hares ate partridges caught in hunting snares. Therefore, hares cannot be called pure vegetarians.

Hares breeding

Under natural conditions, hares live both singly and forming pairs. During the year, these animals rut three times. The gestation period for a hare lasts up to 50 days. In one litter, there can be from 1 to 9 rabbits. Offspring are born sighted and capable of independent movement. In the first 5-7 days, hares need milk, but by 2-3 weeks of life they switch to grass food and become independent. Sexual maturity occurs by next spring.

It will seem strange, but hares are not always vegetarians. Hunters will not let you lie: it is enough to “forget” a partridge in a snare, like a hare with pleasure to feast on poultry meat, tearing the prey with strong paws with powerful claws.
The hare is by no means cowardly and not always good-natured. A case was recorded when the “oblique”, raised by a shepherd named Jerome, quickly adopted some habits from a male, bravely rushed at the dogs, trying to bite them.
There is no reason to call a hare really “oblique” - everything is in order with the eyes of the animal! And his winding while running, which the hunters associated precisely with vision problems, is due to the slightly asymmetric development of the right and left hare paws.

Everyone believes that hares, or even, as their children call them, bunnies, are cute fluffy creatures that jump carelessly through the meadows, eat grass, are afraid of everyone to faint, and therefore everyone strives to offend them.

We just saw enough of cartoons like “Well, wait a minute!” and others. In fact, everything is far from it. Firstly, hares are quite aggressive, vicious and restless creatures that can easily stand up for themselves. For example, not a single self-respecting hunter will take a live hare by the ears, although they seem to be even designed for this.

And why? Because the hare easily dodges in inexperienced hands and hits the unfortunate hunter with its powerful hind legs so much that it rips open his stomach right up to the very intestines, which, of course, ends very sadly for the "highest link in the food chain." Hares use a similar technique in a fierce fight against predators and, you won’t believe it, they often win.

Hares eat grass. Yes, the long-eared have such a weakness. But with the same success, hares are ready to eat raw meat on occasion, so it’s not entirely correct to call them herbivores, rather semi-predators. Northern hunters know this very well, and therefore they try to test their snares for partridges before bloodthirsty hares get to them. Because if you do not get ahead of the long-eared, the partridge will be eaten. Moreover, the hare will get into the habit of further checking the snares before the hunter with the same result, so that the latter will urgently have to change his location.

By the way, scientists who for a long time officially called all hares rodents, having learned in more detail about their bad habits, singled out former rodents into a separate detachment of lagomorphs, rightly deciding that they still fall short of real predators.

With proper upbringing, a hare can easily replace a guard dog. You don’t laugh, but there is documentary evidence that one hare, brought up in a dog “collective”, actually served, rushed at strangers and other dogs and bit them in various sensitive places.

The king of animals in miniature

The hare, by the way, has something in common with the lion. Like the king of beasts, our hero strictly observes his territory, does not let strangers into it, but he himself does not climb into other people's food plots.

And the hare is called oblique not at all because he has vision problems. His eyes are in order, you can envy. This beast received the nickname "oblique" for the fact that, while running away, it made a circle and always returned to almost the same place from which it started. But this is not at all cunning and not stupidity. It's just that in a hare, the right front and hind legs are more developed than the left ones (it happens and vice versa, there are left-handed hares).

By the way, a person has the same feature. If, for example, you walk or run through the forest "by eye" without using a compass and a GPS device, and you move, as it seems to you, all the time straight and without turning anywhere, then, after some time, you will also go to the place where they started their journey.

Hunters know this feature of hares and shamelessly use it. By letting the dogs follow the trail of the slanting one, the hunter simply waits in the same place where he frightened off the prey. Sooner or later the hare will come back to him.

Enslavers

There are many hunters for hares, but no more than the animals themselves, and therefore they are not threatened with extermination. Long-ears have long and thoroughly settled (with the exception of some territories) our entire planet, and now 45 species of hares and 15 species of rabbits safely live and breed on Earth.

Moreover, the rabbits are so tenacious and prolific that they captured the whole continent - Australia. Some not very far-sighted migrant brought with him a dozen rabbits for breeding, in order to hunt them later, and obviously overdid it. Now in Australia there are clearly more rabbits than all the inhabitants combined, if not more than all other animals.

There is a hefty fine here for releasing a rabbit of any gender, and under no circumstances should you think of going to Australia with a live rabbit. You will be turned back at the customs, your visa will be closed for life, and they will even complain to the government of your country that, they say, how bad you are, because you obviously deliberately tried to violate the basic law of the Green Continent - no rabbits!

So what's the difference?

Here it is appropriate to tell how hares differ from each other and what is the difference between a hare and a rabbit.

First of all, hares differ in their ears. For example, Siberian hunters distinguish a brown hare from a white hare in a rather simple way: they bend the ears of the caught hare forward, towards the nose. If the ears do not reach the muzzle, then this is a white hare. If the ears of the animal freely reach the tip of the nose or even a little longer, then we have a hare.

It is easiest to distinguish a hare from a rabbit at birth. Rabbits are born blind and naked, for the first days of their lives they are absolutely helpless and sit in their nest without getting out. Hares, on the contrary, are born with their eyes wide open and within a few minutes after birth they are ready to “tear their claws”.

Another difference is expressed in the fact that rabbits lead a more or less sedentary lifestyle, gather in groups and find themselves in earthen burrows that they dig for themselves. Hares, on the other hand, are tumbleweeds, they do not favor family life, and under each bush both a table and a house are ready for them.

Different types of hares and rabbits differ in ways of movement and speed. The rabbit is a comparatively useless runner. Its maximum speed is just over 50 kilometers per hour. And even then, even after a relatively short distance, he quickly runs out of steam, and therefore prefers not to run away from the pursuer, but to hide in a hole or, at worst, under a bush. Hares are real sprinters, they are able to accelerate to a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, and the height of their jump reaches 3.5 meters. In addition, hares are good swimmers and can move well in rocky areas.

Great rarity

We said that there are a lot of hares in nature, but there are exceptions among them - quite rare species.

For example, the so-called tree or climbing hare lives only on two small Japanese islands: Anami-Oshima and Toku-no-Oshima. From the name of the breed it is clear that this amazing hare does not rush through the fields like its relatives, but jumps through the trees. In the last century, researchers estimated that about 500 individuals of these unique hares remained in the wild. What their number is today is unknown.

In America, due to the violation of the ecological balance, water hares are gradually dying out. Representatives of this breed, unlike their counterparts, prefer to settle along the banks of rivers and swampy reservoirs. Fleeing from persecution, the water hare jumps into the nearest body of water and quickly rows to the other side. If necessary, the water hare is able to dive into the water and, sticking out only one nose, sit there for quite a long time.

water hare

Now water hares are extremely rare, and therefore are listed in the Red Book. Well, the rarest animal is the Sumatran, or striped hare. It has a characteristic color - several brown stripes are drawn along the gray top. One broad stripe runs along the spine from muzzle to tail. The other is from the shoulders to the hips, and the third goes from the hips to the hind legs. The striped hare lives (or lived) in the southwest of the island of Sumatra. According to unverified data, there are now only two dozen Sumatran hares in nature.

Hares live all over the world. Hares are hunted all over the world. Sometimes people are surprised that these animals are still not extinct. There are a lot of hares only because they multiply very quickly.

The image of a hare is cute, good-natured and cowardly. Hares are not at all cowardly and good-natured. In fact, this animal is able to fly into a rage and bravely defend its life. Defending itself, the hare can tear the belly and chest of a predator with its claws. There are cases when predators died after such self-defense.

A case has been documented when a hare, raised by a domestic dog, adopted a number of habits from it, he even rushed at other dogs and bit them.

Hares are not vegetarians at all. They eat not only cabbage, but also meat! In the North, partridge catchers are well aware that if the prey is not taken out of the snare, then the hare will quickly eat it.

Although the hare is often called cross-eyed, it does not have any strabismus. Strabismus was attributed to hares by hunters who noticed that the hare was constantly winding and returning to its trail. In fact, the reason for this behavior is the asymmetry in the development of the right and left paws of hares.

The hare, like the lion, is a territorial animal. He "has no right" to violate someone else's territory, so he runs away only within the limits of his "living space".

In the summer heat, ears help hares to escape from overheating. They actively remove heat from the body. When it rains, hares bend their ears so that water does not get into them and they do not catch a cold.

Hares' teeth grow throughout their lives. They wear off when hares gnaw on food, but they never stop growing.

In winter, the hair on the abdomen of hares lengthens by a couple of millimeters so that the animal does not freeze the tummy. Hairs also grow around the nose, protecting it from frost.

For communication between relatives, hares use their “drum roll”, which they knock out with their paws. Just like elephants, the animals stamp their feet on the ground, warning other animals that the territory is occupied.

Hares can spring on their paws for several kilometers in a row at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour, while making unthinkable turns. We can say that they have real springs in their paws.

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, because due to their fecundity, these animals breed very actively.

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

Appearance

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

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

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

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

Moult

These animals shed twice a year, in autumn and spring. The beginning and term of molting are associated with external conditions. Molting begins with changes in the length of daylight hours, and its duration is determined by air temperature.

Spring molt in most species begins in late winter - early spring and lasts an average of 75-80 days. The animal begins to molt from the head to the lower limbs.

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

Varieties

Four species are widespread in Russia: Manchurian, sandstone hare, white hare and hare. Let's consider them in more detail.

Manchurian

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

This small animal is no more than 55 cm long and weighs up to 2.5 kg. The length of the ears is about 8 cm. The fur is hard and thick, brownish-ocher 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 has 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 value.

Sandstone

This species is also called tolai or talai. Compared to Russians, it is rather 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 movement in the snow. In summer, this species has grayish-buff fur, white on the throat and belly, and always remains dark on other parts 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; he rarely digs holes himself.

Tolai leads a sedentary life and migrates only in case of severe deterioration of weather conditions or with an acute lack of food.

This species breeds less often than others - 1-2 times a year, but since it is hunted infrequently, no decrease in numbers is observed.

Tolai 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 the Astrakhan region, in Buryatia and in the Chui steppe.

Belyak

Description of the white hare: this is a rather large representative of the hare family. How much does a hare weigh? The average weight of a hare is 2-3 kg, it 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 the feet covered with thick wool, the hare moves with ease even on loose snow in winter. The color depends on the season. 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 hare's skin becomes pure white. 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. Also, large populations of this species 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, berries. They lead a sedentary lifestyle, occupying an area from 3 to 30 hectares, migrate only in case of severe weather and lack of food supply. Long-distance and mass migrations of hare are observed only in the tundra zone, where the snow cover in winter is so high that hare food (low-growing plants) becomes inaccessible.

They breed 2-3 times a year, there are up to 11 hares in a litter. The life expectancy of a hare in the wild is from 7 to 17 years.

Hare

The brown hare is larger than the white 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 the middle lane practically does not change its color, it only becomes a little lighter. Animals inhabiting the northern regions become almost white in color, only a dark stripe remains on the back.

Where does the hare live? In Russia, Russians inhabit the entire European part, the region of the Ural Mountains, in southern Siberia, the Khabarovsk Territory and the territory near Kazakhstan, in the Transcaucasus in the Caucasus and in the Crimea.

Also, hare populations inhabit Europe, the USA, Canada, Western Asia and Asia Minor.

What does a hare eat? Since it belongs to herbivores, the diet consists of green parts of plants: clover, dandelion, mouse peas, yarrow, cereals.

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

They breed depending on the habitat and weather conditions, from 1 to 5 times a year. In a brood from 1 to 9 rabbits. 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 a twilight-night lifestyle. During the day, the animal rests for days. True, in places where there is a high number of oblique, 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 beds depending on the terrain and weather conditions. In warm, clear weather, they can lay down 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 on the snow.

Oblique runs very fast, often making long jumps while running and can change direction abruptly. This method of movement helps the animal escape from predators pursuing it. Eared tricksters are great at confusing their tracks. At the slightest threat, the animal freezes motionlessly until it considers that nothing else threatens it.

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

Nutrition

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

Summer

In summer, this herbivorous animal eats more than 500 species of plants, preferring their green parts. He also likes to eat gourds, 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 shrubs become their main food.

in winter

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

The greater the layer of snow, the harder it is for the eared to get food. High snow levels can hide almost everything that hares eat in winter. Animals escape from hunger by moving closer to settlements. They are rescued in harsh winters by haystacks, frozen berries on bushes and fruits of padans, which the animals dig out from under the snow.

Tree bark makes up the bulk of the diet during the cold season. Usually oblique selects softwood trees: aspen, birch, willow and others.

spring

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

reproduction

It directly depends on the weather conditions when the mating of hares begins. In warm winters, the rut can begin in January, and after frosty winters - in early March.

These animals communicate during the mating season, tapping out a certain rhythm with their front paws on the ground. Males compete for the attention of females, converging in spectacular fights.

Young individuals are ready for reproduction already in a year. The offspring of most species produces several up to five times a year, on average 2-5 cubs in one litter. Despite the fact that hares 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 the females have offspring at the same time, any hare, having stumbled upon hungry cubs, will surely feed them. This behavior is easy to explain. Rabbits do not have a smell, unlike adults, and the less often the female is next to them, the less likely the cubs are to become prey to a predator.

Hunting

Hunting for hares is popular in our country. This animal is an object of fur trade and sport hunting. In large numbers, these animals are hunted for their fur and tasty, nutritious meat.

Hunting starts in October before snow falls and lasts all winter. There are many ways of hunting: by trailing, on ambush, by powder, with dogs and "in the uzerku".

The oblique in nature has many enemies other than hunters. It is hunted by birds of prey, wolves, lynxes, coyotes and foxes. High fecundity helps to maintain the number of these animals.