Wool. In winter, the hare becomes much lighter, and the hare turns pure white (hence the animal’s nickname). Where they live lives in the forest. This is a forest hare. The hare can live in fields and steppes. So the answer to the question of where hares live is not entirely clear.
Belyak: daily routine and nutrition
During the day, the hare, as a rule, sleeps where he lives. The hare in the forest only comes out to feed at night. In winter it feeds mainly on bark various trees. The hare does this in a very original way, rising on its hind legs to reach the bark more gently, as if standing at attention. White hare gnaws branches of young aspen, birch trees, willow bark, willow and others deciduous trees. Very fond of young fruit plants.
In winter, the white hare can move quite easily through deep snow, since hair grows on its legs (even between its toes). It’s much easier to stay warm and stay on the snow. The leg becomes wider, and the hare runs as if on skis. By the way, when a hare jumps, it puts its hind legs forward, like a squirrel, leaving characteristic footprints in the snow.
In hiding
Lezhka is the name of the winter (and summer) den where a hare lives in the forest from time to time. You can get to the hidden place by following the tracks of the hare. But, most likely, this will be very difficult to do. Before lying down, the hare intensively confuses its tracks, loops and jumps from side to side (takes notes). And only after completely confusing everyone, the animal finally lies down in an oblong hole. In it the hare hides from all kinds of enemies, and he has plenty of them: wolves, foxes, owls, eagles, dogs, lynxes. Also - hunters and poachers of all ranks and stripes.
Lying down can provide shelter from the piercing autumn and winter winds. In a strong winter blizzard, a hare can be covered in snow, as they say, “up to its ears.” A dome of snow and ice crust forms above it. Then the hidden hare, coming into the light, has to dig out of the cache. So the question of where hares live can be answered this way: some of the time they lie down. There they hide from enemies and the wind.
Where do brown hares live?
These are field and steppe animals (for the most part), unlike white hare, which primarily live in the forest. Hares almost always sleep during the day and feed at night. They dig up the snow over winter crops and eat green sprouts. If the hare cannot for some reason (deep snow, ice, frost) get to the winter crops, he resorts to the gardens, where he eats the remaining stalks or unpicked carrots. It also gets picked up by eating dry grass. Willingly feasts on gardens and bark fruit trees- young apple trees. Rusaks thus cause great harm to the national economy - fields, orchards and vegetable gardens. This is why the villagers dislike them.
Where do hares live in winter and summer?
These animals live alone or in pairs. Unlike their rabbit brothers, hares almost never dig holes. They build their nests in small, ready-made holes. The hare tribe is known for its fertility: the hare makes 3-4 litters per year (from March to September), each with 5-10 cubs. They are born with already with open eyes and wool, are quite independent, but some die from enemies in the very first months of their life. The fact is that the mother, having fed, runs away from the babies after two or three days. All this time they sit, hiding in the grass. A few days later, the hare comes running to feed them again. Interestingly, another female who has found the hares can also do this.
What helps the hare?
Fleeing from enemies, of which the hare has plenty, the animal can run up to 70 kilometers a day, making wide circles and meandering through a forest or field. These tracks are sometimes difficult for even a skilled hunter to untangle. So what saves the hare is its main defense - the ability to run quickly. And the corresponding color of the skin also comes in handy for the hare in winter. The hare, fleeing from pursuit, can sometimes stop, as if listening and trying to see the enemy. But the hare has only well-developed hearing, and vision and smell - not very well. So, to motionless standing man the hare can come quite close, which is what experienced hunters take advantage of.
Bed or hole?
The bed, especially if the hare is not particularly disturbed, can be used by it many times as a place for temporary shelter. But most often the hare is looking for new places. But in winter, it digs holes in the snow up to one and a half meters deep, in which it spends most of its time, going out only in search of food or in case of danger.
Interestingly, the white hare only compacts the snow without throwing it out. Hares living in the tundra winter time They dig holes up to eight meters long, using them as permanent shelters. Tundra whites do not leave the hole when danger arises, but hide inside and wait. And in summer time Empty earthen passages of marmots and arctic foxes are used as shelters. Where do hares live? In holes left by other animals. It's spacious and there's enough room for long-eared people.
IN middle lane The white hare and brown hare are widespread in Russia. In summer, both representatives of the order Lagomorpha have a gray-brown coat color. In winter, the hare becomes much lighter, and the hare turns pure white (hence the animal’s nickname). Where do hares live? The hare lives in the forest. This is a forest hare. The hare can live in fields and steppes. So the answer to the question of where hares live is not entirely clear.
Belyak: daily routine and nutrition
During the day, the hare, as a rule, sleeps where he lives. The hare in the forest only comes out to feed at night. In winter, it feeds mainly on the bark of various trees. The hare does this in a very original way, rising on its hind legs to reach the bark more gently, as if standing at attention. The hare gnaws on the branches of young aspens, birches, willow bark, willow and other deciduous trees. Very fond of young fruit plants.
In winter, the white hare can move quite easily through deep snow, since hair grows on its legs (even between its toes). It’s much easier to stay warm and stay on the snow. The leg becomes wider, and the hare runs as if on skis. By the way, when a hare jumps, it puts its hind legs forward, like a squirrel, leaving characteristic footprints in the snow.
In hiding
Lezhka is the name of the winter (and summer) den where a hare lives in the forest from time to time. You can get to the hidden place by following the tracks of the hare. But, most likely, this will be very difficult to do. Before lying down, the hare intensively confuses its tracks, loops and jumps from side to side (takes notes). And only after completely confusing everyone, the animal finally lies down in an oblong hole. In it the hare hides from all kinds of enemies, and he has plenty of them: wolves, foxes, owls, eagles, dogs, lynxes. Also - hunters and poachers of all ranks and stripes.
Lying down can provide shelter from the piercing autumn and winter winds. In a strong winter blizzard, a hare can be covered in snow, as they say, “up to its ears.” A dome of snow and ice crust forms above it. Then the hidden hare, coming into the light, has to dig out of the cache. So the question of where hares live can be answered this way: some of the time they lie down. There they hide from enemies and the wind.
Where do brown hares live?
These are field and steppe animals (for the most part), unlike white hare, which primarily live in the forest. Hares almost always sleep during the day and feed at night. They dig up the snow over winter crops and eat green sprouts. If the hare cannot for some reason (deep snow, ice, frost) get to the winter crops, he resorts to the gardens, where he eats the remaining stalks or unpicked carrots. It also gets close to haystacks, eating dry grass. Willingly feasts on the bark of fruit trees - young apple trees - in gardens. Rusaks thus cause great harm to the national economy - fields, orchards and vegetable gardens. This is why the villagers dislike them.
Where do hares live in winter and summer?
These animals live alone or in pairs. Unlike their rabbit brothers, hares almost never dig holes. They build their nests in small, ready-made holes. The hare tribe is known for its fertility: the hare makes 3-4 litters per year (from March to September), each with 5-10 cubs. They are born with their eyes and fur already open, and are quite independent, but some die from enemies in the first months of their life. The fact is that the mother, having fed, runs away from the babies after two or three days. All this time they sit, hiding in the grass. A few days later, the hare comes running to feed them again. Interestingly, another female who has found the hares can also do this.
What helps the hare?
Fleeing from enemies, of which the hare has plenty, the animal can run up to 70 kilometers a day, making wide circles and meandering through a forest or field. These tracks are sometimes difficult for even a skilled hunter to untangle. So what saves the hare is its main defense - the ability to run quickly. And the corresponding color of the skin also comes in handy for the hare in winter. The hare, fleeing from pursuit, can sometimes stop, as if listening and trying to see the enemy. But the hare has only well-developed hearing, and vision and smell - not very well. So, a white hare can come quite close to a standing person, which is what experienced hunters use.
Bed or hole?
The bed, especially if the hare is not particularly disturbed, can be used by it many times as a place for temporary shelter. But most often the hare is looking for new places. But in winter, in severe frost, it digs holes in the snow up to one and a half meters deep, in which it spends most of its time, coming out only in search of food or in case of danger.
Interestingly, the white hare only compacts the snow without throwing it out. Hares living in the tundra dig holes up to eight meters long in winter, using them as permanent shelters. Tundra whites do not leave the hole when danger arises, but hide inside and wait. And in the summer, marmots and arctic foxes use empty earthen passages as shelters. Where do hares live? In holes left by other animals. It's spacious and there's enough room for long-eared people.
Probably everyone watched in childhood the good old cartoon “Well, wait a minute” about a wolf and a smart and sneaky hare. A very interesting character, but what is the hare like as an animal in real life?
Hares live in fields, forests, and near swamps. They can often be seen on the outskirts of cities, towns, and summer cottages. Once upon a time in ancient times, people killed hares for fur and food. Now, centuries later, humanity looks at these animals differently. You can imagine the reaction of a child who sees a hare in a zoo or on the street. He will display joy and delight. And there is no desire to kill and eat an animal.
Basically, hares live in the forest, as well as in fields, meadows, and forest edges. He really likes to live near agricultural plots alternating with copses. In winter, it can be observed near populated areas and rivers. If he has enough food, he is able to live on an area of up to fifty hectares. Otherwise, he makes daily runs from habitats to food points.
They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. You can only see them during the day during your runs. The life of a hare during the day is a small hole dug under a tree or tall grass. It does not dig holes for a permanent rookery; sometimes it stops in abandoned holes of a fox or badger. In winter, they may burrow into a haystack or live near buildings near a populated area.
Hares can run very fast. They can reach speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour. They are distinguished by their ability to confuse their tracks and swim well. Hares are usually quiet animals. If he is wounded or caught, only then does he make loud noises. Another type of communication is paw tapping, reminiscent of the sounds of a drum.
The hare hears well. His eyesight is not very good and he does not smell very well, but his hearing is excellent. As mentioned above, he knows how to confuse his tracks. He goes back strictly in his tracks to the side. Thus, he leads the predator into a dead end. Seeing approaching hunters, the hare freezes in place, hoping that they will leave or turn in the other direction. If this does not happen, he has to flee. It is convenient for a hare to run up a mountain, but it is inconvenient to run down a mountain, so in such cases he rolls head over heels. But it also happens that neither speed nor the ability to confuse his tracks helps him. Then he lies on his back and begins to fight back with his strong paws, and he does not always win this duel. Sometimes there are exceptions, and he even manages to damage his opponents.
Hares eat plants and shoots of bushes and trees. They mainly eat leaves and stems, but can also eat roots if the need arises. In winter, especially in severe frosts and snowy weather, when there are big problems with vegetation and there is almost no vegetation, the hares become hungry, they freeze and may die.
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?
The average weight of the animal is 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 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 grey colour. The white hare is the target of many sport hunters. Habitat: Russia (including the Arctic); China, Mongolia, northern Europe, South America.
Brown hare (Latin: Lepus europaeus). Most major representative 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, Turkey, 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. This species lives 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. Awake in dark time days.
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). The body size of the 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 stripe of dark color more long hair. Found in the south Far East Russia, in the Chinese region of Manchuria and in northern Korea. We can say that this is a forest hare, preferring 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 of 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 feed the hare cow's milk or human infant formula is not allowed. 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 of lagomorphs is the 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 bearded seal lives in the shallow waters of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Representatives of northern peoples make household items from seal skin. 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 species belong to the forest hares and inhabit areas 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 zones. The humpbacked hare rodent is a resident of the tropics and savannah. Lagomorphs inhabit the entire globe. Recently they were brought 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 at 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.
In biology, behavior and way of life all types hares similar to each other. These are animals that lead a predominantly twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. All day the hare lies in some secluded place and only in the evening gets up and begins an active life. During the night he travels several kilometers and visits a variety of lands. He either feeds, or, as they say, fattens, or simply walks and frolics. The places of its nightly adventures usually do not coincide with the places of daytime rest - during the day the animal needs shelter, at night - food and the opportunity to run. However, sometimes it lives for several days on an area of only 1-2 hectares.
Depending on the local conditions and season of the year hares eat different types of feed. In summer they are seduced areas of land with rich grass stand, since at this time the basis of the hares’ diet is herbaceous vegetation. Therefore, even white hares to feed go to clearings and clearings, to clearings or to the edges, where the grass is more varied and nutritious. in winter everything in rabbit nutrition higher value acquire tree and branch food: young shoots and bark various types trees and shrubs. For the white hare, they become the main food. although it uses them, it prefers to feed on winter shoots, regrowth, weeds and weed seeds. However, other types of hares do not disdain this food.
It is in winter that the tracks of hares are especially numerous on the roads along which hay is transported, and near haystacks, if there are any on the land. On the roads, hares not only pick up leftover hay, they are attracted by the increased salinity of the soil or snow, saturated with the urine of domestic animals. Salt starvation of hares is a common phenomenon. In winter, hares also like roads because they are easier to run on. Whites themselves trample permanent paths along which they regularly move from one section of the forest to another. In addition, hares, and more often than other hare, use roads to escape danger - here it is easier to confuse and cover the trail. Resting places for hares
Having refreshed itself and having run during the night, the hare sets off at dawn to look for place to relax. In most cases, it settles in a place where, on the one hand, it is difficult to approach it unnoticed, and on the other hand, it is reliably hidden from the watchful eyes of a predator. Hares rarely lie down among continuous, dense thickets of undergrowth or undergrowth, bushes, weeds and tall grass. Much more often they choose a separate clump or a separate bush among more or less sparse vegetation. The hare's favorite bedding areas are boundaries overgrown with thick grass, blemishes preserved among arable land, bushes, deep furrows, as well as the edges of forests or bushes. In winter, the hare willingly lies down near snow banks, in which it digs a shelter for itself.Mating season for hares
The hares' lifestyle remains constant throughout most of the year. But there are days when his behavior changes dramatically. This mating period, when caution and “prudence” abandon the hares. Almost all day, especially in the morning and evening, not to mention the night, they rush around the grounds in search of a mate. A hare is usually pursued by several hares, between which fierce fights occur over the long-eared beauty. The female is often covered by several males in a row. During the rut, it constantly happens to see groups of hares of four, five or more animals together. They are so busy with their own affairs that they let you get very close, or even run almost right up to you. Usually the hare is silent and its plaintive cry can be heard either when it is wounded or when it is caught in the claws or teeth of a predator. But busy mating games, hares quite often make a voice that resembles a thin neigh.Reproduction of hares
Hares breed fast. Where the summer is long enough, females give birth to three or even four litters per year. In colder places, the number of litters is reduced to two or even one. The duration of pregnancy in all types of hares is about 50 days. Each litter contains, on average, three to seven hares with fluctuations from 1 to 12. The first litter of hares, born in March-April, by the hunting season is almost comparable in size to adult hares. Hunters call them " Nastoviks" The next litter - at the end of June - beginning of July gives " letnikov», « Kolosovik" or " herbalists" Finally, the hares of the third (or generally the latest) litter are called “ deciduous" It would seem that with such an intensity of reproduction, the hares should have multiplied incredibly. However, “hare” years, when animals are found in suitable areas at almost every turn, are relatively rare. And there are many reasons for this.Enemies of hares
The hare is a rather defenseless creature and enemies he has a lot. Both adults and young hares, which already from 10-14 days of age begin to more or less independent life, suffer greatly from predators. Wolves, lynxes, foxes, stray dogs and cats, large feathered predators, both day and night - all of them are not averse to feasting on hare meat and cause significant damage to the population of hares. But this is not the main thing.Diseases of hares
The main scourge of hares is massive diseases. Various pulmonary and intestinal helminthiases (helminthic diseases), tularemia, pasteurellosis and coccidiosis sometimes they actually mow down hares. Often, animals over large areas die almost completely; it takes several years for their numbers to recover. It is interesting that the more hares there are at the time of the outbreak, the more destructive its consequences. The disease spreads quickly, becoming widespread. Where the number of hares is small, epizootics occur less frequently and their consequences are not so devastating.The vicissitudes of climate
In addition to diseases, hares are killed, and sometimes en masse, by all kinds of climate vicissitudes. Late spring frosts, rainy and cold weather in the first days of life of young animals cause increased mortality of hares. If spring came early and then gave way to cold weather with a blizzard or rain, then the first broods die almost completely. On the contrary, an early, warm and friendly spring is very favorable for increasing the number of hares. In the vast floodplain lands in the spring, hares suffer greatly from high floods. The hollow water quickly rises, flooding everything around. Hares gather on the hills and manes that have turned into islands in dozens, or even hundreds. However, the area of dry places is decreasing. Wet, hungry, shaking from the cold, the animals climb onto stumps, onto tree branches accessible to them, on anything that rises at least somewhat above the water. They sit on floating logs and logs, cut off from land and completely helpless. It’s good if the flood subsides quickly, otherwise the hares will inevitably die.
In such a hopeless situation for hares, they are often attacked by feathered predators. And not just real predators. Insolent crows and even magpies, gathered in whole groups, do not give the exhausted victims of the flood a single moment of peace and sometimes beat them to death. At the same time, the animals gathered on the islands were shot, poisoned with dogs and beaten with sticks in huge numbers. Fortunately, such wild practice has ended these days. In deep-snowy, blizzard winters, and especially in the presence of crusts, it becomes difficult for hares, mainly brown and white hares, to obtain food. Through the icy, thick layer of snow, they are unable to get to the bottom of either the fresh shoots of winter crops, or last year’s rags and small shrubs. The animals starve and, if there are no hay sheds, haystacks or high fodder vegetation not covered by the snowstorm nearby, the hares die of hunger. Hares are threatened by many troubles, therefore, despite all their “fertility”, they have not filled and are not filling lands suitable for their life. The average annual increase in the number of hares is not that great. It usually does not exceed 100% of the original population, i.e. by the hunting season there is one profit for each adult hare.