Snowshoe hare
A North American hare with snowshoe-like feet and seasonal camouflage.
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The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), also called the varying hare or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It is known for its large hind feet that prevent it from sinking into soft snow, and for its two seasonal coats—brown in summer and white in winter—which aid in camouflage. The species is a notable case study in predator-prey dynamics, particularly with the Canada lynx, and is widely used in biology education.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- InfraclassPlacentalia
- OrderLagomorpha
- FamilyLeporidae
- GenusLepus
- SpeciesLepus americanus
Named by Erxleben, 1777
Close relatives
Other species of Lepus with a Codexery entry.
- Antelope jackrabbit Lepus alleni
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Snowshoe hare (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
Where the snowshoe hare has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (25,576 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 410 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Lore & Background
The snowshoe hare was first described in 1777 by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben, who placed it in the genus Lepus and noted its intermediate size between the European rabbit and the mountain hare, with longer hindfeet than the latter. The species has fourteen recognized subspecies, ranging across Canada and the northern United States, with some southern populations extirpated.
The hare's large hind feet, measuring 117 to 147 mm, are densely furred and act like snowshoes. Its coat changes from grizzled rusty or grayish brown in summer to almost entirely white in winter, except for black eyelids and black-tipped ears. Males are slightly smaller than females. The species inhabits boreal forests, upper montane forests, and wetlands, preferring dense understory cover for protection from predators.
Reader's Guide
The snowshoe hare is significant as a classic example of predator-prey cycles, with historical fur-trapping records showing linked fluctuations with the Canada lynx. This relationship has made the hare a standard case study in biology curricula worldwide. Its seasonal coat change is an adaptation for camouflage, and its large hind feet are an adaptation for moving on snow. The species' habitat preferences—dense, brushy, often coniferous cover—are critical for survival, especially for young hares.
Studies show that cover quality is more important than food availability, and that hares avoid open areas during bright moonlight to reduce predation risk. The snowshoe hare's range extends across much of North America, but southern populations have been extirpated in several states. Its fossil record extends to the Late Pleistocene in Missouri.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Snowshoe hare (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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