White hare(Latin Lepus timidus) is a small animal from a species of mammals of the lagomorph family. For this order, this is a fairly large species of hare with a body length of an adult carcass of 45-65 centimeters.

More rarely there are larger individuals, so largest white hare recorded in Western Siberia and its length was 74 centimeters and weighed 5.5 kilograms. This type of hare has a slightly elongated body, not very long ears, large hind feet and very small front feet.

Such proportions of paws are characteristic of animals that move across the soil by jumping, as evidenced by the word “hare” itself, which comes from the Slavic “zai”, which means “jumper”.

This type of animal got its name, as you might guess, because of the white color of the fur in winter. In the snow in the field it can only be seen by its dark eyes, nose and ear tips. In summer, the white hare has a reddish-gray color, with which it also camouflages itself very well in its habitat.

In summer, many people often don’t experienced hunters confused white hare and brown hare because of their similarities by color, but in reality they are easy to distinguish - the white hare has shorter ears than the white hare, and the hind feet are wider for ease of movement in the snow.

in winter resemblance of a mountain hare with a hare it gets lost - the first one becomes snow-white, while the second one has a light brown skin. The divergence of these two types of hares is easy to see from the photo. The mountain hare sheds twice a year in spring and autumn, before the natural color of our flora changes. Typically, molting lasts 70-80 days.

In the photo there is a white hare and a brown hare

Habitat of the hare

The range of the mountain hare in our country is located in Siberia, in the North and Far East. The white hare is a forest mammal and this species lives mainly in the tundra and mixed forest, avoiding large plains, wetlands and densely overgrown forests.

Except our state animal white hare lives in many countries (mainly in its northern part), in Mongolia, and even in the countries of South America.

Snowshoe hares can be considered sedentary animals; they usually do not move around large areas, unless required by the lack of food in the habitat. From their homes winter hare can move if heavy snowfall has covered with a thick layer the low-growing grass and small shrubs that this mammal feeds on.

In summer, migration may be associated with flooding (swampiness) of the area, or, conversely, excessive drought of the usual habitat.

Hunting for the white hare

Many experienced hunters prefer hunting hares over other species, because this type of hunting is the most interesting, it is also equated to sport hunting, but it also produces a lot of meat and furs.

There are several ways to hunt the white hare. The most common is drive hunting. The company of hunters is divided into shooters and beaters. The white hare is very fast and when it runs away from pursuit, it can reach speeds of 50-70 km per hour. In winter, a person on foot or on skis will not always be able to catch up with a hare, so hounds are often used as beaters.

The beaters bring the hare to the shooting position, and the shooters, after waiting for an opportune moment, fire at the carcass. They usually shoot at the front pockets of a hare running towards the hunter. If the hare runs away from the shooter, then you should shoot just above his ears.

With this type of hunting, you need to keep in mind that the white hare runs in a circle or in zigzags. Most hunters understand why a white hare does this - thus, it is harder to hit him with a shot from a gun.

The use of dogs in this method of hunting is due to the fact that hounds are more resilient than a person in pursuit of a hare, but sometimes during the hunt they get so tired during the whole day that one can observe how A white hare jumps over a tired lazy dog and runs away from her forest area. In addition, they use it because they can smell the white hare and quite easily find its daytime roosts.

Another type of hunting for the white hare is finding the animal along the black trail. If the path is not covered with snow, then the snow-white skin of the snowshoe hare is clearly visible from afar.

Although this animal has good hearing, it has very poor eyesight and a hunter is quite capable of sneaking up on a hare, within shooting distance, without being noticed. It's already very important conditions are the silence and attentiveness of the hunter.

During the winter period the most in an interesting way Hunting for a white hare involves tracking or, in other words, reading tracks. This type of activity requires the hunter to have enormous endurance and ingenuity, as well as good knowledge of the habits of the animal. A white hare in the snow is identified by its black nose, eyes and ear tips. In the snow it is quite easy to spot on flat ground.

Reproduction of the white hare

The white hare is a pack animal. Usually flocks consist of 30-50 individuals. If a flock of white hares grows larger than average, then this becomes very dangerous and often leads to the death of young broods due to lack of food in the habitat.

Breeding of snowshoe hares in most of their range occurs twice a year. At this time, the females emit a peculiar cry, the so-called tumbling, thereby attracting the attention of the males. The first rut occurs in February-March, the second in May-June.

For middle zone In Europe, three ruts of snowshoe hares are common, with the third occurring in August. Lambing occurs after 45-55 days, it mainly takes place on open area and only in very cold winters can it occur in burrows that females dig for the birth of offspring.

Average number the brood consists of 5-7 hares in a litter, occasionally reaching 10-11 individuals. Hares are born covered with thick fur and immediately sighted; already on the first day of life they are able to move independently. After about a week, they begin to feed themselves with grass.

They become completely independent after two weeks. At the age of ten months, the hares reach sexual maturity and can reproduce. The average lifespan of white hares is 5-7 years, and, starting from the fourth year of life, the fertility of females becomes noticeably less.

In the photo there are baby hare

Nutrition

The diet of the white hare depends very much on seasonality and habitat. In summer, the main diet consists of grass crops such as clover, dandelion, some types of sedge and other grasses. In winter, food is much poorer and during this period mountain hare fitness to eating the bark of bushes and some trees.

A special delicacy for this type of hare during the snowy season is the bark of aspen and willow. In addition to wood and grass, the white hare feeds on shed antlers, as well as the bones of dead animals.

The mountain hare feeds mainly at night dark time days. During the night he can run many kilometers in search of food in order to get the necessary daily ration for himself, and these may not necessarily be long distances, it may be small area, passed several times. During the day, he spends most of his time lying down and it is at this time that he is hunted, because in this state the white hare is calmer.

The brown hare is a very common animal. You can meet it on any continent of the globe, except Antarctica. He is known for his caution, ability to quickly escape from pursuit and deftly confuse his tracks.

It is the largest species in the genus of hares. The body length is about 70 centimeters, and it weighs from 4 to 6 kilograms. In summer, the hare's color is gray-brown. In winter, the coat becomes lighter in color and a warm undercoat grows underneath.

A distinctive feature of the hare is its long ears. During extreme heat, the ears save the animal from overheating - their inner surface, not covered with hair, helps remove excess heat from the body.

When sheltering from the rain, the animal lowers its ears, trying to press them to its head so that water does not get inside. The ears save the hare from danger by acting as locators - they are able to detect the slightest rustle and sounds of an approaching predator.

The ubiquitous hare lives almost throughout Europe, southwest Asia, North Africa, South America, in some states North America and in Australia. Hares prefer open spaces:

• steppes,
• forest-steppe,
• fields,
• meadows and forest edges.

In winter, they try to move closer to where people live, where it is easier to get food.

They live alone for most of the year, and only briefly unite into families during the breeding season. The hare is nocturnal. With the onset of darkness, he goes out to look for food, and during the day he rests, trying not to catch the eye of forest predators.

Rusaki is so well camouflaged that it is difficult to notice him, even when in close proximity to him. He does not like permanent holes; he always looks for a new place to rest. In summer it sleeps in shallow holes surrounded by bushes or tall grass, finds empty badger or fox holes, and sometimes just rests under a bush.

In winter, the long-eared animal makes a hole for itself right in the snow, in a place protected from the wind. Hares are cautious and quiet animals. They make any sounds only in exceptional cases. When in danger, they squeak loudly and shrilly.

Rusaks can notify each other about the appearance of an enemy by drumming their paws on dry ground. Using this unusual method, reminiscent of Morse code, they manage to hide from predators.

Nutrition

Brown hares are herbivores. In summer they feed on field plants, eating not only stems and leaves, but sometimes also roots. If there are populated areas nearby, hares run into vegetable gardens and happily feast on carrots and cabbage. In winter, animals feed on seeds, vegetable remains and winter crops, digging them out from under the snow.

They also feed on the bark of trees and shrubs. They can cause serious harm to gardeners, as they love to nibble on young apple trees. Russians gnaw bark not only out of hunger. Hares constantly grow teeth throughout their lives, so sometimes they need to be shortened by grinding them down on the hard surface of trees.

The breeding season of the brown hare lasts from early spring to late autumn. Pregnancy lasts for a female brown hare for five to six weeks. During the season, one hare gives birth to 2–4 litters, with 3–6 cubs in each.

The first days after birth, the mother brings food to the rabbits. Around the second week from birth, small animals begin to eat grass, and within a few days after this they gain independence. Average duration The lifespan of Russians is 5 – 6 years.

Enemies

The hare has plenty of enemies:

• wolves,
• lynx;
• dogs;
• owls;

The best defense against them is good camouflage and fast running. Thanks to its protective gray-brown color, the hare can hide even in white snow - in the middle of a field it will look like a stump or a hummock dusted with snow.

Hares are often saved by their speed: during a chase, they cover up to 70 kilometers in an hour. Brown hares can swim and are able to swim across the river to escape persecution.

1. In Russians folk tales the hare is called oblique, although the animal does not suffer from strabismus. He received this nickname due to his ability to loop while running. Slanting tracks help him escape from pursuit.
2. Rusak is not as cowardly as they say. He is quite capable of taking care of himself. Among the hares there are brave souls who successfully fight off attacking eagles with their hind legs.
3. One day a little hare for a long time lived with a pet dog, which taught its “adopted child” to rush at other people’s dogs.

What can be said about animals such as hares? What is included in the daily diet of these animals? Where do hares live? How do they reproduce? What types of hares are there? The answers to these and other questions can be found by reading our publication.

General information

The hare is a not too large animal that has slim body, somewhat flattened laterally. Some species reach sizes of about 65-70 cm. As for weight, hares are capable of gaining weight of more than 7 kg. Distinctive feature The “appearance” of such animals is the presence of long ears with a characteristic wedge-shaped shape. Thanks to this developed sense organ, the hearing of such animals is much better compared to vision and smell.

Hares have long hind limbs with massive feet. This paw structure allows the animals to almost instantly accelerate to a speed of about 80 km/h when the first danger arises. At the same time, hares confuse predators by abruptly changing the direction of movement. Animals run deftly on flat surfaces and climb steep slopes without problems. However, they do not feel too confident when going down slides. The reason for this is short, underdeveloped forelimbs. In such cases, hares often have to roll head over heels from heights.

Lifestyle

The main daily activity of hares is searching for food. Animals prefer to search for food at night, when the likelihood of being seen by predators is reduced. With the onset of dawn, hares go to secluded places where they rest and gain strength. They choose dense bushes and deep furrows in the soil as temporary homes. IN winter time The animals hide in snow drifts and dig shelters.

Nutrition

Each of us knows from the cradle that the hare is a herbivore. The favorite delicacies of such animals are garden crops, in particular cabbage and carrots. However, what do hares eat in the wild, living at a considerable distance from farmland? We will try to answer this question further.

The diet of the animals varies depending on the season. What does a hare eat in nature? In summer, the main “prey” of such animals are shoots of young vegetation. The animals give preference to juicy, sweet roots. Hares especially like dandelions, yarrow, clover, sedge, and alfalfa. During the fertile period of the year, they are not averse to eating blueberry shoots and berries, the fruits of wild apples and pears.

With the arrival of autumn, hares have to switch to consuming tree bark and small, succulent twigs. In winter, hares often dig up all kinds of herbaceous plants and roots from under the snow.

Types of hares

There are several varieties of hares, which differ slightly from each other according to body structure, color and lifestyle:

1. The hare is the largest animal. They are distinguished by the presence of a shiny, silky coat. The fur has a characteristic waviness. The color of the coat varies from dark gray to brownish.
2. The Arctic hare is a hare that is characterized by so-called seasonal dimorphism. When the ground cover is generously covered with snow, representatives of the species acquire a white tint of fur. In summer, the Arctic hare again changes the color of its fur to grayish.
3. Antelope - has the longest ears, the size of which in adults reaches more than 20 cm. Since representatives of the species live in arid, hot regions, this arrangement of the ears helps them regulate body temperature.
4. Chinese - a feature of the species is the presence of a small body. Such hares grow to a maximum of 45 cm. At the same time, the weight is no more than 2 kg. The fur color of the Chinese hare varies from dark brown to light chestnut. The tips of the ears are decorated with a black triangular pattern.
5. Tolai are small animals that have virtually no external differences from the hare. However, representatives of the species have longer ears, as well as extremely developed hind limbs.
6. The yellowish hare is a fairly large individual, reaching a size of 60 cm and a weight of about 4 kg. It is quite difficult to confuse this species with other animals. Because they have contrasting black stripes along the body, as well as from the back of the head to the ears.
7. Broom - in lifestyle and habits there are similarities with the hare. The animals are distinguished by the presence of a reddish fur coat, as well as not too long ears, the edges of which are decorated with blackish edges.
8. Black-tailed - representatives of the species can be recognized by the characteristic dark stripe that adorns the fur along the entire spine. As you can guess from the definition itself, these hares have a black tail.
9. Manchurian - in appearance, such animals are extremely similar to wild rabbits, since they are small in size and have short hind limbs. The fur is decorated with sparse dark ripples.
10. Curly - a feature of the species is the presence of wavy fur in the spine area. The fur coat has a yellowish tint. Such hares grow up to 50 cm and weigh no more than 2 kg.

Where do hares live?

Let's look at the habitats of each type of hare in order. If we talk about hare, such animals have inhabited European forest-steppes for centuries. They are widespread in the territory of domestic latitudes. Often found in Kazakhstan, Turkey, and northern Africa.

Where do white hares live? The species is widespread in the northern regions of Russia. Large populations are observed in the wastelands of Mongolia. White hare are found in the highlands of South America.

In what latitudes does the curly-haired hare live? The habitats of representatives of the species are primarily the forest expanses of India, the forest-steppe of Nepal and China. Such animals are common in the Tibetan plateau.

Tolai is a typical representative of semi-desert spaces. Found in Turkmenistan, China, Uzbekistan, Mongolia. You can also see such hares in the Russian steppes, starting from the young regions of the Astrakhan region and ending with the open spaces Altai Territory.

The yellowish jackrabbit is the only species found exclusively in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico.

Where do broom hares live? The habitat of such animals is limited to the wastelands in the northwestern part of Spain, where the Cantabrian mountain peaks are located.

Black-tailed hares are the most common species in the United States. These animals are also often found in Mexico.

The Manchurian hare is a typical representative of the fauna of the plains and wooded areas of the Far East. Large populations of such animals are observed in Korea, China, and Primorye.

Reproduction

Most hares are solitary creatures. However, some species form pairs. The animals mate three times during the year. Pregnancy in females lasts for one and a half months. From one to nine babies can be born at a time.

From the first days, the offspring of hares are sighted and capable of movement. Young individuals need mother's milk only in the first week. Then the rabbits switch completely to plant food. The young become sexually mature by next spring.

Natural enemies

Hares are rather defenseless animals that are traditional prey for the most numerous predators. Particularly often young individuals who have just lost maternal care and are beginning an independent life become victims of carnivorous animals.

The enemies of hares are primarily foxes and wolves. In forested regions they are hunted by lynxes. Hares that live near human settlements often become prey to stray dogs. Birds of prey, in particular eagles, hawks and eagle owls, are also not against feasting on these animals. Naturally, significant damage to the hare population on all continents is caused by humans.

There are some fascinating facts about hares:

1. People traditionally call the animals “oblique”. In fact, with the sight of hares full order. The basis for the appearance of such a definition is the animal’s habit of looping when running, which in the old days hunters associated with strabismus.
2. Oddly enough, hares are not always vegetarians. These animals are not averse to eating the meat of birds and small animals that are in trouble.
3. Contrary to popular belief, hares are not at all cowardly creatures. There have been cases where domesticated hares aggressively attacked dogs and cats, trying to bite them.

A hare is an animal that belongs to the class Mammals, order Lagomorpha, family Lagoraceae, genus Hares ( Lepus). Contrary to popular belief, they are not rodents and are far from 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. Characteristic feature lagomorphs are wedge-shaped ears, reaching a length of 9 to 15 cm. Thanks to the ears, the hare’s hearing 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 forelimbs. When a threat arises, the hare's speed 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:, etc. Hares run well up slopes, but they have to go downhill head over heels.

Hare color depends on the season. In summer, the animal's fur is reddish-gray, brown or brown tint. Due to the dark color of the undercoat, the color is uneven with large and small “speckles”. The fur on the belly is white. Hares change color in winter, their fur becomes lighter, but only the mountain hare becomes completely snow-white. The tips of the ears of all representatives of the genus remain black all year round.

How long does a hare live?

The average lifespan of males does not exceed 5 years, females - 9 years, however, there are recorded cases of a longer lifespan 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 almost throughout the entire territory of Russia, in Northern Europe, Ireland, Mongolia, South America and 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 purely White color except for the tips of the ears. In summer the hare is gray.

• Brown 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 hare's fur is shiny, silky, with characteristic wavy, different shades of brown, with white rings around the eyes. The hare's habitat covers 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 exchange when too high temperature habitats. 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 sizes body (up to 45 cm) and weight up to 2 kg. The color of the short, coarse 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 type of hare is found in the hilly areas of China, Vietnam and Taiwan.

• Tolai hare(Lepus tolai )

The medium-sized individuals resemble the hare in appearance, but are distinguished by longer ears and legs, as well as the absence of curled 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.

• Yellowish hare(Lepus flavigularis )

The only population of yellowish hares inhabits the meadows and coastal dunes of the Mexican Gulf of Tehuantepec, hence its second name - the Tehuantepec hare. Large individuals, up to 60 cm long and weighing 3.5-4 kg, are difficult to confuse with other species 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 scrubby heaths of the northwestern Cantabrian Mountains of Spain. In appearance and habits there is a similarity with the brown hare. Due to extermination, predation and violation natural ecosystem, the species is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book of Spain.

• Black-tailed(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. The 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 shrubby plains can be found in the Far East, Primorye, as well as in Northeast China and Korea.

• Curly-haired hare (Tibetan curly-haired hare)(Lepus oiostolus )

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

Traditionally, many are accustomed to considering hares as rodents, while these animals are classified as a separate order of Lagomorphs. There are 32 species of hares in the world; their closest relatives are pikas and rabbits. They live on all continents except Antarctica.

Brown hare (Lepus europaeus).

They are similar to rodents in their way of feeding and convergent (that is, caused by the same living conditions) external resemblance. Just like rodents, hares are exclusively herbivores, feeding mainly on roughage. In summer, the basis of their diet is grass; in winter, they are forced to feed on branches and bark. Hares completely lack fangs, but their quickly worn incisors grow continuously throughout their lives. But hares also have distinctive features. Digestive system these animals are designed in such a way that they can extract everything more nutritious substance without a trace. To do this, hares often eat their own droppings, passing, so to speak, food in the second round.

Unlike rodents, hares do not have any kind of housing - they do not dig holes or make any other shelters. But these animals have permanent habitats, which they leave only in foodless years during mass migration.

In terms of housing, hares are “eternal wanderers”, spending the night under any more or less convenient bush.

The two most famous types of hares are the hare and the hare. They got their names because of the difference in color: the hare in winter has a pure white color, only the tips of the ears remain black.

Mountain hare (Lepus timidus).

In summer, the white hare has a grayish-red color.

White hare in summer outfit.

The hare looks about the same all year round - motley-brown in color. This is due to the fact that the hare is a resident of the northern regions, inhabiting mainly the taiga and tundra.

In winter against the backdrop of continuous snow cover white fur perfectly camouflages the white hare.

Rusak prefers southern regions, where it especially actively populates the steppe and forest edges with thick grass; in winter, in thickets of weeds, its brown back is almost invisible.
It is generally accepted that hares are exclusively inhabitants of the middle zone. But among them you can find inhabitants of deserts, savannas and even jungles.

The fawn fur of the tolai hare (Lepus tolai) makes it invisible against the background of sand in the desert.

The hare and cacti are not science fiction at all, but a common occurrence in the deserts of California and Kansas.

This is a black-tailed or California hare (Lepus californicus), and not at all a representative of rabbits, which are also widespread in America.

But there are even more exotic species of hares. For example, the Tibetan curly-haired hare (Lepus oiostolus) has curly hair, the striped hare (Nesolagus netscheri) from Sumatra has a striped body, and the Japanese tree hare generally lives in trees. This animal is nocturnal, feeds on low tree branches, and breeds offspring in hollows!

The Japanese tree hare (Pentalagus furnessi) is found only on Ryukyu Island and is an endangered species.

All types of hares are medium-sized animals with a characteristic appearance. Their distinctive feature are long ears and well developed hind legs. Their ears are on average longer than those of rabbits, but can vary greatly in size. The white hare has the shortest ears (this is an adaptation to life in the harsh conditions of the Arctic), the hare has longer ears, and the black-tailed hare, which lives in the deserts of North America, is simply huge. He needs such long ears to cool himself in hot climates.

Blood passing through the thin and wide ears gives off heat and cools the body of the black-tailed hare.

Hares run fast; with the help of their long hind limbs they can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Running brown hare (Lepus europaeus).

While running, the hare can make long jumps and quite abruptly change the direction of movement. Such maneuverability helps to escape from fleet-footed predators.

The white hare has especially wide paw soles. These “snowshoes” allow the snowshoe hare to run quickly even in deep snow.

However, even a caught hare is by no means as harmless as it is usually described. When caught, it is capable of delivering powerful blows with its hind legs. There are cases where a wounded hare caused serious injuries to hunting dogs and people themselves. Speed ​​is not the hare's only weapon. These animals are excellent at confusing their tracks in order to confuse their pursuer. A hare that goes to lie down first makes a circle - “smarting”, follows its own trail, and then with a sharp long jump goes to the side, where it lies down to rest. Sweat glands in hares are located only on the soles of their paws, so a motionless hare has practically no odor.

A tangle of hare tracks.

When danger approaches, the hare hides and remains motionless until the danger has passed.

A hidden hare has heroic restraint and can allow a predator to come within close range. And only if the passive defense does not work does he begin to flee.

By the way, hares are practically voiceless animals: Everyday life and even in mating season they do not make any sounds, preferring to make do with other signaling methods. But a caught hare is capable of screaming loudly at the moment of death. The cry of a wounded hare sounds like the cry of a baby. During the mating season, hares communicate using “drum rolls” - fast strikes front paws on the ground. This call can be heard over a great distance. Is this where the tradition of making toy drummer bunnies comes from?

Brown hares in hand-to-hand combat for possessing a female.

Having met, the males start fights, which are accompanied by high jumps and other miracles of acrobatics.

Mating games of brown hares.

All types of hares are very fertile by nature: they bear offspring 3-5 times a year, young animals also reach maturity at the age of one year. There are 2-4 cubs in one litter. Rabbits are born developed and sighted, but for the first few days they avoid moving, hiding in a secluded place. A unique feature of hares is that they abandon their offspring to the mercy of fate within a few hours after birth. Newborn rabbits, once fed by their mother, remain sitting under a bush, but they are not in danger of dying from hunger. The fact is that female hares give birth at the same time and any female, having stumbled upon hungry little hares, feeds them with milk. Such “communism” promotes the survival of offspring, because rabbits, unlike adults, have no smell. Thus, the absence of the mother near the cubs makes them “invisible” to enemies.

Bunny.

Hares have many natural enemies. They are hunted by foxes, lynxes, wolves, coyotes, owls, eagles and others predator birds. The hare has long been a favorite object of hunting and humans. It is hunted for meat and fur. In the midst of many dangers, hares survive mainly due to their fertility.