Description

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

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account