Wisconsin Native Rabbits and Hares
Wisconsin's rabbits and hares are known for the floppy ears, bushy tails and hopping ability. But there's
more to them than their fluffy fur and bouncy gait. Rabbits and hares are versatile mammals that have
colonized a wide range of habitats. They serve as prey for many specials and, as such, play an important
role in the food webs that they occupy.
Lagomorphs serve as prey for a wide variety of predator species. They are hunted carnivores (such as
bobcats, mountain lions, foxes, coyotes) and predatory birds (such as eagles, hawks, and owls). They
are also hunted by humans for sport.
Rabbits and hares have large eyes that are positioned on either side of their head, giving them a field
of vision that encircles them completely. This gives lagomorphs a better chance of spotting approaching
predators since they have no blind spots. They have long back legs that enables them to run quickly
and claws and fur-covered feet which provides them good traction). These adaptations give rabbits and
hares a better chance of escaping predators that get too close for comfort.
Rabbits and hares eat plants of various forms including grasses, fruits, seeds, herbs, buds, leaves and
even bits of bark they strip off of deciduous and coniferous trees. They are also notorious for eating
cultivated plants such as grains, cabbage, clover, and carrots. Since the plant foods they eat are
nutrient-poor and difficult to digest, lagomorphs eat their droppings, thus causing the food material
to pass through their digestive tract twice to maximize the number of nutrients they are able to extract.
Reproductive rates for lagomorphs are generally quite high. This offsets the high mortality rates they
often face due to harsh environments, disease, and intense predation.
Physical Characteristics
The snowshoe hare has an average weight of 3-5 pounds with a total length of 15-20
inches with the female being slightly larger than the male. The color of the snowshoe
hare is dependent upon the presence or absence of snow. During later spring, summer,
and early fall, the hare is a brownish gray color while the remaining part of the year it is
white to blend in with the snow. During this time the hare is all white except for the
posterior surface of the ear which is tipped black.
Reproduction
The timing of hare reproduction is greatly affected by daylight length and ambient
temperature. Most of the breeding begins in March and continues into July and it is
only during this period that the snowshoe is social. Gestation usually lasts for
approximately 36 days with the first young are usually born in May. Snowshoe hares
typically have two to four pups per litter and multiple litters in a year.
Behavior
The habitats of most snowshoe hares include a heavily forested area with a dense
understory and are usually coniferous and void of humans. The areas they inhabit
are often large undivided woods since the home range is approximately 25 square
miles for males and 19 for females. The snowshoe is largely crepuscular and
nocturnal and during these times they are generally feeding. Their summer food
often consists of grasses, clovers, dandelions, aster, strawberry, ferns, and leaves
of aspen, willow, and birch. Their winter food is primarily composed of bark, twigs,
and buds of maples, willows, poplars, and hazelnuts and also needles of conifers.
Physical Characteristics
The White-tailed Jackrabbit is a relatively large hare with a leaner, lankier look than
other hares and rabbits. The snowshoe hare has an average weight of 6-7 pounds
with a total length of 19 inches with the female being slightly larger than the male.
The pelage changes seasonally — pelage ranges from dark brown to
grayish-brown on the upper parts, while the under parts are a white or pale gray.
The pelage is thin and coarse with long guard hairs used for warmth. White-tailed
jackrabbits have long antenna-like ears that are colored gray on the anterior half
of the outside, white on the opposing half, and a dark black patch extending to the
tip. The tail, which gives the hare its common name, it white all year round with a
dusky stripe on the dorsal side.
Reproduction
Breeding season for the white-tailed jackrabbit begins in February. Courtship between
males and females is brief — it starts with small groups of males chasing females
in the evening hours and consists of dashes, jumps, and circling activities that end in a
brief copulation. Most litters are born anywhere from April until early July after a gestation
period ranging from 30 to 43 days. Litter size ranges from 1 to 11 young while 4 or 5
pups are the most common.
Behavior
White-tailed jackrabbits are nocturnal and partly crepuscular, feeding from sunset to
sunrise. Its activity patterns are known to vary seasonally with changes in day length.
In the summer it feeds on various green vegetation and flowers such as clover, alfalfa,
dandelions, or cultivated grains. They travel and forage along well-worn trails and obtain
much of their water from their food. In the winter it resorts to shrubs dried grasses, or
the twigs and bark of berry and fruit trees in order to survive. Like most other rabbits
and hares the white-tailed jackrabbit engages in coprophagy, which is the
re-ingestion of soft fecal pellets.
Physical Characteristics
The adult eastern cottontail is a mid-sized rabbit weighing approximately 2-4 pounds
with a total length of 16-17 inches. Five toes are present on the forefeet, and four on
the hind feet, which collectively measure anywhere from 3-4 inches. The dorsal portion
of the body varies in color from grays to browns with the tips of each hair being white
or silver giving the pelage a frosty look. A distinct rust-colored patch can be seen
on the nape of the neck and fronts of the forearms. The ventral portions are browner
on the proximal end moving to whitish gray-sandy white toward the distal end. The
short, fluffy tail is 1-1¾ inches in length is brownish above and white below. The
cottontail undergoes two molts per year.
Reproduction
Breeding season for the white-tailed jackrabbit begins in February. Courtship between
males and females is brief — it starts with small groups of males chasing females
in the evening hours and consists of dashes, jumps, and circling activities that end in a
brief copulation. Most litters are born anywhere from April until early July after a gestation
period ranging from 30 to 43 days. Litter size ranges from 1 to 11 young while 4 or 5
pups are the most common.
Behavior
White-tailed jackrabbits are nocturnal and partly crepuscular, feeding from sunset to
sunrise. Its activity patterns are known to vary seasonally with changes in day length.
In the summer it feeds on various green vegetation and flowers such as clover, alfalfa,
dandelions, or cultivated grains. They travel and forage along well-worn trails and obtain
much of their water from their food. In the winter it resorts to shrubs dried grasses, or
the twigs and bark of berry and fruit trees in order to survive. Like most other rabbits
and hares the white-tailed jackrabbit engages in coprophagy, which is the
re-ingestion of soft fecal pellets.
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