Arctic Hare

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Arctic Hare
Conservation status
Least concern (LR/lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae Genus: Lepus Species: L. arcticus
Binomial name
Lepus arcticus Ross, 1819

The Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) is a hare which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. It was once considered a subspecies of the Mountain Hare, but it is now regarded as a separate species. It is distributed over the tundra regions of Greenland and the northernmost parts of Canada as well as Alaska. In the far north, it is white year-round; in other parts, it is a frosty blue grey color in summer but the tail remains white. It is an average of 22-28 inches long, it weighs about 9-12 lb.

The Arctic Hare mainly eats woody plants. It eats buds, berries, leaves and the meat in hunters traps as well. It has a keen sense of smell and may dig for willow twigs under the snow.

[edit] References

• Lagomorph Specialist Group (1996). Lepus arcticus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern